We asked our
Croke Park Meeting & Events team and industry expert #eventprofs to highlight the one thing they regard as indispensable in planning a killer-event. Here’s what they said:
Ask what success look like
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The most important thing on my checklist is to get the client to tell me what success looks like for them. It might take some probing, but I need to put a real shape on what success looks like. They might say success is “a standing ovation after the CEO’s speech” or “empty dinner plates”. Whatever it is, it’s crucial for me to know what’s really important for my client and plan from there.”
Sabrina Curran, Sales Manager, Croke Park
Find out the event objective
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Once you answer this question - to educate, inform, connect, motivate, transform - then you can start designing. Is it E3 Experiences that Engage and Excite your participants and Evoke Emotion that causes a transformation from how they felt when they entered to when they exit. Are they inspired by what they learned, saw or heard? Did you create an environment where every element consistently supported your message? From what you feed them, to the music or soundscaping, digital and analogue messages and ways they can interact with each other and your event all matter. Take the time to think through every touch point, and don't ever stop at mediocre when you can have excellence.”
Tahira Endean, Head of Events at SITE
Understand how delegates will get to the venue
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Brilliant event organisers know the event experience starts long before delegates get to the venue. I always ask lots of questions about delegate arrival - where are guests coming from and how they are getting to us. Do they know we have lots of free parking, will they be staying at The Croke Park hotel, are they getting hotel transfers? We want to make the arrival experience absolutely seamless.”
Sinead Heneghan, Head of Sales, Croke Park
Find out what is mission critical when planning the event
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The most critical factor to create a killer event is change. If we walk out of the venue feeling exactly the same way we did when we got in, it will feel like an incredible waste of time. And we do get better by interacting with others. Connecting attendees more effectively should be your priority. The more you connect them, the better they will feel about your event."
Julius Solaris, Founder of Event Manager Blog
Is there an event #
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Some events are private closed-door affairs. Other clients are the opposite and want to amplify their events on social media. We have dedicated platforms for Croke Park Meetings & Events (@CrokeParkEvents) and are delighted to collaborate with our clients to get their message out across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and spread their word!”
Fionnuala Cullen, Events Executive, Croke Park
What was best thing about the last successful event
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Nobody knows an event or meeting better than the person who organised it in the past. I always ask what worked particularly well at previous events to make sure to always go one step further… once I know what surprised and delighted delegates in the past I set my own target around exceeding that”
Ciara Tait, Sales Executive, Croke Park
Event Sustainability
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Sustainability at events is no longer an optional extra – it’s becoming an essential element. We are genuinely committed to sustainability at Croke Park and we have the credentials and action plans to prove it. We love finding clients who share our passion and will go the extra mile to help them deliver environmentally sustainable events.”
Mark Dorman, Head of Stadium Business, Croke Park