Sometimes we get so overwhelmed by the logistics and legwork of an upcoming Meeting that the best we can do is power through and hope to make it to the end-of-event cocktail hour in one piece. When that happens, it’s easy to make the fatal error of just getting through your Meetings— monkey-baring your way through the year of events. If this is you, you need to clarify your big-picture intentions by designing an overall event strategy that encompasses all of your hosted events AND individual objectives and goals for each event you plan.
Setting and following up on objectives and goals is so important—and while these two buzzwords get thrown around so much that they now sound very similar, they are absolutely not. Let’s break it down.
The best way to think of objectives versus goals is to think of how you will categorize the data you use to measure these: qualitative versus quantitative data. So, to work backwards for a moment, our objectives will always be measured in qualitative data. Did everyone have an enjoyable and productive experience? Are your clients leaving with a feeling of accomplishment? Did participants walk away with actionable next steps? Inspired? Tools to tackle their challenges? Were your attendees inspired? It follows, then, that prior to touching down for your Meeting, you’ll have set objectives already in place: Provide an enjoyable and productive experience. Ensure the clients leave with a feeling of accomplishment. Get new clients. etc. Get it?
Goals, on the other hand will be the quantitative data—the stuff you can measure with numbers. How many guests are RSVP’d for next year’s event (If its an annual)? What percentage of clients will be bringing more team members along next time? How many leads were generated? How many people registered and attended the event? The pre-defined goals that seek to be measured by these questions would be stuff like: Encourage more guests to RSVP for next year’s event. Increase percentage of clients who grow their presence year-to-year. [Etc.]
Keeping these two measurement tools in mind and wielding them correctly can provide amazing insight into how your Meetings are going, and better yet, give you tons of data to use for the future, whether it be for your own metrics, or to show off what a rockstar you are to the higher ups.
How do you use objectives and goals in your overall Event Strategy?
How do you stay focused on the bigger picture?