How do you sell your event to the rest of the organization?

It is one of the biggest frustrations of event managers: colleagues who mostly talk to each other during the event instead of with the client. After all, the involvement of colleagues is crucial to the success of your event. But how do you get the rest of your organization enthusiastic and how do you get them on board with 'your' event?

As an event manager, you often spend months preparing your event down to the last detail. Your focus is on achieving the objectives and creating a great experience for your visitors. And of course, all within budget. In doing so, it is easy to forget that an event on the day itself is mainly hard work. Not only for you, but for your entire team. Often this team consists of colleagues who are present at the event on behalf of the organization. They too are often on their feet for hours, while at the same time they are expected to remain happy, hospitable, and engaged.

Intrinsic motivation

But the problem is that there is often a lack of the right intrinsic motivation. These colleagues are present because they have to, not because they want to. The task is up to you as an event manager to change that. Because scientists have shown that nothing is more powerful than people doing what they do because they want to do it!

A post shared by Theater Amsterdam (@theateradam) on Jul 9, 2018 at 2:18am (PDT)

4 practical tips

Here are four practical and effective ways to boost motivation within your team.

1. Involve the team in organizing the event 

If you expect your colleagues to play a crucial role in the success of your event, treat them accordingly. Inform them about the goals and approach of the event and let them know what you expect from them. Offer the opportunity to think along about their own role. Also, giving responsibility can in some cases be the secret recipe that makes people go the extra mile.

2. Credit where credit is due

Someone who feels valued performs better. So a sincere thank you to your team is the least you can give. Moreover, it costs you nothing, but you get a lot in return. Thank your team members not only personally, but also, for example, during a meeting in the presence of the organization's senior management.

3. Work on the team spirit

Turn 'your' event into 'our' event by creating a real team spirit. Do your best to free up budget to have a drink together or do another fun activity. 

A post shared by De BorrelFabriek (@deborrelfabriek) on Apr 18, 2019 at 2:00am (PDT)

4. Ask for feedback

If you want to be able to appeal to your colleagues again, it is very important to evaluate the event properly. Ask about the things that went well, but also about things that could have gone better. See if you can prevent these obstacles, no matter how small, next time and if you can't figure it out yourself, especially ask if your team wants to think along about a creative solution.

Organizing an event in Amsterdam? Theater Amsterdam is the place for congresses, conferences or concerts. Want to know more? Feel free to contact us.