This is a big week!
I’m off to Australia later today for nearly a month, but don’t worry I’ll still be posting and working while I’m there. I haven’t been to Australia in 18 years so I’m very excited to see friends and soak up the sun. Be sure to join me on Facebook for photos of my trip!
Using Event Technology At Your Events
Today, I’m introducing you to an incredible entrepreneur, event producer and event technology guru, 24-year-old Will Curran of Endless Entertainment. And that’s exactly what he is, endlessly entertaining.
Will is going to share how his passion for music and large-scale events helped him start his business as a DJ in high school and evolved into an event planning business with 11 employees and 30 event staff; how he has gone from making $1500 on his first paid event in high school to $100K+ budgets; and to producing Comic-Con: “an annual convention and event that celebrates how comics contribute to art and culture.” It’s full of celebrities!
Event Technology in Event Planning
I love Will’s energy and the fact that he has super heroes behind him in the interview. Will shares how event technology is shaping events and how communication is key. You’ll learn how new event software helps you plan your event and share the information with your event team. He also talks about why it’s important to partner with someone who knows and understands event technology, if you don’t. Will and I would love to hear from you in the comments. Let us know how you use event technology for your events, and if you don’t use it yet then share what your biggest take away was from this interview. Your comments help thousands of event planners, so thank you for sharing! Happy Planning,
I am impressed with the scale of growth that this DJ made with the progress of his entertainment company. That is inspirational because it can motivate anyone who is trying to build a business from the ground up / grass roots, but may lack the confidence to really believe that it is possible to establish your business in a market where you are competing with larger, well funded companies. This is a find example of the possibilities that exist when you have faith and determination and you put in the effort.
IMO passion for what your do and building relationships are key here, no matter what your budget is, and that’s what Will did. He followed his passion first and then created the relationship, which was the start of his business. Thanks for your feedback and comments Steven!
Here is my dilemma (and you may have it as well): You need to plan an event, but you have no background in event management planning. Somehow this duty has been thrust upon your shoulders. Relax. There are pros and sites like this that are here to help. Many organizations don’t have a dedicated point-person for event marketing management. Yet, an event can make or break a campaign. No matter the type of event you’re planning, you need to map out a strategy. What’s the goal of your event? Are you introducing a new product or service to customers? Running a demo for analysts or prospects? Whether your end goal is to get in front of key influencers or present before a group of executives, you’ll want to whiteboard a strategy. Look at your ideal audience, what message will resonate with them and how you are going to measure results. Remember, you’ll have no clue whether your event was a bust or boon unless you have the right metrics.
Yah, this can and does happen often Alvin. Often someone in the organization is “gifted” the task of running an entire event, and it turns into a part- or full-time job in addition to your other responsibilities. Strategy is key, along with some key event planning tools that are included in my Event Planning Blueprint. Make sure you know your objective, here’s a post I wrote in it http://www.eventplanningblueprint.com/dont-plan-any-event-without-reading-this/
I hate when that happens – when you are, as Melanie so cleverly put it, “gifted the task of planning some extra circular company event. This is even more annoying if you are already overloaded with your daily responsibilities. This happened to one of my friends who is often overloaded with work, yet she over-extends herself because she is a people pleaser. As a result, she is all too often underappreciated by her coworkers as well as her superior(s).