Welcome to the HopSkip Planner Spotlight Series, where we highlight event professionals making waves across the events industry to share lessons learned and raise awareness of their invaluable contributions.
Name: Danielle Focarile
Company Name: Admiral Insurance
Job Title: Events Manager, CMP
Can you briefly tell us about your background in event planning and how you got started in the industry?
I started my career in Public Relations, with much experience in the non-profit sector. I quickly recognized that I enjoyed planning and marketing events more than media relations! In my role at Admiral, I expressed early on that my interest was in events, and I was lucky enough to be supported by my manager to take on those responsibilities full-time.
How do you go about selecting the perfect hotel or venue? What factors weigh most heavily in your decision?
The most important part of selecting our venues is that it's unique. I will almost never book a ballroom without windows! I need an exciting and different space, location, and element. It has become what we are known for amongst our competitors.
What does the initial planning phase of securing a venue look like for you? Could you walk us through your initial steps?
I think it's extremely important to see things for yourself. Whenever possible, I try to site the location and venue before booking. I have some trusted resources that I know if they fit their standards, they will most likely fit mine, but nothing comparable to experiencing it yourself.
What common financial challenges often arise when organizing an event, what strategies do you use to mitigate them, and how do you avoid them?
The toughest financial challenge is the rising cost of just about everything. I think it's important to communicate well with your finance team and account for inflation year over year. Things like service charges and administrative fees quickly add up, so being transparent with the venue and saying that this is my budget is a great way to get creative with things like menu selection.
How do you leverage technology to boost efficiency during the planning, execution, and post-event stages? What does your “event tech stack” look like? (For example, using Survey Monkey for surveying attendees post-event)
We've definitely been utilizing tech more each year. We introduced a badge printing system and event app for our largest customer-facing event this year. However, many things are managed with a good old-fashioned digital filing system and Teams!
Do you use frameworks, templates, or other tools/documents to help you stay organized and manage the event planning process?
Our department uses Teams to schedule projects and assign tasks. It helps give a holistic picture of what everyone in the department is doing in their role, and how our roles intersect, and we can work together on different elements.
Do you have any specific strategies or insights for enhancing the attendee experience at your events?
I think the most important strategy is to make your attendees feel special. If an attendee can look at every element of your event and recognize the thought and planning put into each piece, they value being a part of that experience. Even little things, like providing sunscreen in the rooms at a beach destination, go a long way in showing attention to detail and overall attendee experience.
Effective communication is crucial in any planning process. How do you ensure you and your event stakeholders are always on the same page?
Constant contact is key during the planning process. We rely on many other departments and functionalities to host our events and provide clear expectations and deadlines for the elements they contribute. Our Underwriting Team knows better than I do about who exactly should be invited to certain events, so we rely on them for invite lists.
Our Actuary Team will track attendees post-event and see what our ROI is, so we need to provide them with an explanation of what data we're looking for. I post an events calendar on our intranet, consistently updated with events hosted throughout our five offices. Everyone needs to know what's going on, so we try to make all of that information as readily available as possible.
How do you facilitate networking opportunities among attendees? Are there any specific tactics or strategies that you recommend?
Most event attendees are direct competitors, so we don't outwardly focus on networking opportunities. However, if you create a relaxed event environment and your attendees are having fun and enjoying a round of golf together or a ziplining course, bonding, and networking will occur naturally.
What's your go-to plan for handling emergencies or unexpected situations during an event?
I think the most important thing you can do as a planner, is stay calm. Your attendees and staff can tell if you're stressed or panicking, which does the same for them. Things WILL go wrong, it's about the attitude and approach you have when dealing with it. Work closely with your CSM or banquet team or whoever, as they've likely dealt with the issue before or have some suggestions you may not have thought of. Teamwork is the real solution here.
Can you share an example of a significant challenge you faced while planning an event conference and how you overcame it?
We hosted an educational event in LA, and I woke up that morning to a notification from the hotel that the water main had been shut off and there was no water in the whole hotel. Things like brushing your teeth with a water bottle or running to a local gym to take a shower are easy, but having a training session with no coffee and no working bathrooms is a little trickier!
We worked with the hotel to get creative. We ordered gallons of coffee from Starbucks, outsourced our lunch catering, poured water bottles to get the toilets flushed... we made it work! The city had turned off the water supply, so it was out of everyone's control. Sometimes, you just have to roll with it.
What are the typical steps you take in the post-event phase?
We also send out post-event surveys. There are few things as valuable as getting genuine feedback from your attendees and using it as constructive criticism. We have learned that sending the survey is just as important as when you send the survey. Put yourself in the shoes of your attendee.
If everyone leaves that day and travels, will they ignore the survey they get on the plane? The sooner, the better to get details and the most insightful responses.
What key performance indicators (KPIs) do you use to evaluate the success of an event?
Depending on the event, there are different KPIs, but I think the overarching sign of success is increased production from our attendees. Did an attendee come to our educational training program for new underwriters and then bind three accounts in the three months following?
Did the competitiveness of our "Top Producer" program encourage an attendee to seek out that extra piece of business to qualify them to attend? Did our event stand out so much in our brokers' brains that when an account crosses their desk, they immediately think of Admiral and work hard to place that business with us?
What advice would you offer someone just starting their career in the meetings and events industry?
Be a sponge and plan or attend as many types of events as you can! Is there a cool foodie event coming to your city that you want to see how it's run? Contact the planner and see if they need volunteers. Help that friend plan their wedding, backyard BBQ, and baby's first birthday. Each event, each budget, and each attendee base will provide a different lesson and make you a more well-rounded, experienced planner.
This post is part of the HopSkip Planner Spotlight Series, where HopSkip spotlights planners across the industry to bring awareness of how important the meetings/events community is to our world.