With live events now back in action, the demand for great events is higher than ever. However with this booming demand in the events industry — and event organisers eager to execute new and exciting creative projects — current industry competition is fierce.
So how exactly can you make your event standout against competitors? All of the best events start with a great event concept, and if you’re not sure how to create a great event concept, you’re in the right place. At WKM Productions, we’re experts in event design and organisation — from initial concept through to execution. Throughout this handy guide, we will talk you through what makes a great event concept and exactly how to write one. Keep reading to learn more!
What is an Event Concept?
An event concept is not just a fun idea or thought that comes to mind. It is a well-thought out strategy that is planned, revised and managed over time. Your event concept should answer all of your key questions. Great event concepts are meticulously designed to create the best possible experience for your attendees, which means you need to know who they are, what they want and how best to deliver it. Your event concept should include:
- Profiles of your target audience.
- Clear and concise event objectives.
- A working budget for your event.
- The format of your event.
- The location and venue of your event.
- Other practical details of your event.
What Makes a Great Event Concept?
The success of any event depends on the quality of your event concept. This is where people are drawn to or repelled from. If done right it can boost your brand value to new levels, whereas if not done correctly it may cause a total breakdown in communication with your target audience. Great event concepts make even the most mundane activities thrilling. Event production companies recommend focusing on the quality of the idea behind an event before the activity itself to create excitement and enthusiasm for their events.
The best event concepts are effective in attracting their target audience. An effective event concept conveys a specific message and the intention of the event. This helps a target audience understand what they can expect from the event and how it will benefit them. Effective event concepts examples often include these elements:
Thrilling activities
Activities that have a fast pace of movement, require some dexterity and coordination, and are more physically demanding will generate enthusiasm from participants. While many sporting events fit this description, other outdoor activities such as white water rafting or zip lining can be thrilling too.
A Great Theme
A major event concept that can attract an audience is a themed event. Having a great event theme is the first step toward creating a memorable event experience. It’s what you build your schedule around, it’s what gets attendees excited about attending your event, and it sets the tone for everything to follow. Understanding what makes a great event theme is an important part of conceptualising a great event, so hiring an experienced event production service can help ensure your event theme is as tailored, suitable and effective as possible.
Innovative Design
One feature of a great event concept is a cutting edge, innovative design. Are you launching an exciting new product or service? Creating a buzz with an exciting event could be a great way to boost sales. Link this innovation with a great event marketing campaign to see the best results.
Challenges
Activities with a degree of difficulty greater than what participants are used to will be exciting. Often, people perceive an activity as more exciting if it is outside their comfort zone. Overcoming this barrier by succeeding in the activity creates an accomplishment that creates excitement and enthusiasm for future events.
A Sense of Adventure
Placing participants in new environments where they are exposed to experiences outside of their daily lives will create excitement. Many events that focus on a particular culture or location qualify as an adventure. Taking participants to a new place, having them meet a local community and allowing them to experience elements of a different culture can contribute to the sense of adventure in an event.
Competition
While good event concepts can be non-competitive, most people enjoy participating in events that involve competition. This step allows participants to get creative with their event outfits and can also increase the number of spectators at an event.
A Sense of Connection
People enjoy events that emphasize togetherness and allow for social connections. These types of activities can be ceremonies and celebratory events, where there are explicit rules about participation. However, even sporting events can create a sense of connection if friends and family members cheer for their team or attend the event together.
How to Write an Event Concept
Start with Your Audience
Your target audience will help you determine what the event is all about. It will also help you choose an appropriate date, time, location, and activities or entertainment for your planned event. You should monitor industry research and utilise social media to understand how your target audience thinks and what they want. Come up with a list of key characteristics of your target audience and use this to cater your event to their interests and preferences.
For example: 4 in 5 Millennials (79%) report that attending live events now makes them feel more connected to other people, the community, and the world, according to the latest research by Eventbrite. A great event targeted at a millennial audience should facilitate this social connection in a creative and engaging way, as we know that this is what they value.
Understand the Goals and Parameters of Your Event
Great event concepts, at their core, are about creating an experience that leads to the development of strong relationships with your attendees and forges memorable experiences. However, each event will have specific goals linked directly to their target audience and unique business objectives. Using your audience research, you should be able to come up with a list of key goals for your event and use this information to determine the rest of your key choices.
Understanding the physical parameters of your event such as timing, budget, staffing and more is also important before making any big decisions or announcements. This prevents unnecessary practical issues and client disappointment further down the road.
Devise a Theme For Your Event
Before you begin planning the practicalities of your event, it’s important to come up with a great theme that is exciting and will attract the type of people who are interested in attending. The theme will help people understand what type of event it is, and will also give you your first step towards publicity.
A great event concept should have an interesting theme (and fitting title) that arouses interest in the curious minds of potential event attendees. People are always looking for something new to do, so try to come up with a theme that hasn’t been done before.
Once you have decided on your theme, it is important to be consistent with it across your channels in order to get people excited and create buzz. You can do this by using your invitations to explain the theme, as well as incorporating it into any advertising or marketing strategy such as flyers, social media and your website.
Utilise a Unique Venue
You should pick a venue that suits your purpose and audience. For instance, if your event is about having fun or food and drinks, you might want to go to a funky venue with great entertainment or a venue that has a reputation for fantastic catering and fine food. If your event is educational or meant for business professionals, maybe getting together at a high-tech conference facility or an iconic venue would be more appropriate. There are so many venues to choose from, so be sure to find the one that lends itself to your theme and event vision the best.
Lastly, before you pick a venue, make sure it’s available for your budget range, including catering and AV production. The last thing you want is to run into budget issues down the line that could cause overspending or bring your event or any of the services offered to a halt.
Choose Your Main Event
The ‘main event’ will be the focal point of your event. What is your event at its core? What entertainment will you provide? Is it a fundraiser, a live show, a seated dinner or something else? The main event you choose will be determined by your audience. Are you planning a corporate event? Is it an outdoors or indoors event? Is it a celebratory or awards event?
These questions will all mould exactly what services you want to offer on the day, so make sure you make an informed decision here, not an offhand choice. Here are some of our favourite main event ideas:
- Award Ceremonies
- Celebratory Events
- Charity Balls
- Cocktail Parties
- Corporate Events
- Drinks Receptions
- Galas
- Launch Parties
- Press Shows
- Product Launches
- Seated Dinners
Looking For an Expert Event Concept?
At WKM Productions, we live and breathe exciting and successful events. We know what goes into a great event and we know exactly how to design an effective event concept to meet your needs. Why leave the success of your event to chance? With our expert event services, we’re on hand to assist you with everything from conceptualisation, to venue sourcing and entertainment choices. We ensure that you avoid key event mistakes and help to maximise your event success.
Check Out Our Expert Event Services Today, or Read Our Testimonials To Really Be Impressed!