Category: News

News and Insights from Best Case Scenario

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News

The ultimate event checklist

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Whether it’s your first event or your fifty first, planning an event or large meeting can be a stressful experience. Every event has many moving parts, and to help things run smoothly (and to plan), it’s always a good idea to keep track of which tasks need to be completed, and when. To help you manage your time when hosting your next event our team of experienced event managers have put together some top tips on what you need to consider when creating an checklist for your own event. This list of key points can be used whether you are planning a meeting, a small corporate event or charity event.

Event Budget

Before you start any event planning you need to establish the budget you have to work with, so this should always feature as an item right at the top of your checklist.
  • How much budget you have
  • When deposits need to be paid
  • Budget approval timeline

Venue and location

An equally important task is to secure the venue. Once you’ve found the perfect venue for your event make sure you make a note to check off the following points:
  • Have you confirmed the dates and signed the contract?
  • When does a deposit need to be paid and what is the agreed payment schedule?
  • Food and beverage packages agreed
  • Floorplans (for each room) confirmed
  • Have you confirmed the AV requirements?

Event Program Management

Another group of tasks on your event checklist should be related to what’s actually going to happen on the day.
  • Have you confirmed the agenda for the event?
  • Have you confirmed the speakers?
  • Do you need entertainment?
  • Have all relevant parties been briefed?
  • Do they need any accommodation?
  • Have you collated any presentations, handouts or information for people to takeaway?

Event Sponsorship

Lining up the right sponsor is often a crucial step in ensuring the success of an event. So start planning early.
  • Have you agreed on the sponsorship packages?
  • Have you identified potential sponsors and have they been contacted?
  • Do the sponsors require an area at the event?
  • Sponsorship signage
  • Do you require expert help to source the right sponsor?

Marketing and Promotion

Making sure you have a clear marketing and promotion plan in place well in advance of your event is key to making sure it’s a sell out success and people show up!
  • Create marketing and promotion plan
  • Get promo material to the designers
  • Build a website and optimise it for the search engines
  • Submit event info to all relevant event listing websites
  • Write and distribute a press release

Attendee Management

Creating a great first impression and welcoming experience is a really important aspect of any event. Make sure you tick all the boxes by considering the points below.
  • Have all attendees been invited and confirmed?
  • Can people register online and if so have you created the online form?
  • How are you going to handle registration at the event?
  • Have attendees been sent all essential event info (directions, parking instructions etc.)

Post event

Don’t forget that once the event is over there are still a few tasks to complete to wrap things up.
  • Thank you emails, letters, calls to performers, staff and volunteers and sponsors
  • Evaluation and debrief with all key stakeholders
  • Finalise and close the budget
  • Event survey sent and analysed
  • Make note of how to improve the event next time!
If you want some professional help to tackle this event checklist then get in touch with the Best Case Scenario team today.
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News

Are Australian events digitally inclusive?

an image of a hand reaching out

There is no doubt that venues and event planners across Australia take accessibility and inclusion seriously, especially when it comes to physical access to meeting rooms, transportation, signage etc. Unfortunately, in many cases the same type of consideration isn’t taken in a digital environment. Our new service is featured in CIM Business Events.

I became aware of this when NSW Government and National Disability Insurance Scheme approached Best Case Scenario Event Management to build a web accessibility compliant registration platform. As an event management company based in Sydney for over 10 years, we know our industry wants to be more inclusive and diverse.

Many Australian event planners are at risk because of web accessibility gaps in their event registration platforms and other digital platforms.

Event planners are unaware that in Australia under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 websites are required to be accessible. In addition, disability discrimination accounts for the highest volume of complaints (37%) to the Australian Human Rights Commission and this number is steadily increasing.

I have invested heavily in training my staff as well as partnering with web accessibility auditor me2 Accessibility to deliver an end-to-end accessibility compliant web and registration platform service for the events industry.

If event venues wish to extend this invitation to their clients or include our services in their event handbook then please contact us directly, jenle@bestcasescenario.com.au

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Government News Technology

Powerhouse of speakers at the NSW Government Summit

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The annual AIIA NSW Navigating Digital Government Summit (May 11, 2018) focuses on emerging technologies that are on the digital horizon, such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality, virtual reality, gamification, deep learning and quantum computing.

Government summits where thought leaders gather to create change is where our team love to be.  We have helped shape the agenda with Dr Ian Oppermann, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Data Scientist | Data Analytics Centre, who also hosts a panel with guests from Industry, Academia and Government to discuss the theme, ‘Digital from the Outside’.

Best Case Scenario director Luli Adeyemo worked with Ian Oppermann in structuring the program for the AIIA NSW Navigating Digital Government Summit. Their aim was to invite speakers and focus on topics that would result in AIIA members and summit delegates having fruitful conversations around how emerging technologies may shape Government thinking, policy and service delivery approaches.  The event has attracted an audience of 100+ Executives from the ICT Sector, Government Departments and Agencies.

As program director Luli works with the The AIIA NSW Government Special Interest Group (SIG) a key group for:

  • Professional Networking
  • Sharing of business intelligence
  • Policy innovation
  • Engagement with NSW Government DFSI and agencies
  • Innovation and market development

The team at Best Case Scenario also manages the engagement of high profile speakers, by briefing all speakers on content and attendance.  These speakers include Government representatives and thought leaders.

Damon Rees
Chief Executive Officer,  Service NSW

Linda Spencer
NSW Government State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA)

Charles Salinas
Procurement Advisor, NSW Department of Finance Services and Innovation

Hilary Cinis
User Experience Design Group Leader, Data61 CSIRO

Marilyn Chilvers
Executive Director, Data Analytics Centre, NSW Treasury & NSW Dept of Family and Community Services

Ben Gales
Executive Director, Economic Strategy | NSW Treasury

Nazia Ahmed
Director | The Social Outcomes Lab (ex-Director Economic Analysis and Modelling, FACS)

Luli’s event team were also heavily involved in the marketing, planning and execution of the summit, including:

  • Sponsor recruitment
  • Venue source and scope
  • Coordinate food and beverage requirements
  • Manage audio visual requirements
  • Budget preparation and management
  • Manage sponsor participation and expectations
  • Identify and communicate marketing opportunities to sponsors
  • Manage all registration requirements including onsite registration, name badge preparation and distribution, detailed registration reports
  • Manage post-event analysis and reporting
  • Execute delegate feedback survey, analyse and present results
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News

Intel’s amazing pro gamer conference

Image of a Intel's Extreme Masters event showing the stage and crowd

As a full service event management company based in Sydney, we get our fair share of great events to work on and this year’s Intel® Extreme Masters is no exception.  The video below is footage from the actual event.

Intel® Extreme Masters is the longest running global pro gaming tour in the world, which started in 2006. It is returning to Australia this May and the elite gaming competition will expand as sixteen world-class Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams compete live in Sydney, at Qudos Bank Arena for a record prize pool of USD$250,000 (AUD$310,000). To leverage the Asia Pacific gaming community coming together in Sydney for the event, Intel invited their top partners, resellers and competition winners to a series of pre-events to see first-hand why Intel’s next generation of performance technology is leading the way. For this series of pre-events, our team are working with Intel across a number of regions. Coordinating logistics and providing end to end event services to ensure all registrants experience a seamless and hassle-free registration process. In addition the Best Case Scenario team are supporting the event marketing function, on-site demonstration setup and venue management. Our team has gone all out to help create an amazing experience for the pro gamer community.

Our Event Management Services at Intel Extreme Masters

  • Produce marketing communication content to invite and engage the Intel Extreme Masters guests and delegates
  • Set up the conference registration platform and provide regular registration updates to our client
  • Manage the event’s audio-visual needs
  • Coordinate and setup onsite demonstrations
  • Provide onsite support for all delegates
  • Manage name badge creation and registration

'Our team are very excited to be part of this event, it's different from our usual Government, Health and technology events - but our high standards in event service delivery style and quality will stay the same'.

Luli Adeyemo, Founder of Best Case Scenario.
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News

Best Case Scenario share core values with Microsoft

Image of Microsoft team at a Supplier Program event

Best Case Scenario event management (BCS) is proud to announce it is has ben selected to be on the Microsoft Supplier Program, which means we are one of their preferred suppliers for event management services in Australia.

BCS is part of a diverse supplier base who share core values assisting Microsoft to fulfil their mission. We are one of two WeConnect Internal Certified businesses on the program which means Microsoft is purchasing services from women-owned businesses that meet universal standards for certification.

For over 10 years the team at BCS have delivered event services to Australian businesses and Government. We have always kept to our values of delivering an event service that is responsive, reliable, scalable and committed. This commitment has paid off and our good work has spread like wild fire within the industry and many of our clients come to us via referrals and word of mouth.

Stay tuned for another exciting announcement that is close to my heart, make sure you follow us on LinkedIn.

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News

Digital accessibility for delegates at DiverseAbility

DiverseAbility: NDIS Inclusion Conference - Best Case Scenario Event Management
DiverseAbility: NDIS Inclusion Conference - Event Registration Process
Our team configured the conference registration platform to ensure it meets standards as per W3C’s WCAG2.0 accessibility guidelines. Digital accessibility is key at DiverseAbility: NDIS Inclusion Conference, our team ensure that all registrants experience a seamless and hassle-free registration process. Our team also worked on another digital accessibility project with NSW Department of Family and Community Services, on their two-day conference Live, Work, Play: The State of Inclusion. Being part on these projects has opened our eyes to the needs of an audience that are largely forgotten during an event planning process. Many organisations are unknowingly excluding delegates with a disability from their event,  of which 32% are managers and professionals (source: Human Rights Commission). There has always been an emphasis on physical access, but now digital accessibility should also be paramount, extending to accessible digital apps and digital marketing material. Our event deliverables at DiverseAbility: NDIS Inclusion Conference
  • Ensure the conference registration platform meets standards as per W3C’s WCAG2.0 accessibility guidelines
  • Provide support onsite for all delegates
  • Act as the main point of contact for delegates throughout the campaign process, processing telephone calls and general enquiries regarding the event
  • Continually provide registration updates to our client
  • Available onsite to set-up and manage the registration process
At some point in our lifetime at least 70% of us will have a temporary or permanent disability. When planning an event, it’s highly likely you will have delegates of different abilities. There are 2.1 million Australians of working age with disability and 32% of those are managers & professionals. Contact us today and we will ensure digital accessibility is ticked off your event planning list.
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News

Do one thing today to up your delegate numbers

An image of an event with someone putting their hand up

Event planners do this exercise and the pay back can be huge in terms of increased social engagement and promotion of your event, resulting in a boost of delegate numbers.

If you are an event planners, event coordinator or an event organiser you should always start by defining your ideal social media influencer, i.e. the person you think will add incredible credibility and reach to your target audience. Here are some simple profiling questions to get you started.

  • Do they have over 1,000 followers? Visit LinkedIn first to get a feel for numbers
  • Scan their social media content, does it relate to the topic within your event
  • Do they have a blog and if so, does it rank high on SERPs? (search engine results page)
  • Klout uses social media analytics to rank its users and if you use Hootsuite you can view the individual’s Klout score.

So, you’ve now compiled your list of top social influencers what next? How about creating an ‘I’m attending’ social media card, with the purpose of allowing delegates to advertise the fact they are attending and a shout out to colleagues to meet and network if they intend to go also.

Add a little humour to the mix, send a ‘wish list of things to do’ (graphic format) in the city they are visiting (for out of town visitors) for example, where to find the best pancakes, the best beach, the best gift shop! Encourage delegates to share the ‘I can dream… my wish list for down time at XX event’.

There are so many ways to boost delegate attendance and the pressure is always on just weeks out from an event, add this tactic to your contingency plan today.

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Healthcare News

#YourHealthYourSay

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Have you started the #YourHealthYourSay survey, but not yet completed your response?

The National Digital Health Strategy consultation survey closes Tue 31 Jan, 5PM AEDT. Make sure your responses are complete!

With just under 1 week left of the National Digital Health Strategy consultation, the Australian Digital Health Agency invite the general public and clinicians to attend our Digital Health Q&A Webcast, Monday 30 January, 2PM AEDT.

Register & tune in: #YourhealthYoursay If you haven’t completed the online survey yet, you have until January 31 to do so!

Best Case Scenario are delighted to be part of this campaign.

Have your say in digital health ad with link
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News

Best Case Scenario is WEConnect Certified

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Last year has already opened a door for my business. This door or should I call it a bridge will enable Best Case Scenario to work with multinationals and government departments who recognise the benefits of widening access to their supply chains.

Many corporates realise that a diverse supplier base is no longer an option, but a business imperative. WEConnect is a leading advocate of women-owned businesses as suppliers to global, national and government bodies.

After a rigorous and thorough process Best Case Scenario are now listed as certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) through WEConnect International.

This is a formal guarantee to corporations that they are purchasing goods and/or services from women owned business that meet universal standards for WBEs. Four criteria considered are ownership, management & control, contribution of capital & expertise, and independence.

Currently WEConnect provide more than 6,000 business women owners in 100 countries with the skills, training and networks they need to succeed in global markets.

We have always been confident in the services we provide as a professional conference organiser, now our clients and potential clients have another layer of confidence that they are working with a strong and trusted event management supplier.

If you are running an event or even thinking about an event, my business can help at any stage email me at luli@bestcasescenario.com.au

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News

Stop the event delegate sleepwalker

An image of the northern lights
Non-interactive, broadcast style content encourages an event delegate sleep walker. People absorb information in different ways some by hearing & visuals, others learn by doing and taking part. If the aim of every event manager is to engage an audience, then which format is the most effective? Guided Discussions Ideal for smaller groups, perhaps use in tandem with a standard presentation style. After the main presentation, split the audience into several breakout groups to expose different answers, viewpoints, and levels of understanding and create multiple simultaneous rich customised learning environments. This can take some effort and organisation, but the returns are fruitful. Interactive Panels Best Case Scenario recommend this format frequently to their clients and have first-hand experience in making it work -successfully. The panel moderator is going to make or break this format, invest time and money on an outstanding panel moderator. Panels should be run like a lively talk show, with participation from the audience. The key is to involve the audience early, open up some live polling from the onset. Lightening Talks Again, Best Case Scenario have first-hand experience in this format. We have used the Ignite Format for our clients – each speaker gets 20 slides and each slide changes after 15 seconds.  Use large images and as little text as possible. Get to the point early. Game-Style Learnings This is where an individual or group work together towards a goal, during which the experience helps deliver content in a fun interactive way. There is also a tangible networking element to this, a top priority for delegates. Using game-centric content can certainly place an event manager outside their comfort zone, but the returns are worth it. Start simple by using an object during a Q&A session such as Catchbox, the throwable microphone.