In Judy Allen’s Event Planning book she
mentioned a great acronym that I use in crafting and implementing my event
management projects.
The acronym is not only easy to understand by a
great guide for beginners and veteran event management professionals as well.
Here is the acronym she devised and you might
also use as well to aid you in delivering a successful event.
She called it D.R.I.V.E. An apt word if you ask
me, for event managers are drivers of the events they are producing or
organizing. Event managers hold the steering wheel. In their hands, depend if
the event can reach its target destination.
Often times, there will be bumps along the way,
but if the driver knows how to navigate his way, no doubt that the trip will be
enjoyable and the destination reachable.
I know you are excited to know it, so here it
goes.
D is for Define Company and event objectives.
Everything must start in answering the question
why? Why does your company exist? Why are you doing the event?
Answering the why points to the company and
event objectives.
For me, it is finding your true north. It will
act like a compass that will always guide you whenever you feel that you are
getting lost in the middle of your event implementation.
R is for Research and develop your event vision.
If you are creating your event for the first
time you might as well create a remarkable event. Create purple cow if you ask
Seth Godin.
If you will not create a remarkable event, it
will be invisible.
This is the reason you need to research deeply.
As you become confident that you have gathered a sufficient data, you can now
develop events that will stand out in the crowd.
I call it a differentiated event.
Differentiation is a strategy that will allow you to be memorable to your
client and outlast your competition.
I is
According to Jerry Gregoire, former CIO of Dell, “ Customer experience is the
next competitive battlefield.”
I agree with this with wholeheartedly.
Customer experience has become an obsession not only among companies, but also
in the event management industry.
In fact, event management companies are now
called experience agencies. This goes to show you how important and precious a
commodity providing a great customer experience is.
Therefore, the rule of thumb is to innovate your
customer experience or die.
V is for Visualize your event step by step to capture all essential
logistical event requirements and expenses.
God is in the detail. I always try to emphasize
this in my staff and students. This is how we play the event management game.
Checking and cross checking every detail. Trying to act like Andrew Grove of
Intel’s bold statement in his famous book, which is “Only the Paranoid
Survives.”
Secondly, profit is our lifeblood. We will
continue to grow and survive this competitive world if we will watch carefully
our cash leaks. We can make this possible by creating a cost sheet and watching
carefully our expenses.
Lastly, I believe that if you can visualize it,
you can execute it. The late Stephen Covey is correct when he said that there
are two types of creation. First creation is the creation that takes place in
the mind. Second creation is the physical creation. Just look at the building
that started not when the construction began, but when the blueprint was
created.
E is for Execute with detailed precision and timing.
“Art is an
accurate statement of the time in which it was made”, said Robert
Mapplethorpe.
Timeliness is everything. It is the exact
moment where we deliver the drama, breaks the suspense and present the surprise
that completely affects and influences the audience.
Timeliness is also the reason that precision is
achieved. It is the walk-in music when the name of the speaker was called. It
is the event card or event photo plate posted in
In summary, D.R.I.V.E. is because
- Wednesday, March 01, 2017
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