No one makes angering, insulting and frustrating an audience a priority. But it happens – more often than you think. You may be turning people off at your event and not even realize it. Here are some of the most common errors you could be making – and important tips on how to turn things around.

Fighting the Invisible Conflict

Executives, marketers, planners and producers view events from the inside out. Audiences view events from the outside in. This sets up an invisible conflict that will undermine your event every time. Too often, there’s a battle between what people want and what we’re willing to provide.

Your event success will skyrocket if you recognize that every attendee has unique, personal reasons for attending. They are the ones who ultimately decide if the experience and the event were worth their time, money and attention.

When they don’t get the value, the experiences and the treatment they expect – frankly, audiences get pissed off.

How To Piss Off An Audience

I’m a talker. I chat with lots of people at events and they tell me things. It must be my “friendly face.” Down through the years, I’ve heard the same complaints over and over. I’ve seen the same mistakes. These aren’t little irritations that attendees gripe about. These are major things that are emotional issues for them. The important thing to notice is that they really aren’t so much tactical as strategic, from the audience’s perspective. They get in the way of delivering the value and experiences that you and your organization intend.

How You Drive Them Away

We piss people off when we:

Act Like You Know the Audience and Understand Them – and Clearly Don’t

If you market with one message, one set of content and one event experience, then it’s obvious you haven’t done your homework. You have several key audience segments, so don’t target just one. Attendees really resent feeling ignored.

Claim the Event is Different and Then Deliver the Same Old, Same Old

Take last year’s agenda, give it a different name and maybe some new colors. What do you have? Last year’s event. A new PowerPoint template won’t disguise the fact that the messages and presentations are the same.

Make a Big Deal Out of Asking for Input and Comments – and Then Ignore Them

One hot trend is to contact members of the audience and sponsors and ask for comments and suggestions. Let them tell you how to make the event more valuable, relevant and productive. Then do exactly the opposite. Of course they notice! You wasted their time and insulted them.

Assume Everyone is the Same

Every attendee is 35, male, in great physical condition, loves competition and can party all night and function the next day – right? In reality, the people who attend large meetings hate to be lumped and clumped together. They want an individual experience that’s tuned to their business and professional needs. Don’t deliver one-size-fits-all events!

Treat the Audience Like Children

Attendees really love being treated like they’re stupid. If all those people can manage to get to the event, they should be able to figure out what to do. If you have to draw a map to move people from one location to another, then the location is wrong. Just keep things simple, have plenty of clear signage and enough staff to point them in the right direction.

Bait and Switch Your Content & Workshops

Want to really piss people off? Get them into a room by promising a topic that will help their business. Close the doors and then start selling your business to the captive audience. Selling people something they didn’t ask for … this is NOT a big fan favorite. Stay on topic and deliver what you promise.

Breaks That are Too Short and Agendas That are Too Long

Going to the bathroom shouldn’t be an Olympic event. Do you really think that 1,000 people can exit a ballroom, sprint down the hall, wait in line in the restroom, enjoy a cup of coffee and a cookie and be back in their seats in 15 minutes? Make the breaks realistic for the size of the group – and the age.

Want to thrill people? Cram as many speakers, topics and activities as possible into a one or two-day event. Twelve-hour days that are programmed like a rocket launch should be against the Geneva Convention.

Serve Heavy, Exotic Food They Wouldn’t Eat at Home

On what continent is a croissant and a cup of coffee considered breakfast? Meals at events are seldom adventures. Finding something you’re willing to eat is a challenge. Make the meals simple, delicious – and logical. Honestly, if you wanted a culinary trip around the world, would you go to a conference to find it?

Guest Speakers Who are Irrelevant to the Majority of Attendees

Please don’t assume that sports coaches (especially testosterone-fired former pro-sports coaches) are the ideal keynote speakers for every audience. I can’t tell you how many wildly inappropriate presentations I’ve watched attendees endure. It was blatantly obvious the famous jock was there just because the CEO wanted to have lunch with a sports personality. Along the same lines, just because a speaker is white and has published a book doesn’t mean he is qualified and competent to speak on your business topic.

The Secret to Winning Over Attendees

It’s really not a secret: Try to not get so tangled up in the tactics and logistics of planning and producing an event that you forget the people who attend it. Here are three simple rules to master.

1. Deliver all the value, content and experiences you promised, plus a little bit more.

2. Treat everyone like special guests – not a faceless crowd.

3. Don’t piss anyone off.

Remember the invisible conflict I mentioned? Audiences walk in after all of your prep work has been done. They honestly don’t care about your effort, sweat and exhaustion. Attendees are totally selfish – and that is exactly what they should be.

When you’re the one providing the event, survival often becomes your silent objective. Change that strategy! During planning, don’t get lost in time frames and logistics. Take a moment to step back, put your feet up, sip a cup of herbal tea and find the people in the process. Then simply:

Treat people like intelligent, professional adults. Design the event to make it easy to attend. If you have to choose between what’s most valuable for the attendees and what’s most convenient for the executives and presenters – well, you know the answer.

Adopt an attitude of service. How do you like to be treated when you go to a resort, fine restaurant or hotel? You expect the staff to be attentive, considerate and professional. Plus, you expect them to be available. Make sure people get what they expect at your events.

Famous Last Words

Forget the tote bags, nametags, agendas and menus. There’s only one thing to remember every time you create a major event:

Attendees are the reason the event exists.

Cater to them – not your own organization – and you will be successful.That’s it.

Let’s spend 15 minutes talking about your next project or challenge. It’s a free consultation so we can get to know each other. Just click on CONTACT US or send an email to andy@ideagroupatlanta.com and get in touch.

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