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: Liz Hagyard
Company Name: GBH
Job Title: Senior Event Producer
Can you briefly tell us about your background in event planning and how you got started in the industry?
I interned at GBH when I was a senior in college. Upon graduation, I wanted to pursue a career in television production and explored various opportunities in NYC and Boston. My first job offer came from GBH, and I've been there ever since. I fell into event planning and realized many of the same elements in production work were also inherent in event planning, so I have dedicated my career to producing hundreds of events.
How do you go about selecting the perfect hotel or venue? What factors weigh most heavily in your decision?
The majority of the events I have produced were executed in-house at GBH-owned facilities; I have worked at numerous external venues over the course of my career. External venues included Boston's Symphony Hall., convention centers across the United States for Antiques Roadshow production/tour, local museums and non-profit spaces, breweries, Newport Jazz/Folk festivals, and Tanglewood for specialized GBH events. Locations were chosen based on their size, locations, and each event's technical needs. When we needed certain capacities and technical specifications, we had to scout out options to ensure the event spaces met our requirements.
What does the initial planning phase of securing a venue look like for you? Could you walk us through your initial steps?
We have a top-level checklist of elements the space has to include and a budget we need to adhere to in order to make the venue a viable option for us. Each check list is customized to that particular project.
What common financial challenges often arise when organizing an event, what strategies do you use to mitigate them, and how do you avoid them?
As a non-profit, each event has to meet our fundraising goals. I am a tastemaker who looks to curate content that appeals to our supporters. Often times, this involves securing community partnerships wherever possible. This is critical to our event success. Corporate and non-profit entities provide cash or in-kind donations (of their services or goods) in return for the marketing exposure/promotion we provide to our audiences/guests attending the event. These relationships the event producer creates and manages offset our hard event expenses and oftentimes make an event net positive.
Do you use frameworks, templates, or other tools/documents to help you stay organized and manage the event planning process?
Yes, when launching a new initiative, I generate a comprehensive creative and financial brief to lay out the event concept/vision, marketing plan, resource needs, anticipated hard costs, and projected revenue/ticket sales/engagement expectations. This is presented to senior leadership for feedback and revised before any event is green-lit.
Do you have any specific strategies or insights for enhancing the attendee experience at your events?
Yes, most definitely. Intel comes from many sources along the way. Event content continues to evolve during the planning process as needed as we travel through the life cycle of the planning process. In addition, we encourage guests to complete post-event exit surveys to obtain their feedback so we can incorporate audience insights into future event experiences. We debrief internally with staff and related partners after each event concludes and generate formal reports.
Effective communication is crucial in any planning process. How do you ensure you and your event stakeholders are always on the same page?
Communication is critical. Oftentimes, events touch upon numerous departments. We have consistent check-in meetings on a regular basis and document planning details to track progress and ensure we meet our timeline goals. We are aware that we are meeting our intended benchmarks and continue to communicate challenges along the way as each project progresses.
How do you facilitate networking opportunities among attendees? Are there any specific tactics or strategies that you recommend?
Networking happens organically at our in-person events. Most in-person events have a reception component to provide dedicated time for conversation and to build community. Our virtual events encourage engagement and interaction. Guests are provided an opportunity to ask questions to talent and learn from each other in the virtual space.
What's your go-to plan for handling emergencies or unexpected situations during an event?
Preparation in the events world is key. Be buttoned up and organized when producing events. Double confirm deliveries with vendors and timelines/timing with talent and partners so you over communicate with all involved parties and set very clear expectations with everyone well in advance of the actual event date. That is critical so that when the event day comes, you can focus on and respond to unanticipated elements that will occur that are entirely outside of your control. Have backup talent ready and a plan B in case something goes awry. Also, know that safety comes first and know what the fire drill is, in case you need to enact an emergency plan with the event support staff.
Can you share an example of a significant challenge you faced while planning an event conference and how you overcame it?
I have many stories and not enough time to share them here in this document. In summary, the relationships that you build as an event producer are everything. Your network will provide the resources you need when challenges occur in the planning process. Problem solving is a critical skill in the event planning business and you have to adapt and be flexible and improvise when planning events. If you are organized, keep cool under pressure, and think things through, the show always goes on. Trust in the process and have fun. After all, events are typically a fun celebration in the end, so always keep that in mind.
What are the typical steps you take in the post-event phase?
I do a deep dive into the concrete event metrics to measure how successful we are in reaching our intended goals. I listen to the guest experience and take that to heart when evaluating the impact the event had.
What key performance indicators (KPIs) do you use to evaluate the success of an event?
Measuring the overall event impact includes many factors. Revenue generated, new member prospects that come onto our files due to the event, new business/community partnerships, and relationships created/resulting from the event. The geographic diversity of the audience who participated in the event is also great data to capture. Anecdotal feedback from internal and external stakeholders and event guests is also important to capture as part of the overall post-event story.
What advice would you offer someone just starting their career in the meetings and events industry?
Just do it. Get involved. If you are curious about a career in event planning, test the waters and volunteer for a non-profit event. Take on a leadership role in a club/event/organization in your local community and learn by doing. Meeting planning skills are very similar to event planning. Keep your eyes and ears open when you go to events, observe how they are managed, and take notes. Ask yourself what you'd add to or do differently. Good luck!
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.