Six Pillars of Event Success

I can help you seamlessly execute your upcoming event!

It is simply not good enough to put together an event and have expectations that people/a crowd is going to show up and, most importantly, spend money. The world does not work that way-listen we all wish it did lol. But, we do not own magic wands and manna don’t fall from heaven dolls. It is called: planning.

It is your important responsibility when organizing an event to understand the complete picture and scope of work involved to make it a success. You must have a purposeful foundation in place, an understanding of consumer behavior and expectations, and outstanding social media platforms—among other things.

Here are 6 pillars of event success that will help you.

Let’s chat today so I can help you plan, market, execute and celebrate your upcoming event. I am not your quarterback. I am your coach.

1. Make it Worthwhile

No one cares about your event more than you. And you need to remember that. Remove yourself from event ego. What am I talking about? The mentality “this is the best thing since sliced bread” just because you created it (your event). My cat Bingo could create an event at this point.

It is imperative you offer a very compelling “why” to those you are trying to entice and communicate this clearly and creatively. There’s a myriad of awesome events people can choose to spend their valuable, personal and family time attending. They will only consider the ones that speak to the “what’s in it for me” approach. Be in the mindset of FOMO. Be in the mindset of message. And be in the mindset, most importantly, of giving them a reason to show up in the first place.

The purpose, uniqueness and attractiveness of your well-executed event message is the foundation for success and one I can help you build—and communicate effectively.

A Ladies Night at Stone Rose in Conshohocken (with AroundMainLine) where guests were treated to complimentary bites and extended happy hour prices. Ahead of the event there was palpable enthusiasm and comments from local women excited to attend on social media. That is what I call the all-important "Why."

2. Great Event Graphics

Time and time again, I see events that have not been properly planned and supported with effective, attractive graphics. Stock photos are not event graphics. Graphics that pile every darn detail and nuance into the design are extremely ineffective and hard to digest in the world of the two second scroll. Graphics that only communicate a minimum amount of the important information are ineffective too (example: missing the time). And, lastly, graphics that someone took 10 minutes to throw together are glaringly obvious and unprofessional—not to mention a waste of time and event “cannibalism.” Good graphics take an investment of effort and thought, and many times a few drafts until they are just right. As we like to say in marketing: “Half the speed, twice the work.”

Yes, we have platforms, like Canva, that make graphic design accessible to everyone. But that does not mean that everyone is capable of producing professional and valuable event graphics. In fact, graphics that are poorly designed will not perform well on social media platforms and that can greatly hinder reach. And without reach, your event attendance (and success) is compromised.

I have extensive experience designing high level graphics and can certainly help you. Click here to see my portfolio.

Event graphics we designed for Sly Fox Taphouse in Malvern for our Main Line Easter Bunny appearance in March 2024. We received high praise from their national marketing agency when they saw my work! #Winning

3. Email Marketing

Got mail? Are you sitting on an email list for your business and not using it for event marketing? Tisk, Tisk. I get it. Organizing, marketing and executing an event is very time consuming—and often devoting time to putting together an email campaign falls on the back burner. But, it is imperative you lean on email marketing to support your efforts. This can really be a game changer with an effective event—email marketing strategy. I have personally created over 350 custom emails and can absolutely help you. You can view my email marketing services here.

4. Vendor Participation

Everyone involved in your event should be equal participants in building anticipation for the day, letting everyone know about it as it kicks off (Instagram stories, live videos, Facebook check-ins) and sharing the experience post-event. It’s just good business. Do not hire vendors who do not have robust social media platforms (IG and FB at the very least), an outstanding website and lack a track record for event participation. Event success is the sum of all the parts and everyone plays an important role.

In turn, it is your responsibility to be monitoring this content and responding and interacting with it. A “heart/like” alone on a vendor’s social platform is lazy. You must write unique comments and regularly monitor the posts your vendors are producing as the event day approaches. It is called “social media.” And these efforts and actions are duly noted by Meta algorithms. Effort is always rewarded.

—Provide your vendors with professional event graphics sized clearly and accordingly for social media platforms no less than 5 weeks out.

—Do a group email with all vendors to introduce everyone. Link to everybody’s website and social media platforms in the email.

—Encourage vendors to send an event email to their respective email list, assuring them they will be duly noted in yours. If you have a robust vendor list, in your event email you can link to your vendor page on your event website. That suffices.

—Speaking of your website, be sure your event page really sells the event you are planning. You should have robust prose, a photo gallery from previous years, and all vendor lists should be alphabetical in listing with a vendor description and outbound links to their website and social media platforms.

—Encourage vendors to promote and work together! For example, if you have a Sephora in your respective shopping center for a Ladies Night work out a deal that the vendors pop in and get a 15 minute mini-makeover before the night starts. They will post about it and it will create a connection and palpable excitement for social media content. Sisterhood. Social media. Community mentality.

—Encourage vendor collaborative content posts on social media ahead, during and after the event. (Example: Two vendors post an event selfie and publish it as a story one hour before your event kicks off)

—Provide vendors with a creative content and event marketing document 4-5 weeks before the event. I can create this for you and take this off your plate. It is very important.

The Perfect Patch Co is a local vendor we worked with recently for a successful and fun Ladies Night at Glen Eagle Square. They are an up-and-coming cool, sexy Mobile DIY Hat Bar.

5. Social Media Strategy and Execution

Your social media platforms need to have a plan, schedule, purpose and daily management for your event—and a seasoned professional guiding you without question. The biggest mistake you can make with event marketing is handing off your social platforms to a “buddy” or doing something in trade. As soon as I see that scenario, I know there’s bigger picture trouble. Big trouble!!

You absolutely have to put social media content, strategy, activity, community engagement and growth at the very top of your event marketing priorities. Among those priorities are of course your well-designed event graphics—which I addressed above—and, hiring a professional.

I never expect event organizers or their best buddies to be seasoned social media experts. Ever. That is an unrealistic and unfair expectation. Let me help you! Click here to read about my social media management services and outstanding expertise.

Festive, attractive event graphics we designed for Derby at the Vineyard at Penns Woods Winery. Our client Northern Belle is a regular vendor and a real event star--as you can see!

6. Tremendous, Timely Recap

As I noted in my 11 Tips for a Great Grand Opening blog post, the real value in your event is how you capture and celebrate it. It is imperative that you are committed to taking outstanding event videos and photos consistently during your event. You should have a publishing plan (with this content) in place to recap your event for your social media platforms, email marketing and website blog.

If you know you cannot handle this, I can help! I am happy to jump in and take the burden of kickass content off your plate so you can run your successful event smoothly—and let everyone know how it went. That is key to event momentum and future success with me at your side. Click here to view my photography.

We have been creating and marketing Ladies Nights and unique events around the Main Line for 16 years--driving tens of millions of dollars to local businesses. Does your event need a major glowup? We would love to chat. Photo: AroundMainLine 2010

Have Questions? Get in Touch.

Need help with an upcoming event? View my event marketing services here.