Hire a Virtual Assistant To Maximize Event Planning Efficiency

March 7, 2019

Reno Macri

Reno Macri is a founder and director of UK based leading exhibition company Enigma Visual Solutions, specialising in exhibition design, event branding, interior design and retail branding. He specialises in experiential marketing and event productions.

Events are one of the best ways for businesses to showcase products, promote services and increase brand awareness, and one of the key advantages of event marketing is the ability to provide attendees with something memorable to link back to you. However, organizing events can be extremely complicated and time-consuming. 

For example, a typical business or event company might need to research potential venues, enlist the help of expert speakers, organize catering, transport equipment, process payments and build an event team. This can be a lot to take on, especially if you are simultaneously managing day-to-day marketing activities as well. 

One potential solution is to hire a virtual assistant who will be able to take over some of these responsibilities and offer their own expertise. Here’s how a VA can improve efficiency and make life easier. 

Research

In the early stages of the event planning process, it is important to make several key decisions, such as selecting your venue and identifying the event production services you need. Virtual assistants can be of great help in this area by carrying out much of the preliminary research, helping to identify the most suitable options. 

Research is especially important when selecting your venue. After all, 36 percent of event planners spend most of their budget on the venue, and the majority of marketers are increasing their budgets year-on-year. Virtual assistants can take more time to research venues, increasing the chances of making the right decision. 

A professional VA is also likely to have more experience in arranging things like catering services and entertainment options. As a result, not only can enlisting the help of a VA save you time personally, it can also save time generally. 

Communication

Another area where virtual assistants can be extremely useful is in helping to manage communications. By providing them with login credentials for your social media accounts and email accounts, you can delegate much of the more basic communications work and ask them to only involve you in the more important or complicated discussions. 

In addition to responding to communications from others, virtual assistants can also be asked to post new content on social media or to send out marketing emails to potential event attendees, guest speakers or business partners. 

Organization

Successful event planning also requires careful organization. After all, there is no point paying for innovative exhibits or exciting technology to use at the event if you have not organized for those things to be transported and set up. This is an area of event planning that can be very successfully delegated to a VA. 

Indeed, by delegating primarily the organizational elements of the planning process, you can ensure that you and your team are still in control of the big decisions. This then leaves your virtual assistant in charge of handling the logistical elements that are connected to those decisions, freeing up valuable time for your team. 

Examples of some of the other tasks that fit into this category include processing bookings and payments, arranging travel for staff, arranging event production services and obtaining assistance with building exhibition stands. 

Sales Support

Finally, a virtual assistant can help to take on many of the tasks associated with an event company actually making sales. This could mean, for instance, providing them with a list of leads or prospects to follow up with after the event and allowing them to actually handle the bulk of the post-event sales efforts. 

Sales support tasks – like generating new leads, following up and qualifying prospects or processing orders – can take up a lot of your time,” explain Oneresource, a company that provides VAs. “A sales virtual assistant can give you back that time by taking over many time-consuming sales and customer support tasks.” 

According to Marketing Donut, 80 percent of prospects say “no” four times before they say “yes.” This means you need to follow up with them at least five times, meaning a VA taking over this job can save you a lot of work. 

Conclusion

Planning a business event is a multi-faceted, time-consuming process that can include everything from booking venues, to creating innovative exhibits and communicating with attendees. As a result, it can be difficult to balance these various tasks effectively, especially if you are also continuing your usual day-to-day responsibilities. 

One of the best solutions to this problem is to enlist the help of a professional virtual assistant, who will often have specific expertise and can help with various aspects, from research and organization to communication and sales, maximizing your efficiency in the process.

 

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Partner Voices
Overview: The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality. In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way. “We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.” Amenities: The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.  The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need. Gold Key Members The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events. OCCC Events: This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.  The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:  AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023 200,000 Attendees $257 Million in Economic Impact MEGACON 2023 160,000 Attendees $205 Million in Economic Impact Open Championship Series 2023 69,500 Attendees $89 Million in Economic Impact Sunshine Classic 2023 42,000 Attendees $54 Million in Economic Impact Premiere Orlando 2023 42,000 Attendees $108 Million in Economic Impact