Even under normal circumstances, keeping employees engaged is both a challenge and a priority for any company. So you can imagine how complex the situation has become now that most companies have their employees working distributed, without being properly prepared to make this transition or without having time to acclimate to this new environment. That’s why in today’s hectic environment, it’s important for companies to do everything in their power to create an engaging workspace that fuels a positive culture to employees, no matter where they are located.

In Azavista, we’ve been lucky enough to have most of the team working completely distributed for more than two years now, so this sudden change didn’t represent an unexplored territory. In fact, because we’ve been doing this for a while, we’ve experienced first hand how positive employee engagement can improve the company’s productivity and performance. If there’s a great culture in the company, your team will feel more included and engaged, and that helps increase the overall productivity.

With that said, it’s very important to state that employee engagement is something that goes beyond meeting attendance, the responsiveness of emails, or the interaction between employees. So, how can you improve this? To help you out, we have compiled a list of 5 ways (that actually work) on how you can increase employee engagement. With this guide you’ll be able to learn more about:

- Communication channels & the importance of non work-related chit chat
- How to structurally increase your feedback moments
- How to train and develop your team without boring them
- How to utilize gamification to enhance engagement
- Teambuilding ideas for distributed teams

Before moving forward, we think it’s important to first explain why we use the term distributed instead of remote.

### Why a distributed team?

A distributed team is the one that is spread across different cities and time zones around the globe, so if you work for a company where most of the people you interact with are not near each other, you’re in a distributed team. On the other hand, the term remote is used to describe teams that have the majority of their employees in the same country/office, and some minority as a remote team somewhere else. So, let’s say that you work remotely for a company but the rest of your team still goes to the same office and lives in the same country – this means you’re not on a distributed team.

Apart from the difference between these two terms, we also want to highlight how the connotation of “remote” usually means “distant”, or that it has very little connection with or relationship to something. 

Being a distributed organization means something quite opposite because we have the same kind of footing, access, and approach to information, which gives it more of a communal feel – located all over the world, but not in a remote/distant way. 
![remote-vs-distributed.png](https://azavista-web.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/assets/030dec2bebf1c09706fc9aea17ed9c9b.png)

In Azavista, we make sure to communicate this to the employees, and even to candidates during the recruitment process to make it very clear that management sees them as equally valuable pieces of the puzzle. This, in turn, affects the employees’ feeling of belonging and loyalty to the company.

##### **"Located all over the world, but not distant."**
![azavista.png](https://azavista-web.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/assets/c5f26d8d8db4327cd556054fb7bdc11b.png)
	
The Azavista Team

### 5 Ways to engage your employees with budget-friendly options

- **Communicate Regularly**
We can’t begin to stress the importance of having good communication with your distributed team. This is one essential factor that you need to focus on if you want to maintain your employees engaged, and it involves more than just talking. When you communicate with your team, you need to make them feel like they’re an integral part of your company and that their work matters. This is why it’s crucial to create an environment that promotes open and honest communication between each one of your members, so there’s less room for assumptions.

Have in mind that your employees could at times feel disconnected and alienated by not being physically present at an office, so make sure to have regular check-ins with them. You can encourage them to participate in video calls so that communication feels more natural and immediate. There are many tools on the market that make this easier for you! Try out different options with your team until you find the perfect fit. This tool should facilitate the exchange of messages between employees so they can share ideas, send material, make quick calls, among other things.

Also, take into consideration that not every communication with your team needs to be work-focused. In Azavista, we facilitate communication through informal channels (besides our day-to-day operational channels) in Slack.  This allows our team to interact without the pressure of having to maintain more formal communication. To do this, we created a channel in Slack called #watercooler, where everyone is invited to share pictures or their life, interesting and/or funny stories, among other things.
![distributed-team-engagement-2.jpg](https://azavista-web.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/assets/807253fd693fa746021356a44b19be18.jpg)

- Provide guidelines for participating in virtual meetings and choosing the appropriate communication channel for different circumstances (e.g. when to send an email and when to send a chat message) in an internal handbook article
- Rotate team and company-wide meeting times to accommodate those in different time zones
- Encourage informal connections

- **Provide more frequent feedback**
You can truly connect with your distributed team by providing continuous feedback. By doing so not only you encourage collaboration and communication, but it is also a chance to learn from each other. Your employee will appreciate that you take the time to listen about the things that worked and the things that didn’t, to hear about their struggles, and to work together on a roadmap for the things that are ahead. Also, during your feedback session, you should take the time to celebrate individual and collective successes. This is a very important aspect that you should include in your talks if you want to have your team in their A-game.

If you notice that someone hasn’t been showing their best results lately and that has decreased their productivity, you can schedule a feedback talk. Not only will you be able to look at the reasons that caused this, but also find ways to help out and get your team member back on track. Remember that you’re not physically in the same place as your team, so it’s harder to notice if something is wrong. Don’t wait until the last minute to have this talk, provide more frequent feedback.

In Azavista we do a bi-weekly 1-on-1 where we give an update about our objectives and key results to our manager, we also update our progress and talk about roadblocks (if any), among other things. We also receive feedback about our work and plan the things that we’ll do next. For these types of calls, you can use tools like Google Hangouts, which is free and it works well if you want to share your screen to show what you’ve been working on.

![distributed-team-engagement.jpg](https://azavista-web.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/assets/fcf8f10ae2c0009ba5874ba1736ae536.jpg)

- Make the 1-on-1 feedback sessions part of your routine – e.g. bi-weekly, monthly…
- Take time to acknowledge and celebrate successes
- Clarify objectives even when you think everything is already crystal clear

- **Offer training and development opportunities**
Make sure you provide learning opportunities that can enrich your team’s knowledge. In a remote environment, take advantage of recorded training sessions to facilitate the onboarding process of your new employees. This will make them feel less alienated and more equipped to handle their every-day tasks. Plus, you can also use this type of material to help any team member understand important information about the company, such as policies and procedures.

Development opportunities are also another important factor that not only attracts and retains talent but also keeps them engaged. With this in mind, you should have some career advancement opportunities available. Luckily, there are many options available online! Before deciding which training and development opportunities you’ll offer to your employees, ask them first what their needs and wants are. This will give you a better idea of what are the knowledge gaps and skills to focus on and what will keep them happy.

While there are many platforms on the market for enhancing the learning and development of employees, you can also start small and work on knowledge sharing within your company. For example, if you notice your team is struggling with estimating timelines and delivery of results, give space to an employee who had experience with project management to share some tips and tricks with others in a workshop. Make use of the screen sharing options to present the ideas in your workshop and interact while you’re in the call. Additionally, there are interactive options that you could use to make your virtual dynamics more interesting. We use our Engagement App to integrate interactive elements into our team meetings, which makes it more enjoyable and dynamic. With features like instant messaging, Q&A sessions, and real-time polling, our team has one the best immersive online experiences in the market!

[LEARN ABOUT OUR ENGAGEMENT APP](https://www.azavista.co.uk/request-demo_en-GB)
![distributed-teams.](https://azavista-web.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/assets/2bab68a38e01090d4ef966c5e0a6424f.png)
- Create training videos about the essential tools your new employees are going to use
- Reuse them for onboarding
-  Use free content already available online – courses, videos and articles
- Share your knowledge internally
- Let your team members become teachers

- **Use gamification tactics**

Gamification has been a quite relevant topic for many businesses nowadays in their external and internal communications. This is because the use of gamified techniques within a company can help boost employee’s productivity and engagement. To effectively apply these elements, you have to understand first what drives and motivates your employees, so that you can create the right incentives and rewards systems that will excite them.

By using positive feedback, such as points, badges, rewards, progression, you can build up your team’s motivation and increase their engagement, especially if they are distributed. Some fun gamification ideas could involve: creating competitions between teams, starting game dynamics that the team can do after hours, randomly matching coworkers for virtual coffee chats, among other things.

In Azavista, we’ve been implementing “donut chats” for quite a while now. This dynamic involves randomly selecting two coworkers for a 1-on-1 virtual coffee break. The people that are selected for a call need to coordinate with each other the time and date. We use the Donut Slack Bot for pairing us up, but if you’re not using Slack or a similar platform that enables this, you can also keep track of your pairings in a simple spreadsheet. During this activity, we get to interact with another team member for 30 minutes. Our donut chats are not intended to talk about work-related topics, we take this opportunity to get to know each other and build a better relationship, especially with team members that we don’t usually have a lot of opportunities to interact with.
![how-to-keey-your-distributed-team-engaged-2.jpg](https://azavista-web.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/assets/f17520d4aa9ae48c4709ee2b09a2eff1.jpg)
- Find behaviors you want to encourage (e.g. amplify internal communication)
- Clearly communicate the purpose of your gamified activities
- Listen to employees’ feedback and adjust if needed

- **Engage in team-building activities**
Virtual team-building activities are incredibly important because being distributed means you don’t get that many unintentional, informal interactions, which can add to the feeling of loneliness in employees working outside of an office. Make the distance feel smaller by enabling and encouraging your team to participate in these activities so that everyone can learn more about each other and form stronger connections within the company.

To successfully implement virtual team building activities, you have to carefully think about games and exercises that can bring more human interaction to the virtual work. Depending on the type of activity that you choose, you have to make sure it will be fun for your team, challenge them to cooperate, and compete with it! Here are some activities that you can use to bring your virtual team closer: guessing game, picture sharing, bucket list, two truths and a lie, virtual book club, among others.

We do these types of team-building activities after our all-hands meeting, to make sure that everyone in the team gets involved. By implementing a fun dynamic after a long meeting, we try to get the team to relax and enjoy the activity. Overall, the games and exercises that we have done have had great responses and are well accepted among the team, and some have even sparked intense brainstorming sessions useful for our business. Help your team bond and get more practice in overcoming challenges together in a fun way, and you might be surprised by just how much of those experiences will translate into and benefit your business!
![distributed-team (1).jpg](https://azavista-web.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/assets/3c69b7b77fb84b013b83dafc1690f85c.jpg)

- Use a screen sharing tool and visually collaborate with team members
-First assess your team’s needs, then create a purposeful activity to address those needs
-Use company-wide meetings to strengthen the bond between your employees

employees-engagement-for-distributed-teams

How Distributed Teams can keep Employees Engaged

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Azavista has launched a new Event Kiosk - check out the details

In this new digital age, where business meetings, education, and even parties are being held online, it is important to conduct your due diligence before hosting such an event. If your business or non-profit is searching for new ways to innovate planning, consider the following steps in order to reach your goals and achieve a successful virtual event each, and every time.

### 1. Consider Your Audience

While you may want to jump right in and create an agenda for your virtual event, first step back and consider your audience. Identify who that target audience will be. Is it employees? Finance professionals? Stakeholders? Potential investors or partners? Clients or potential customers?

Once you have your audience identified, ask yourself what they may respond to most favorably. Will they embrace this new way of conducting events? What will work best for this particular audience? Create a list of who will be attending your virtual event before you begin to plan and then cater your planning accordingly.

### 2. List Event Objectives and Overall Goals

Identify your reasons for hosting any virtual event. This will include a set of objectives and goals you wish to achieve. Why are you having this now, and what do you expect the outcome to be? What do you want your audience to come away with? Is your primary goal to inform, educate, brainstorm, or assign roles for a new project? Do you want to train, teach, inspire, or motivate your audience?

Take time to thoroughly identify the goals and objectives for each virtual event. Use the SMART framework for creating these goals and objectives. These are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Not only will this list help you plan your agenda, but it will also help to control your expectations of the outcomes.

### 3. Plan Wisely

Since this will be an online event, you will need to capture the attention of your audience and keep it throughout the event. As such, you will need to plan wisely, including the following considerations.

Put together a team of speakers or presenters, and make sure they know their role and what they are to cover. Create expectations and guidelines without restricting their creativity and expertise.
Create an agenda and timeline which will engage your specific audience.
Select a format best suited to this particular type of event, whether it be a corporate meeting or a webinar. Will this be a speaker led event only, or will the audience be able to offer suggestions and ask questions? How much interaction do you require?
What will the venue be? Although this will be an online event for your audience, you will need to determine where it will be led from. This can simply be your office, a conference room, or other location which provides the technology and suitability to the subject matter being presented.
Related Read: Restructuring the Experience: From Physical to Virtual Events

![virtual-event-planning-2.png](https://azavista-web.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/assets/a981f5a36fddf23aa4652475af6db580.png)
### 4. Determine a Date and Time

There are many things to occupy people’s time these days, so it’s important to establish a date and time as soon as possible. This way, your audience can add it to their calendars and commit to showing up. Remember to consider any differing time zones your audience may be in.

Also, create a set of backup dates as well. Unknowns surround us these days, from natural events such as hurricanes to political and economic events, which may require attention. Make sure your speakers and presenters are available for those backup dates as well.

### 5. Determine Your Technology Needs

While technology is important for in-person meetings, it is going to play an even more important role in your virtual events. You may want to consider the hiring of a company that specializes in these events or pull in your own tech department to determine all your technology and support needs.

Choose a Virtual Event Solution for your next event.  Select an individual or group of individuals to be in charge of the overall technology needs of the event. This is someone you can call out to if there are issues with sound, video, or chat and question capabilities.


[LEARN ABOUT OUR ENGAGEMENT APP](https://www.azavista.co.uk/request-demo_en-GB)

### 6. Establish a Budget

Once you have your plan, format, location, date, and list of technology needs, it’s time to establish a budget. Create a range in which to stay and allocate as you see fit. As you hold more and more of these virtual events, you’ll identify where you need to allocate the most amounts and how you can make improvements.
Once you have a few of these virtual events under your belt, your level of comfortability and ease of planning will increase. Stay open and flexible to these new ways of operating in the expanding digital age. Adjusting may take time and effort at first, but eventually, these virtual events will become second-nature and can even be more productive than the previous in-person events.

**About the author:**
 Dominic LoBianco is a guest author on behalf of Sharpe Group. He covers a wide array of topics ranging from event planning to boosting eCommerce sales.

Virtual Event Planning: Adjusting to the New Digital Age

With so many potential options clogging the field, it’s important to find which of the newest trends will work best for your organization and the clientele you seek to serve. At its core, event marketing is all about building trust between an organization and the consumers of their goods and services, both current clients and potential prospects.

Simple sales pitches are no longer the most effective way to bring people on board with your organization; not if you’re serious about growth, anyway. You need to make a statement about who you are and what your brand and organization are all about. This comes with two crucial imperatives: show your prospects how you can solve their problems and delight them with the knowledge that you possess an intimate understanding of them as human beings. This last one is by far the hardest to execute in an authentic and believable manner, yet has become the most important by far as millennials begin to ascend the organization ladder into the positions of key decision makers. With this, comes an increased emphasis on personal values that you ignore at your peril.

Developing an understanding of the trends that seek to capitalize on this is of paramount importance. Below are five of some of the most influential broad trends that are influencing the craft of event marketing.

### 1. The sonic landscape

Unless you’ve been living under a rock in some god-forsake wilderness, you might have noticed that new forms of auditory media such as podcasts have become incredibly popular over the past few years.

Podcasting offers an intimacy and connection between hosts and audience members that has been lacking in traditional broadcast radio. Coupled with the medium’s powerful ability to cater to niche interests and delve into the specific wants and needs of business professionals, making it an indispensable platform for exploring the cutting edge of any industry.

Social media platforms such as Instagram still wield incredible influence over event-goers, yet there is a growing demand for opportunities of thought-leadership and for conference goers to share their voices and experiences on the trends and issues that are defining their industries. Incorporating podcasts or other forms of audio-based content in your programming as a way to feature the voices of your conference goers or demonstrate a solution with an expert, either external or one who is a part of your organization, can go a tremendous way towards creating a memorable event they won’t soon forget. Even if you don’t incorporate their voices, consider creating a space where your audience can be taken on a sonic journey through some of the most pressing topics of their business.

Beyond the example of podcasting, offering a compelling auditory experience has become a generally important element of event marketing. Even something as obvious as background music can have a huge impact on the tone of your event. Make sure to be thoughtful when selecting this.

### 2. New realities

One of the most interesting and futuristic new trends of event marketing has been the advent of virtual reality and augmented reality systems as ways to enhance experiences to the point of science-fiction.

While AR and VR have been present in the event space over the past few years, it has only been recently that this technology has been refined to the point where they have become widely available as well as providing truly breathtaking experiences. The industry is estimated to grow by over 25% over the next two years.

![event-marketing-trends-1.png](https://azavista-web.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/assets/fdb22308ad4e712204b3474adcdcb737.png)

As far as tangible applications go, AR has been leading the pack in event marketing. Time and again, it has proven a fruitful medium for conveying an enhanced event experience by giving your participants new ways to engage with your brand story. Using simple, ubiquitous platforms such as smartphone apps, you can easily find ways to give your consumers more control than ever over how they engage with information at these events. Putting the power into the hands of the people, so to speak, can go a long way in creating an actual, substantive relationship between your brand and your current and prospective consumers.

[LEARN ABOUT OUR EVENT APP](https://www.azavista.co.uk/request-demo_en-GB)

### 3. Be mindful of your carbon footprint

It’s no secret that millennials care a great deal about corporate social responsibility. Not only should you insure that your event is conducted in the most sustainable way possible, but current trends suggest that these values should be at the forefront of your actual programming. Things like digital ticketing systems or even hosting entirely online events are just a few ways this can take center stage for your planning.


This has implications in other mainstay event traditions as well. Everyone loves to pick up cool swag at the events to help commemorate the occasion and going the extra mile to make sure that you’ve had the requisite t-shirts and bags ethically sourced and produced in an environmentally friendly manner can demonstrate to the attendees of your event that you align with their values and are working towards bettering the world in whatever way you can.


### The main event

Keeping up to date with trends in whatever field you find yourself in is a crucial element of ensuring your business continues to grow even in the most difficult of circumstances. This holds double true for event marketing, which has been on the cutting edge of prospect and client relationships for the past decade. Arm yourself with the knowledge of what makes the current business world tick and capture the hearts and minds of your clients.

[ORGANIZE YOUR EVENT TODAY](https://www.azavista.co.uk/request-demo_en-GB)
 

Piper Thomson works with G2 as a Content Marketing Associate. Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, they graduated from Kenyon College with a degree in Sociology. Their interests include podcasts, rock climbing, and understanding how people form systems of knowledge in the digital age.





3 Powerful Event Marketing Trends to Keep an Eye On In 2020

It’s no surprise to see more and more industry conferences and trade shows being canceled, postponed or switched into virtual events. This has forced people to change their plans and travel itineraries for the upcoming months and look for online alternatives to this sudden change. Now, instead of being on a crowded expo floor, attendees are watching webinar sessions, live-stream events or pre-recorded content straight from their homes or offices.

Even though onsite events provide unique advantages such as face-to-face interactions, the demand for virtual events continues to increase, especially now. From live-streaming to pre-recorded sessions, more companies are restructuring their events to offer engagement-driving experiences that extend beyond a computer screen. This has opened the door to new ways to connect people online while reducing costs and carbon footprints.

Many event planners that have already shifted to online events and virtual meetups are still in the “figuring it out” stage. Why is that? Well, some didn’t have these types of events as their core strategy and others are probably doing this for the first time. But the truth is that no one knows what’s the best formula for every event. What we do know is that there’s a lot more to a virtual event than just hosting a webinar, that’s why it’s important to have a clear structure to follow when planning a virtual event.

Whether you have an event programmed for this year or you’re just looking for ideas to get digital, use this structure to plan your own immersive online experience.

[START CREATING YOUR VIRTUAL EVENTS TODAY](https://www.azavista.co.uk/request-demo_en-GB)

### Approach and Platforms

Before deciding on the best approach to host a virtual event, you have to go through your event brief to see if the plan translates well into a virtual format. Just because everyone else is doing it, doesn’t mean you should too. If a virtual experience serves the purpose of your event goals and objectives, then it makes sense to go digital. If it doesn’t align, you’ll have to find an approach that will work best.

Once you have this clear, consider the following questions: Why will attendees sign-up for your event? What do you offer that will add value? Based on the answers you’ll be able to decide which type of content is right for your event. Make sure to prioritize the key content and takeaways.

Now, it’s time to evaluate which type of virtual event suits best with your established goals and objectives:

- #### **Fully Virtual**

Virtual events involve people interacting in a virtual environment rather than a physical location. These online events are multi-session, highly interactive and can feature webinars and webcasts. Plus, they’re suitable for any event that features multiple presentations, discussion rooms or brand experiences to engage your participants.

- #### **Hybrid**

A hybrid event is every format – conference, trade expo, training seminar, etc – that combines live elements, like interviews or presenters with virtual components. It offers an effective way to increase participation and reach, while utilizing live-elements for an in-person feel.

- #### **Live-Streaming**
Live streaming events are great to expand your company’s reach, improve its visibility and distribute the content available to a new audience. This type of online event allows attendees to easily share the event with other people, such as coworkers, friends or family. It also can be incredibly cost-effective for event planners.

- #### **Pre-recorded**
This type of online event is captured, edited and shared for viewing later. Not only can it be premiered on a specific date but it also can be available online via video on demand (VOD). At the same time, it gives the possibility to make the content appear live, even if it’s not. This option offers more flexibility to event planners.

### Program Format and Design

Just like onsite conferences, virtual events come in many program formats. Whether you decide to have a panel discussion, a series of interviews, or pitch rounds, you have to offer a unique experience for your attendees, something that will make your company differentiate from the competition.

- #### **Panel Discussions:**

- They bring together top talent experts in different areas to share and build upon each other’s experience.
- They are useful if a topic is too complex for one person to handle, or if the audience needs to be exposed to various viewpoints at the same session.

- #### **Interviews:**
- Are deep-dive dialogues between event hosts and subject matter experts.
- Experts can share their knowledge in live Q&A sessions, which helps keep things engaged with the audience.

- #### **Pitch rounds:**

- Pitch Rounds are held with the sole purpose of allowing startups to pitch their ideas to a group of juries (usually investors or stakeholders).
- This virtual format is a great way to increase the retention of attendees because of its dynamic.

**Keynotes:**

- Keynotes inspire, entertain and educate audiences on a specific subject matter.
- The keynotes are conducted by speakers chosen for their expertise in a particular area and their ability to draw an audience.
- In a virtual environment, speakers no longer need to travel to another place to give their keynote, and attendees no longer have to look for available seats to attend the session!

Going online also means bringing your company’s design and branding into a digital space. Make sure to consult your brand guidelines before creating any visual material, or building any prop or set for your event. Similarly, all the physical and/or digital design created for the event must maintain the consistency of your graphic identity.

### Technology
![virtual-conferencing-integration-1-1024x758.jpg](https://azavista-web.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/assets/88ec6ef2a2f0a8a825bc4a701d657ed6.jpg)

Event planners successfully host virtual events when they have the proper set of technological tools available. To prepare for the big day, you have to think about these questions: Where the event will be filmed? Will it be all remote? or in a studio? or in an office? Based on your answers, you can identify the setup that you’re going to need, such as audio and visual gear, home equipment, studio equipment, etc.

Besides these technological elements, event planners can also benefit from the use of an event technology platform to plan their entire event process, from the promotion to the execution and the management. Here are the most important event tech solutions to use when executing a virtual event:

- #### **Event Website**

An event website is the forefront of any in-person or virtual event and works as a powerful tool for attracting new attendees. Through your event website, you can seamlessly promote your event by providing rich content that keeps potential attendees informed and entices them to register for the event. Your event website should also communicate the value of your virtual event while having the same look and feel of your company.

- #### **Registration**

A robust registration tool allows you to effortlessly set up registration forms for participants, speakers, sponsors, and approvals, in one single place. These forms will allow people to register for the virtual event, submit their preferences and provide payment information without any trouble. You can ensure that you’ll deliver a flawless registration experience while increasing event attendance.

- #### **Email Marketing**

[Email marketing](https://www.azavista.co.uk/email-marketing_en-GB) helps you expand your brand awareness by targeting and connecting with the right participants, at the right time. Not only you can drive demand for your virtual event, but also you can increase registrations and keep attendees informed. Use an email marketing tool that allows you to brand and personalize your emails, as well as to automate and schedule based on attendee data – all while tracking open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates.

- #### **Event App**

An Event App is one of the most crucial pieces of event technology for virtual events. This tool helps increase the involvement of the participants through features that stimulate interaction before, during and after the event. For attendees, this is where they can choose which sessions they want to add to their agenda, have a good overview of the active topics and participate via polls and questions during the sessions. For planners, this is where they gather relevant data, such as attendee engagement and session popularity.

### Online Host(s)

**On-Camera –** Depending on the type of virtual event, you have to find speakers and/or experts that will give talks on specific topics, do interviews or participate in panel discussions during your event. They should be thought leaders with a strong following. Also, have in mind that not all speakers that have stage confidence have screen confidence. Don’t invite someone who won’t be comfortable in this type of event format.

**Off-camera –** To ensure that comments and interactions of attendees are being addressed, you have to assign that task to someone from your team. You’ll see how the audience will feel included and noticed during the sessions – this helps increase the participation over chat and social, hence the retention.

#### Interactivity and Engagement
![virtual-events-Interactivity.jpg](https://azavista-web.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/assets/d1516195e956277696bb96723063f13d.jpg)

When hosting a virtual event, you can’t simply live stream your planned session and expect that this will be the best online experience for your attendees. You have to consider interactivity and engagement in every content-making decision of your virtual event. These aspects can make the difference when viewers decide to tune in life or to remain in the virtual event.

If you allow attendees to be part of a real-time conversation, their event experience will be more exciting and engaging! Have in mind that in a virtual environment, you can include fireside chats, interactive elements, and real-time examples that wouldn’t necessarily fit into an offline, traditional stage setting.

Integrate these tactics to increase your event interactivity and engagement:

**Q&As** – During your virtual event, select the best questions from your audience or let them decide which ones they’d like to discuss.

**Live Polls –** Increase the interaction of your virtual meeting and events by polling your audience in real time.

**Gamification**– Generate high-quality experiences and increase attendees’s participation and engagement in the sessions by using gamification.

**Chat functionality**– Enable attendees to interact and engage in real-time with each other with a chat functionality. 

Now that you have the ideal structure to develop virtual events, you can determine whether or not you should start planning your own immersive online experience. Remember, with the right plan and the proper technology, you can deliver an outstanding experience to your attendees!

Azavista provides a powerful tool stack that helps you successfully plan any event, whether it is an in-person or virtual event. Our solid integrations ensure a digital-first event preparation for your virtual events. With our building blocks, you easily build your conference outline. Our plug-and-play meeting templates maximize the participant experience whilst saving you precious time for seizing new opportunities.

[GET STARTED](https://www.azavista.co.uk/request-demo_en-GB)

Restructuring the Experience: From Physical to Virtual Events

### 1. Dull presentations

No one likes having to look at a boring PowerPoint presentation slide full of text – keep it short, sweet and simple.

### 2. No internet

The Internet is everywhere – make sure you equip your attendees with the tools they need to get connected!

### 3. Printing an event schedule

We’re living in the age of technology, where a basic Event App is a smart and interactive alternative.

### 4. Cold tea or coffee

After sitting through presentations and networking all day – a nice hot beverage can make all the difference.

### 5. Not knowing the social media channels

Social media has become an integral part of business – be sure that your audience knows where to go and what to do. Don’t overwhelm them by using ALL of the known social media channels – sometimes, less is more.

### 6. Bad sound quality

Nothing is more exhausting than having to sit through an hour-long speech or presentation while struggling to hear what the presenter is saying.

### 7. Overusing technology

We get it, you want to host a modern and tech-savvy event – just don’t overdo it by trying to use all the tools at once. Know which ones your audience uses to interact with them.  A great way to achieve this is with an Engagement App, which works well for onsite and virtual events.

### 8. Not considering people with disabilities

This requires no further explanation..

### 9. Onsite Registration

There are several Onsite Check-in and Badge Printing Solutions that you can invest in to avoid wasting your attendees’ time during the event registration – keep things simple.

### 10. Not enough mic runners

It’s already awkward having to speak in front of a bunch of people you don’t know – don’t make it worse by having your attendees wait anxiously to get their questions heard.

### 11. Bad climate control

Whether it’s too much A/C or simply not enough – it’s your responsibility to make your attendees feel comfortable while they’re at your event. Something as small as temperature can make all the difference.

### 12. Not protecting your attendee data

Nothing is worse than sharing your contact information with an organization and then receiving multiple, spammy emails that you didn’t sign up for – it is your responsibility to take care of your attendees – even after your event is over.


[START PLANNING YOUR EVENT](https://www.azavista.co.uk/request-demo_en-GB)

The top 12 Event Planning Fails that Attendees Hate

Sounds like a hard and overwhelming job for one person, right? Well, the truth is that an event planner also relies on teamwork, good communication, a budget and a whole lot of project management to make it happen.

[LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOLUTION](https://www.azavista.co.uk/request-demo_en-GB)

If you think about it, all events can be seen as big (or small) projects. Projects have a starting date, an ending date and they need coordination between multiple people to achieve success… Sounds just like an event!

Certainly, event planners have managed projects all along, that’s why they’re able to simplify processes such as organizing tasks and people. But, just like project managers, they can face issues in the planning and management of events. Here’s a list of the most common challenges event planners struggle:

### Challenge #1:Overspending

At some point, every event planner has faced this challenge while working at an event. It commonly happens when the “plan and spend as you go” method is used, which often leads to overspending or finding out that there isn’t enough money to finish the project. Once you get to this point, it’s too late to fix it and there’s no turning back. 

Since event expenses can add up fast, it’s critical to establish a budget and decide where and how you’ll spend the funds as soon as you start planning the project. You can do that by researching the event supplies and documenting estimated costs to have a final budget. Don’t forget to consider extra funds for any hiccups that you could encounter along the way. 
![challenges-event-planners-face-in-project-management-4.jpg](https://azavista-web.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/assets/36491b27369dc57e18bd27ab7d4c441f.jpg)

TIP: A great way to stay on track with the budget is registering all of the event expenses in an online event management tool. Not only you can keep all of the expenses aligned, but also you can simplify the processes of sourcing and handling suppliers. This will help you make accurate projections of what the actual costs look like. 
[GET A QUOTE TODAY](https://www.azavista.co.uk/request-demo_en-GB)

### Challenge #2: Unrealistic deadlines and lack of milestones

Before starting a new project, you have to set deadlines that the team needs to hit along the way. If these deadlines and milestones aren’t properly identified, it’s very likely that they will be missed, causing serious issues. For instance, missing a deadline can make you lose the venue because the reservation payment was not made in time. 

This can make or break an event, so you can’t risk having unrealistic deadlines or milestones that you won’t be able to reach. You can tackle this is by having soft deadlines and hard deadlines. The hard deadlines bring more pressure to the table since they would heavily affect the event if not achieved. On the other hand, the soft deadlines create a gentle landing for a task, since it doesn’t have big repercussions if it’s not completed in time. 
![challenges-event-planners-face-in-project-management](https://azavista-web.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/assets/1e0543ea50a1e1baa94f57e15c8a8ea7.jpg)

TIP: With a task and project management solution, you can plan your project and be on top of your schedule. In Azavista, you can use a single dashboard to manage your team’s time and follow colleagues’ activities, ensuring there aren’t more delayed tasks! The tool also allows you to forecast realistic deadlines using historical data from previous events.

### Challenge #3: Poor communication

An event planner usually needs to work with so many individuals during the planning and execution of an event (speakers, sponsors, vendors) that it’s easy for someone to forget a detail that was previously discussed, which creates confusion and unnecessary follow-up emails. If there isn’t a fluent communication between the team, it is likely that important details will be forgotten, causing the event to fail. 

Now you know why keeping open communication between all parties involved is fundamental for any event planner! In fact,  most project management tools come with their own built-in communication system for you to automate follow-up messages and reminders every time a deadline approaches. 
![Challenges-that-Event-Planners-face-in-Project-Management-5.jpg](https://azavista-web.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/assets/9cafffe4ec4acc1ea93b69a82fa8bfb6.jpg)

TIP: In order to streamline the entire planning process and communication, the project management solution tool that event planners use should allow them to quickly send requests for approval and follow up on the status of those requests, from the same interface. 

Challenge #4: Not being prepared for the risks
### 

Just like project management, things can change last minute during the event execution, and everyone must adapt. From last-minute cancellations to sponsor withdrawals or financial troubles, all of them are risks inherent in any type of event. 

![Challenges-that-Event-Planners-face-in-Project-Management](https://azavista-web.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/assets/9cafffe4ec4acc1ea93b69a82fa8bfb6.jpg)
[9 Threats To Your Event (And How to Overcome Them)](azavista.co.uk/Blog/9-threats-to-your-event-and-how-to-overcome-them_en-GB)

The best course of action to deal with these issues is to create a contingency plan ahead of time, in order to predict limitations and potential risks. First, you need to identify these risks so you can later figure out how likely is to occur and how severe it could be. Then you’ll be able to prioritize them and prepare/implement strategies to manage these risks. 

TIP: It’s good to have one tool for a specific purpose, like tracking your events, setting up payments & ticketing, creating an event app, among others. However, this is time-consuming because you’re switching between tools to get everything done. With one or two integrated solutions, you can optimize your processes and save time, especially if you need to make any type of change. 

[TRY OUR EVENT MANAGEMENT SOLUTION TODAY](https://www.azavista.co.uk/request-demo_en-GB)

challenges-event-planners-face-in-project-managemenT

Challenges that Event Planners face in Project Management​​

As an event management solution, we know all the critical aspects that you should take into consideration when choosing your onsite provider. So, we created a list of our top 5 best tips for choosing the best onsite provider:

#### 1. Determine your needs and goals

The first thing to do as an event organizer is to brainstorm and come up with specific requirements that the provider should deliver for the event. But before doing that, you should ask yourself these questions: What are my current needs and goals? What do I expect from my onsite solution provider? Once you have an answer, you’ll see that listing your needs will be much easier.

Also, we strongly recommend having your requirements ready before reviewing proposals. Why is that? Well, by planning beforehand a solid list of conditions for the providers, it’ll be simpler to judge each one by rating how well those are met.
![best-onsite-solutions-provider-1-300x164.jpg](https://azavista-web.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/assets/014019f6ae2c4da80f6f9e041dd37db5.jpg)

**Our Insight:**

It’s always good to listen to the advice of professionals when taking an important decision. When reviewing the proposals, ask for recommendations along the way, so you can combine those with your own expertise and list of requirements. This is also a good indicator for you to see how experienced and skilled the providers are.

### 2. Compare your top solutions

After having a clear list of your needs and goals, you have to do some research to filter out the onsite solutions that meet your requirements, until you find the perfect fit. Of course, we know that looking around tons of providers can be a daunting task (and it takes a lot of time), especially if you’re an event organizer. So, the best way to narrow your options is to look into pages such as Capterra, event industry blogs, and other sites related to events to help you find the right solution.

When narrowing your options, take into consideration aspects such as reputation, years of experience, number of clients, type of solutions it provides, among others.
Moreover, having a checklist with your conditions helps speeding up the process, since you can immediately remove a company from your options if they’re missing a requirement. Another good way to filter them out is by rating the necessities you’re looking for in the software by importance, as one feature might be a nice wanna-have but not must-have. Once you have selected your favorite ones, you can compare all of them to see if there’s a solution that offers something different from the rest.
![best-onsite-solutions-provider-1-300x164.jpg](https://azavista-web.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/assets/014019f6ae2c4da80f6f9e041dd37db5.jpg)

**Our Insight:**

Here’s an overview of what you can usually expect from an “Onsite Solution” service provider:

Check-in
Badge Printing
Attendee tracking
Lead Capture
Reporting and Analytics
Mobile Event App
From the standard services that are offered, you need to find a provider that has a differential factor that could be more suitable for your event.

For example, one factor that separates us from other companies is that in Azavista we’re working on being the greenest provider by implementing biodegradable materials to products like badges, badge holders and lanyards, so they can be reused and recycled. If you’re interested in reducing the plastic impact at events, this solution could be the best fit. Is just a matter of looking for the right solution for your needs and goals.

[LEARN ABOUT OUR ONSITE SOLUTIONS](https://www.azavista.co.uk/request-demo_en-GB)

### 3. Request multiple quotes

This is very important: don’t get a quote from just one provider! Even if you’re sure you’ll close the deal with a specific company, getting more than one quote is the best practice. Moreover, these quotes will serve as a benchmark for comparing providers in the future. Also, by looking at multiple vendors, you get a feeling for the standard industry prices.
![best-onsite-solutions-provider-](https://azavista-web.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/assets/dc987193618818fe8a0bde743368b1ca.jpg)

**Our Insight:**

In Azavista we offer tailored quotes for each one of our potential clients since we understand that their requirements and goals are unique, so the offer should go along those lines.

### 4. Go with your gut feeling

At the end of the day, you’ll be working with your selected provider before, during, and after your event, so take your time to weigh out all your options.

If you don’t feel confident with your choices, ask for more information, or go back to the list that you created and request different quotes from the providers. When you do find the best choice, you’ll know that’s the once, because it’ll feel right.

![best-onsite-solutions-provider-](https://azavista-web.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/assets/dc987193618818fe8a0bde743368b1ca.jpg)

Our insight:

Once you have chosen the provider, don’t rush the process of closing the deal, since you might miss out some important details because you didn’t double-check that information. From our experience, we know that this type of deals take time so we try to have all the necessary calls and/or meetings with our potential clients until we find the best deal.

[REQUEST A QUOTE TODAY](https://www.azavista.co.uk/request-demo_en-GB)

### 5. Set yourself up for success

Now that you have sealed the deal with your Onsite Solution Provider, it’s time to make sure your onsite experience goes seamless by delivering an outstanding attendee experience during the event. Before the event, you should know all the details about the Onsite Team that will be supporting you during the event. Services such as the check-in, badging, lead retrieval and more, should be explained and arrange with time.

Our Insight:

In Azavista, we provide a conference team to support your onsite staff during the event, also, days before, we equip your team with proper training sessions. In addition, we help to ship, step-up, configure and test your onsite technology for the event.



Top 5 Tips to Select the Best Onsite Solution Provider

#### 1. Specialize

Pick an area of travel that you can and want to be a specialist in. With everyone able to do basic travel agent tasks such as searching the Internet for activities and accommodation, travel agents become useful by offering packages that are harder for the average person to know about, find and put together. Focus on just a few destinations or types of trips, and be an expert on those.

#### 2. Give a personal touch

Be available to clients. The job of any travel agency is a personal one, and most people planning a trip want to feel reassured that they have contact with the agent in case of questions or issues that arise. Carrying a smartphone allows calls and emails to be monitored at any time, anywhere. Improving communication skills, especially writing skills can improve the quality of the experience an agent can deliver to a client. Replying promptly to both first-time inquiries as well as current clients’ messages also builds the client’s confidence that their needs will be handled adequately.

#### 3. Find your niche and sell an experience

Identify where the demand is for travel agency services, and focus marketing there. With the modern accessibility of the travel industry and the possibilities for travelers to book their trips by themselves with a click of a button through the internet, now more than ever, the added value of a travel agent is in selling experiences.

#### 4. Maintain a high standard of quality

Strive for quality. The only way to set a business apart in any market is to push it towards being the best it can be. Identifying values and maintaining integrity to those can be a good way to build a quality reputation as a travel agent. Continually work on finding ways to make clients happy.

#### 5. Become a salesman…but inspire trust

Perfect how you sell. Travel agents are running a business after all, and part of a successful business is making the sale. Travel agents will need to learn how to market their services, negotiate and persuade confidently. But don’t let it stop at business. Remember that selecting a travel agent also entails trusting him or her. If you are knowledgeable and confident in the advice you give and the services you provide then others will also be confident in you.

#### 6. Are you online?

Develop a Web presence. The Internet is the way most clients will look for the services of travel agents, and the best way to network and advertise. A quality website that is easy to navigate and visually impressive will stand out. Using social media networks to share tips and travel information can help establish an agent as a thought leader in their field, as well as connect with potential clients, answer questions and build a reputation.

#### 7. Explore Possibilities

The world changes constantly, and travel agents have to be aware of what people need in order to grow and improve how their business works. Streamlining the work process by partnering with other services to grow a business is a good method. Hiring a marketing service or signing up for referral services allows some agents to find more leads and focus on being a travel agent.

#### 8. Technology

Technology can be a driving factor in helping you to manage your travel agency tours more effectively. Don’t overlook it! Azavista, for example, offers a free eRFP and supplier sourcing tool. With Azavista you can send multiple requests in just a click of a button, find the best offers, book and even sign your contracts online. Furthermore, Azavista processes more than 60 million hotel prices daily and provides you with valuable information for cost-effective planning. Now with Azavista Analytics, you can analyze market demand and supplier pricing, hence allowing you to identify the best location, dates, and suppliers for your next group tour or event.

[TRY OUR TECHNOLOGY TODAY](https://www.azavista.co.uk/request-demo)

8-things-every-travel-agency-should-do-to-boost-businesS

8 Things Every Travel Agency Should Do To Boost Business

#### 1. Start Early

Whatever date you plan to begin selling your tickets, begin a week or two before that. In fact, announce two separate dates when the tickets will be going on sale. The first will be an early bird special and should be exclusive to subscribers or customers with a membership. A discount should also be included during the early bird sale. The second date is when tickets become available for everyone else at retail price.

The early bird special and discount can also be used as an incentive to encourage customers to sign up for a membership program. Make the announcement on your social media feeds as well as on the main social network page for your event. Include a huge clickable “sign up” icon with a crafty call-to-action.

#### 2. Sell Next Event’s Tickets During Current Event

If you host events on a regular basis, then use your event to begin selling tickets for the next one. Make the announcement before the event comes to a close and offer a discount as a reward for attending the current event. Make it known that the discount is only in effect if purchased before the end of the event.

You can sell the tickets in person by setting up a booth and designating a few staff members to sell hardcopy tickets. Better yet, if you incorporated an event app for your event, then include a customized function that allows attendees to easily order their tickets through their mobile. Speaking of apps, a service like Azavista enables organizers to incorporate a native event app into their conference for easy guest registration and data analytics.

[TRY OUR EVENT TICKETING SOLUTION TODAY](https://www.azavista.co.uk/request-demo_en-GB)

#### 3. Promote the Location of the Event

What are some of the nearby attractions within a cab drive distance of the venue? Are there notable landmarks worthy as a backdrop for a selfie? If your event includes attendees from other cities, states, or countries, then they might be interested in stopping by these locations. If there are popular restaurants, bars, or clubs nearby, have a few staff members take a selfie or two at these locations and use the pics for promoting the event as a whole. Here’s an example of promoting your event while mentioning the area: Our event is located within a stone’s throw of San Francisco Pier where you’ll be able to take in the breathtaking sight of the beautiful coast. While you’re here, stop by Luigi’s Ice Cream for a delicate treat that has become a local favorite for over 50 years. Why should you promote the area? For one thing, promoting nearby businesses and attractions is a selfless thing to do. Secondly, it gives attendees some site seeing benefits that add to their overall experience and impression of your event.

#### 4. Start a Contest

Ticket sales skyrocket tenfold if your staffers get involved. Have them use their own social media channels to spread the word of the event. Make their efforts worthwhile by making it into a contest. Provide an incentive for those whose referrals lead to X amount of sales. The incentive can be as small as a gift card or as extravagant as a paid vacation depending on how big your budget is. Similarly, you can also promote a group effort and offer an incentive for the whole group if everyone’s collective efforts lead to X tickets being sold. The incentive can be an office party with full catering or a bonus in everyone’s next paycheck.

#### 5. Make Your Event Just as Fun as It Is Educational

Sure, most people will be attending your event to hear a guest lecturer or learn something that will benefit them in some area of their lives. However, adding a bit of entertainment value wouldn’t hurt either. Perhaps after the lectures and workshops, you can incorporate an after-party where cocktails are served. The entertainment can include a number of activities, such as:
Techno dance party
Karaoke hour
Performance from a local performer, such as a musician, comedian, or dancer
Why do you need to promote the fun stuff? While the main attendees are attending for the educational content, remember that most of them will likely be bringing along spouses, children, and friends. These people are the secondary attendees and would not attend your type of event on their own. By promoting the entertainment aspect of the event, you can appeal to this demographic.

#### 6. Hype the Event With “Mini Events”

Create some sort of countdown where each day includes a “mini-event” that helps build up anticipation for the upcoming event. The concept is similar to the whole “12 days of Christmas” scheme where children create a chain out of construction paper and remove a link as each day passes to commemorate being one day closer to Christmas. Here’s an example of what you can add for each countdown:
Day 5: live webinar
Day 4: social media contest with ticket giveaways
Day 3: video testimonial featuring attendees from the last event.
Day 2: guest blog post from one of the event’s guests speakers
Day 1: a “see you there” video message
Your countdown should start at least 10 days before, though the example above provides some ideas of what you can incorporate. The end of every mini event should include call-to-action encouraging followers to buy their ticket if they haven’t already done so.

#### 7. Get Your Sponsors Involved

A big turnout would benefit your sponsors just as much as it would benefit you. This is why you should encourage them to get involved and promote the event using their own social media outlets. Your sponsors are likely better established than you are, hence why they have the budget to fund your event. As such, they also likely have a larger connection base. While the bulk of the promotion is your responsibility, don’t be afraid to ask your sponsors to promote the event by linking to your ticket sales page.

#### 8. Create Different Ticket Options and Packages

This is a good option if your event is held over the course of several days. There will be members who may decline to attend due to not being able to attend the whole event. For this reason, create different ticket types to accommodate those who may only be able to show up for part of the event. You can, for example, have the regular ticket that’s good for the whole event and another that’s good for just the first day or two. The latter, of course, should be sold at a cheaper price. You can also do the same if the event includes an after-party. You can keep that part of the event separate from the educational workshops and conferences that come before. Create ticket options that are good for both events, good for workshops only, and good for the after party.

#### Selling Tickets Is all in a Day’s Business

Selling tickets really isn’t hard work at all. You just have to make it really worthwhile for guests to attend and market the hell out of the event. If all the steps are in place, then there really isn’t any reason why tickets shouldn’t sell like hotcakes.

[USE OUR EVENT TICKETING SOLUTION TODAY](https://www.azavista.co.uk/request-demo_en-GB)

8-marketing-tips-to-sell-more-tickets-for-your-event

 Event Management 8 Marketing Tips to Sell More Tickets for Your Event

#### 1. Visit a Local Producer

Take your team for a fun and educational experience at a local vineyard or brewery – or for a non-alcoholic alternative head to a farm or local market to see where local produce comes from.

#### 2. Arrange a “Family Day”

Plan a carnival or fair for your employees to enjoy with their family. This is a great way to connect their work-life with their family-life.

#### 3. Plan a Company Event for your employees

Plan a classy ball, costume party or even a business lunch for your employees. It is a fun and creative way to get them to relax and socialize – and perhaps even compete for a ‘best costume’ prize! 

#### 4. Celebrate the Holidays Together

Since it’s considered the season of giving, plan a Christmas charity event and allow different departments to raise money for homeless shelters or food banks.

#### 5. Plan a Volunteering Activity

Get your team of employees together to volunteer for a cause of their choice. Plan something where your company and its employees can ‘give back’. It’s a worthwhile team-building experience!

#### 6. Break a World Record

This will inspire and motivate your team and allow employees to create a long-lasting legacy for their company. Breaking a world record is quite the achievement – something that you can keep trying each year!

[PLAN YOUR CORPORATE EVENT TODAY](https://www.azavista.co.uk/request-demo_en-GB)

6 Unique Corporate Event Ideas

#### 6 Tips to consider when Organizing your Event Staff

Make sure everyone knows where they have to be and at what time. Account for people being late, or not showing up the day of and be sure to tell the staff exactly where they have to be in the building.

Pretend these schedules are going to elementary school children, and go above and beyond with the instructions so that nothing is misunderstood. Events are typically chaotic, so eliminating any room for misunderstandings about scheduling will help the day of the event run more smoothly.

Learn about state-specific labor laws. Since events are usually very long days of work, some events will require that you pay overtime or get special signatures and permissions for those who are under 18.

![schedule-event-staff-](https://azavista-web.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/assets/adacc167b0a47cd130e91f55669915c6.jpg)
[ORGANIZE YOUR EVENT TODAY](https://www.azavista.co.uk/request-demo_en-GB)

#### Communicate constantly

Create a group text, chat, or email thread that everyone has access to. Consider implementing more than one due to the risk of failure such as email deliverability. Also, create a phone tree in case major announcements need to be made. These two things will ensure the staff has no excuses for missing information.

Constant communication allows for less room for interpretation. Because events are detail-oriented, one slip up can cause a domino effect. Even if you feel as though you’re bothering the event staff, keep communicating. Making use of project management tools can help your team identify their job responsibilities and progress on goals. The more clear and concise information everyone has, the smoother the event will go.

#### Hold an onboarding meeting

People often skim emails or texts, so hold an onboarding meeting and go through some form of a dress rehearsal. This is the meeting where you should discuss what they should wear, including closed-toe shoes and if dealing with food, hair pulled back.

If possible, this meeting should be held at the event space itself so that people can learn how to get there before the day of the event.

Then, give a presentation about etiquette, roles, and responsibilities on the day of the event. From there, have people go to their stations and do a quick run-through of the event.

At the end of the meeting, give people a one-sheeter of things they must remember the day of the event. Include their specific shift time on this document.

![onbording-even-staff-meeting-](https://azavista-web.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/assets/8ee2d3f26356ae1cdb89b3a00a0c705c.jpg)

#### Make sure people are in the right positions

Determine a team lead, or many team leads so that you can delegate some of the management to them. These team leads should be experienced event staff with a more intensive knowledge of the event details. They will be held accountable for the team member’s performance.

From there be sure when hiring event staff that you are placing people where they are comfortable. Even if you are short-staffed, putting someone in an unfamiliar role can cause a plethora of issues.

Placing people in the correct positions will help you focus on the bigger picture.

#### Use automated platforms

If it’s in the budget, consider using event planning software. Event planning software helps manage everything from developing a schedule to employee resource allocation.

Using this type of software will help make the event planning process more seamless while keeping all of the details in one place rather than scattered throughout your email inbox.

Maybe you only organize a couple of events per year and investing in dedicated all-in-one event management software is not on the horizon yet. In this case a rocking project management software such as Monday.com is your best friend.

#### Hold a wrap up meeting
Even though events consist of a very long day for most people, holding a meeting after the event is a good way to gain insights about how the event went overall.

If it’s a larger event, you will not know about every single hiccup, but it is important to know so that you are not caught off guard when your client comes back and tells you about a certain situation.

Lastly, thank the event staff for putting in all of the hard work to make the event a success. Without your event staff, there would be nothing. Their cooperation and attention to detail are what can turn a good event into a great one.

#### Plan for the worst, hope for the best

With these six tips for organizing event staff, you can feel more at ease about your event, party, or conference going smoothly.

[USE OUR PLATFORM TODAY](https://www.azavista.co.uk/request-demo_en-GB)

Organizing-your-Event-Staff-6-Tips-for-Success

Organizing your Event Staff: 6 Tips for Success

## Tip #1 – Define your objective

Probably the most important thing you need to know before you begin planning your event is fully understanding what your event objective is. How can you clearly define your event objective?

Well, here are 5 questions to ask yourself:

- **WHO** will attend your event? Who will organize your event? Answering these questions and knowing how many people you expect to attend will determine a majority of your decision making.
- **WHAT** is your event about and what have you named your event? It is vital to keep the theme of your event in mind at all times during your planning process.
- **HOW** do you intend to market your event and get the word ‘out there’? Herein lies the value of a thorough budget — think hard and critically about your event budget needs.
- **WHEN** will your event be held? It is important to keep your target audience in mind and find out which date and time is most convenient for them — especially since almost 40% of people do not show up to confirmed events.
- **WHY** (this is your event objective right here) is your event even taking place? This is your event purpose and should always be kept in mind while planning.

## Tip #2 – Plan your budget and time scales

Sure, we all know that you need to plan your time and money to get something done, but exactly what goes into planning your time and budget?

- **RESEARCH** your costs in advance
- **COME UP** with an overall amount
- **ESTIMATE** the costs for each category
- **DO NOT** overlook small costs
- **CREATE** a contingency plan

## Tip #3 – Create your event checklist

An event planning checklist  helps you keep track of all the smallest details of your event to ensure nothing goes wrong from the moment you start pre-planning to the day-of-event logistics. Although there are many steps to follow while using an event checklist, these are the three most important things that you should keep in mind: 

**DELEGATE** work within your team
**DON’T** lose overview of your progress
**USE** a tool to manage your to-do’s and monitor your planning progress
![Corporate-Event-Planning-2-1024x517.png](https://azavista-web.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/assets/2620d96dff0e92b968901380e4917e70.png)

[USE OUR PLATFORM TODAY](https://www.azavista.co.uk/request-demo_en-GB)

## Tip #4 – Have a backup plan ready

While planning for the worst is never the most encouraging thing to do — it is always better to be prepared for the worst while striving for your best event! This is especially true since, try as we might, we cannot always predict everything and at times unforeseen circumstances might show their ugly heads.

To then avoid the panic at the sight of potential disaster, plan ahead on event elements you see as important. Examples of these might be AV equipment or catering. Arguably, these are two of the most important elements to any event — they keep your attendees happy! After all, you don’t want to be stuck without a projector or have an oven break down without any alternative means to entertain or feed your guests.

## Tip #5 – Communicate, communicate and communicate!

The most effective event planners are good communicators. When planning events we are not only continuously communicating with our team, but we also need to communicate with our (potential) suppliers as well. I must say, though, that communication skills here do not refer to micromanaging (no one likes that) but bear in mind that as the leader of your event planning team you hold the responsibility for the success or failure of your event. After all, event planners are hired because they are valued for their attention to detail. Without communicating these details with your team and ensuring that everything is monitored, it is possible that small mistakes or poor communication could result in potential failure.

In a nutshell, plan for the worst and aim for the best, remember to think ahead and finally, do not forget that there’s no ‘I’ in team — keep your team in the loop, work together and communicate to get that event planned!

[PLAN YOUR CORPORATE EVENT](https://www.azavista.co.uk/request-demo_en-GB)

5-Essentials-for-Corporate-Event-Planning

All-in-one Event tech Platform

All-in-one Event tech Platform

All-in-one Event tech Platform

All-in-one Event tech Platform

All-in-one Event tech Platform

All-in-one Event tech Platform

All-in-one Event tech Platform

All-in-one Event tech Platform

All-in-one Event tech Platform

All-in-one Event tech Platform

All-in-one Event tech Platform

Blog: Career advice

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