The debate on communication opportunities, especially the lost ones is an omnipresent topic in our field. Sworn PR folk and all of us who grew up with them believe relationships should be invested in. Time, energy and money. Even more so: when it comes to relationships, saving never pays off. A minus bears a minus.
One of the hesitations brought forth by the times when most economic indicators are in different shades of red, is most of all how to chose the tools from the pallet of public relations which will yield fastest and most valuable results. In the language of marketing these are (also) events: organized and planed with a specific aim.
There are a lot of events happening. When I browse through the photos of a Maribor photo agency, which offers an up to date overview of social events at the sunny side of the Alps, I marvel at the many diverse events: corporate, social, star-studded, shallow, without meaning and content (the percentage of these is sometimes dangerously high). Among them I rarely spot an event clearly created for the promotion of a tourist destination or object. If we neglect the traditional ethnographic or similar events numerous in Slovenia, each year only a handful of meetings with a clear goal emerges: to introduce the professional public the advantages and potential of a specific tourist object or destination.
The reasons must be as numerous as there are numerous organizers of the aforementioned events. But let’s not dwell on that and meddle in other people’s business.
However, a summary of ten reasons why if you are a professional in the meetings or tourism industry, you should enrich your business activities with a meeting aimed at the professional public from the area of event organization, marketing and public relations is in order:
1. The people from ad, event and PR agencies have at least a considerable influence on the decisions of their clients. Often they are the sieve for information on what, with whom, how and where their clients can execute their communication plans. Therefore it is important what they think of you and how well they know you.
2. In comparison with complex communication projects events are a financially less demanding investment, which almost always returns.
3. At events you can communicate personal, direct and unfiltered messages to the people relevant for you or the organization you represent.
4. In a few hours you can achieve what you would achieve with complex communication tools in a day, two or more.
5. Instead of fighting for your position on the marketplace you can shower your potential business partners with gifts of everything you make. Use the advantage not everybody gets. A simple yet powerful example: imagine a car maker could gift each potential business partner with a car!
6. A good event is not necessarily expensive. Or put differently: the times when events were about showing of your capabilities are over.
7. An event can feed the relationships from social networks. For a longer time.
8. An event is the best platform to establish (personal) relationships.
9. Gifts given at an event are not a bribe, yet a sign of courtesy.
10. An event reaches where most communication tool hardly ever or never reach. To the hearth.
The last of the given reasons does not require a subtitle. We are all well aware of the power of good experiences. And fond memories. As much as we strive for those in our personal lives, we are often aloof about them in the business world. Why is that?
Anuša Gaši
