Writing an event concept
If your event is even slightly more complex than an in-house planning meeting, you should write a concept for it. This should be a document that describes your vision for the event. What will it be like when it happens? It is possible that the actual event will differ from your preliminary expectations. Take it easy. This is a kind of offer to the market. Even if in the end everything doesn’t go as you planned, you still need to make a preliminary plan.
The concept will help you understand where you want to go. Include in your draft concept what you could tell a potential event participant over a cup of tea. This does not have to be all the information about the event, including the budget and resources involved. This is still internal information. Include in the concept what you could (and would) tell participants.
The concept can describe the goals and objectives of the event, the audience of participants, and who the event is intended for. Give reasons why it is necessary to participate in this event. Include technical information there: date and location, information about the organizers and supporting organizations, partners and sponsors; indicate the cost of the product, contact information, etc.
The concept can later be used as a basis for creating an event website, information brochures, etc.
Now let's take a closer look...
What is the concept
Many organizers intuitively feel what can be done and what cannot be done, what will enhance the event and what will ruin it. Also, for example, when driving a car, sometimes you “just feel” how to act, without thinking about the rules of driving. But driving rules still exist, as do rules for holding events.
Quite often events are held using different concepts. What is the concept of the event? The word “concept” is used so often that its original meaning has almost been lost.
Concept, or concept (from lat. conceptio - understanding, system), - a certain way of understanding (interpretation) of any object, phenomenon or process; main point of view on the subject; guiding idea for systematic coverage.
Think about it, what is the concept of the USA as a country? Their concept (understanding the purpose of the country, its perception) is the idea of Freedom and self-realization: any shoe shiner can become a millionaire. And this idea attracted and continues to attract people in America. What was the concept of the USSR? The main idea that the Soviet Union carried was the idea of equality and justice. It is such big ideas that become the concepts of such a complex phenomenon as the state.
Event concept
Now let's take events. Creating a corporate event is a much simpler task than creating a state. However, for the event you need to choose a concept, some kind of guiding idea. And here a trap awaits us. What is the idea of a "Hawaiian party"? Is it being made for a Hawaiian company? Do you sell surfboards? If not, what is behind this besides the design of the hall or the set of rooms? Phrases like “We just want to give our guests a fairy tale” are excuses. Real fairy tales are wise; they taught us a lot when we were children. The concept should convey the idea of the event and somehow change us.
Too often, the purpose of an event is said to be the desire to “simply entertain guests,” “distract them from everyday life,” “allow them to plunge into another world.” Does this remind you of anything? Events are not a substitute for drugs! Just entertainment cannot be the meaning and idea of the event; there must be something more. Your guests are not stupid; they understand what is meaningful and what is not. And meaningless (that is, literally - without internal meaning) events will be considered a waste of money. Even if it is beautiful.
Ideally, a concept is some kind of social action plan, such as an “environmental event.” The concept does not necessarily have to contain the idea of altruism and concern for all humanity. But all the same, the concept is an Idea with a capital “I”, and not just a set of numbers and decorations united by a certain common theme. Something like this happens in restaurants - the decoration of the room and the uniform of the waiters prepare you for the fact that you can order Mexican food, but the restaurant does not seek to change you and force you to take action (to commit revolutions, for example).
Not all events require a concept. Very often the concept is a redundant element. For example, a business conference, as a rule, takes place without a special creative component (although sometimes in an unusual format - a talk show, teleconference, “duel” or “battle”). Or the event is intended for a very narrow group of regular partners who may be irritated by your concept, and all they need is a personal, informal approach and impeccable organization corresponding to their status.
So first of all ask yourself: do you need an original concept? Next, a few functions of the concept at your event, an explanation of how it works.
How does it work?
The concept is the rules of the game. The concept instantly sets a whole set of rules, thereby allowing you to save resources - you just need to say a few words in the invitation. Then we will need clarifications, animators, actors, the evening's program, a presenter, but a lot has already been conveyed to the audience with the help of one or two words.
The concept is the territory of the event. The concept shapes the internal space and time of the event. It gives the guest an idea of how you have transformed the interior space of the event and what elements will be included in the program. The concept gives an understanding of the scenario. Remember that in our ordinary life there are no concepts! And its very appearance means for a person going beyond the boundaries of everyday life.
The concept is an intensification of emotions. The concept enhances communication as an artistic medium. Works of art allow us to feel emotions, make us worry, and fight our indifference. The concept of the event has the same function - it enhances emotions and manages experiences. In order for a person to experience emotions, you need to come up with a story with a climax and denouement, a whole world with laws and internal space. Both this world and this story must be convincing and not false.
For example, a lone palm tree in the corner of your site will not create the feeling of a “desert island”. Knightly armor made of cardboard will only make you grin. Be realistic about key details.
Concept creation
Have you decided to come up with a concept for your event? Fine. It’s best to start developing it by creating the main message. The message should be concise. You won't be able to tell everything. But at the same time, the participants must understand from the first time what you want to tell them.
The message must be cross-cutting, that is, consistent with all parts of the event. The message must be linked to the company's overall marketing strategy and supported by other marketing tools.
Now about the concept itself. Here are the requirements it must meet.
“I recognize her!” The concept must be 100% known to the audience. Every single guest. There are many wonderful, subtle, clever, funny concepts that never turn into successful events. Only because the symbols, images or facts to which they appeal are not widely known.
Surely all readers have seen the film "D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers", but not everyone knows about the computer game Doom. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy isn't a popular book, and while author Douglas Adams has a fan base, you'd be hard-pressed to organize an event based on the book.
A bright centerpiece. The concept should be easy to visualize, and this means having bright, distinctive elements. Bandits, pioneers, carnival, pirates - all these widespread variants of concepts are also such because they have a vivid image, a visual element. By demonstrating it, you instantly tell the guest about your concept. The principle of saving resources works 100% at an event: its idea should be revealed to the guest in one or two moves.
However, if you are hosting an event for your regular Clients, the concept may be more complex. You can invent a new world for your 50-60 regular Clients, because you have the time and opportunity to tell them the “history of creation” of this world and the “laws of the world order”.
"Touch, smell, taste..." A concept cannot appeal to only one sense. The guest is a fortress. Your event is an army marching on a fortress. The task is to take the fortress, take possession of it (the attention and loyalty of the guest). The concept of the event is to use all possible moves to take this fortress. You need to use everything - tactile sensations, hearing, smell, taste - as well as the usual visual range.
Imagine that you wanted to organize an event in the style of the Great French Revolution. The idea is very strong - Freedom, Equality, Brotherhood. However, most likely, apart from the Marseillaise and vague memories of the picture with revolutionaries on the barricades, nothing will come to your mind. This means that this concept will have to be abandoned.
“No routine.” The concept must lie beyond the usual. “St. Petersburg, autumn, 2009” is a bad idea for an event. As well as many other stories taken from our everyday life. We don’t want to meet at an event what we see every day, what we are used to. For you, planes are romance, but for the airline they are just a routine. Its employees won't want to see airplanes at their event. Remember, an event for Clients is a mini-vacation, a way to take a break from ordinary life.
Harmony of concept and central message. The concept must be harmonious with the culture of the group of participants and the goals of the event. This is an obvious principle, but it is often forgotten by organizers. They like a good concept so much that they often forget to relate it to the corporate culture of the Client company, its current position, audience, etc. An event, like any other marketing tool, is evaluated in strict categories of effectiveness. The aesthetic pleasure of the organizers with the result of their work is important, but not a priority.
Now let’s look at which concepts can correspond to which events
Diktat concept
Often, organizers try to find a compromise with a concept: its elements are reduced, the impact of the concept on the event is minimized, and as a result, participants do not understand what it was. And therefore we want to introduce another key term - “concept dictate”. If you are organizing an event within the framework of some concept, then the decorations, background music, musical cues, program, and catering should be subordinated to it - it should be visible in every detail. If you cannot provide this, it is better not to use the concept at all - you will save money.
At an event for a company producing children's products, where guests were immersed in the atmosphere of childhood and freshness, we not only organized an individual transfer (in the taxi, each guest was given a soft blanket, in which it was so pleasant to wrap up and maybe take a nap on the way), but also offered them special children's soap in the room, a book of fairy tales with beautiful pictures on the bedside table, teddy bears, candy, and in the morning... real children's menu! All these details accompanied the guests until the very end of the event. It was only when they returned home the next day that they realized the event was over. Only here did the feeling of a fairy tale leave them.
Concept testing
It is necessary to test your concept - to check how effective and efficient your event will be. You can make a table and check the boxes; you can mentally evaluate the idea of the event that you want to bring to life.
Event and brand
What is the difference between events held by different companies? An event by a well-known and very famous company can be predictable. The company's fame guarantees attention to it. By and large, getting to such an event is already a goal. An event from a little-known small company should surprise and stand out. You need to sell both the event and the company.
How is the company name and brand integrated into the event?
The brand is used in event design, in gifts for guests, in speeches by presenters and artists, and in materials mentioning the brand. A branded product or element is used by guests as part of the event. Moreover, this application must be firmly associated with some positive changes. For example, you can conduct voting using signs with a logo. The event script itself should communicate the brand’s values
Remember: all your ideas should be accessible and easy to read, but keep in mind that people like to figure everything out on their own, understand and feel the brand’s values... Such “guesses” are remembered better. This is one of the professional dilemmas of an event manager.
