Development of meetings & events

A thought-out business plan gives you a good basis on which to work further, to implement and follow up your meeting or event. If the plan is well anchored in your organisation, the work’s prioritisations will be correct and your objectives achieved.

Write a brief description of the background to why you want to hold the meeting/event.

– What are your primary target groups?

• Existing and/or potential customers/participants?
• Estimate the size of the customer base and explain how you calculated it
• Where are the target groups and why have you chosen that particular selection?
• What do you know about the target group? What would get them to come to/participate in Uppsala?

– Which are the secondary target groups?

• Active in Uppsala, e.g.: Local residents, politicians, officials?
• Media?
• Potential exhibitors?
• Investors/sponsors?
• Others?

• Which are the competitor meetings/events with the same/similar target groups?
• Where and when are the competitors active?
• Based on the above, which periods are better/worse for your events?
• Are there other meetings/events possible for collaboration?

If your meeting or event has not yet decided on a date, do get in touch with us. We have good knowledge of future meetings and events that are already planned or decided. We also know about other arrangements with the same selected target group or period, that should be avoided due to high numbers of people in the city.

– Marketing, how should the target groups be influenced and communicated to?

• Purchased media
• Editorial media
• Ambassadors/influencers, message carriers

See also our Marketing channels page for more information.

To simplify the creation and completion of objectives, along with activity follow-up, we can use the SMART model. It is also recommended when you are setting targets with several involved parties, as it gives a common framework for everyone to stick to. The objective could be, for example, to achieve a certain number of participants, the degree of own financing/external financing, to create media publicity for the meeting/event or to achieve the subsequent desired effects through the meeting/event. SMART stands for:

• Specific – clear and concrete
• Measurable – time, quantity and quality
• Achievable (or attractive or ambitious) – “I want to do this”
• Realistic – “it is possible for me to do this”
• Time-bound – realistic time frame

Specify the calculated income for ticket sales/participant fees, sponsor fees, any other sales and own risk capital. State the estimated costs.

See also the Tips in budget work page for more tips.

Describe the roles, responsibilities and authorisations.

– What does the staffing look like, both prior to and during the meeting/event?
– Who does what and will there be a need to purchase external services?

See also the Official tool page for more information.

Make a plan for how the follow-up and documentation of your meeting/event will be achieved. Amongst other reasons, this will simplify the ability of others to quickly get involved in the work, for reporting the project development and for final reporting to, for example, sponsors and other interested parties.

See also the Get to know your target group page for more information.

Identify the risks, large and small, and how they affect the planning and implementation. Make a plan for different types of measures.

See also the Risk analysis page for more information on this.