5 Skills We Developed to Thrive in Corporate Events
Being able to anticipate your clients' needs before they verbalize them is a huge asset in business. Having worked on the client side of corporate events for six years, we have first hand experience in being the client and partnering with executive level decision makers within the brand.
Being able to view event strategy through this lens is one of our true value propositions and what sets us apart from the competition.
We know that corporations need two things from their event partners: strategic thinking, and ease of process. The way in which their external event management partner fits into the organization, elevates the professionalism of an event or project, and seamlessly ties business goals into the overall event concept are so important to big business brands.
Knowing this, we’ve developed a number of traits and behaviours to thrive in this landscape and for our corporate clients.
5 Skills You Need to Thrive in Corporate Events:
Speak ‘Corporate’ - elevate your business language and jargon. Read articles online from top business communicators (our favourites are Fast Company and The Globe and Mail online); work with a business coach who has corporate experience; learn how to articulate a vision through the lens of business strategy.
Develop ‘Executive Skillsets’ - learn certain behaviours like style shifting, following and adhering to unspoken organizational politics, using Emotional Intelligence to read between the lines, and speak with a strength of conviction.
Start with Strategy - get comfortable with talking about strategy first and understand that all projects, big or small, need to start at the Macro level. Think of the upside down funnel of information as you design an event.
Love the Numbers - know that data is king. Big brands build strategy off of numbers, metrics and information. Event profs should be asking their corporate clients for facts, context, historical information, proof and knowledge about their past projects, their audience, and what works for their brand. The data doesn’t lie!
Leadership Above All - more often than not, corporations and brands are using events or experiential marketing as a tactic within a bigger strategy and therefore, events are not their core business activity. This means we know our leadership skillsets are critical to guiding ambiguous projects forward with our clients.
Leveraging events and experiential to support clients in their business strategy is our whole game. We have learned that the above skillsets are some of the most valuable things we bring to the table and they allow us to work with our clients in a way that is seamless, supportive, rock solid and unparalleled.
