NetWorking in the Northwest – Valuable Live Events with a Twist

By Lori Richardson, Northwest Bureau Chief          Lori's Bio
 

There is an event strategy that is building here in the West that has collaborators from everywhere smiling – due to a simple concept with such big possibilities.

The concept is to create a "triple-win" for three separate groups – an area business association of your choice, their constituents, and "up-and-coming" bright business speakers and leaders.

All you need is to understand what helps each group, then make that happen. Here is how this idea works:

Most local business organizations want most to grow membership and retain existing members for as long as they can.  But to do this, they must continue to offer value to that membership base.

Those members typically join a local business organization to build their own business – so they are looking for more revenues and profits.

Outside professional business consultants, trainers, and speakers want visibility so that people can learn what it is that they have to offer.

So bring them all together and see each group win!

An example of this was a recent event in Bellevue, Washington called, "Driving for Results," put on by the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce.  The purpose of this event was to give attendees (members and guests) some immediate, new ideas for increased sales, better customer service, and more profits.

Chambers of Commerce (and many other biz organizations) are great in finding venues, working with their member companies for sponsorships, and generally organizing and running the event.

An enterprising volunteer or alliance partner of the business organization can come in and offer to put together a great lineup of powerful presenters.  In the recent Bellevue Chamber event, business guru Michael Port (of "Book Yourself Solid" fame) was the main attraction, and the morning prior to his keynote was a series of workshops with local speakers, authors, and other subject matter experts on topics ranging from negotiation to leadership, to marketing, to focus.   Good local subject matter experts may want more visibility and speaking opportunities – and may waive an honorarium fee to participate.

Members and attendees just want more business – and a few new ideas (or remembering of the old ideas we’re too busy to put in place) are huge value.

The way you can make this work in your community is to become the "buffer" – help bring all parties together and work with people’s strengths.  Some presenters have large databases to invite new people to this business organization – others just shine when they show up and present.  Some of the business association staff will get involved and help with all their might – others won’t.  It’s all good – just go with it and be neutral and act as someone who is serving them all to be successful and win.

Help the business organization to put together a great event at a fantastic location – then work and work to make sure there is enough value for everyone to want to attend.  All must be bought in on getting attendees – without critical mass it won’t be successful – no matter who is speaking.  Have marketing tables instead of a big formal "trade show" – rather reasonably priced tables where local businesses can show their wares and services.  Run the event professionally – begin on time, stay on your timeline, and treat everyone there like a guest.   Thank them and appreciate them.

Want to know the twist? Enlist a member of the business association (or one of your alliance partners) to create an e-book of the event.  To do this, you ask each presenter for a short article with great takeaways for the reader.  For the "Driving for Results" e-book, we asked presenters to offer one great idea in short article form, with a brief blurb about them with contact information.

The e-book offers a new angle for success – attendees will get a follow up email from the event host (in this case, the Chamber), which shows that they care and it offers reinforcement of the topics at the event (which follows adult learning theory for how we learn).

The Chamber now has this as a tool to give out to prospective members --it’s another way to say, "see how we support our membership?" and it is a tool to send to existing members as a reminder of the programs the Chamber offers.

Presenters get more name recognition as well – rather than just 50 or 100 or 250 attendees hearing them, the e-book can now be viral – anyone can download it and they can forward it around the world.   If you’d like to see the e-book from "Driving for Results", just click here.

Consider this model to help your local business organization just like it was done in the Pacific Northwest – and please feel free to send me an email with any questions on how to do this, or to share your comments once you’ve done one in this manner.  It really is a way to make a big splash in your community as the connector of these three groups – an association, new and existing members, and great local subject matter experts.  Offer great value, and all will be thrilled.

 

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Contact Lori Richardson at LoriR@TheNationalNetWorker.com or Post a Comment on TNNW Blog.