by Ed Graziano, Corporate Event Interactive
Excuse me for a moment as I open up for discussion the question that has been burning in our office and with many others in the industry – Why? Why is a blog on the “Strategic Value of Meetings & Events” or similar blogs in the industry important when everyone is so busy with work, or trying to obtain work? And by the sure quantity of blogs that exist, does anyone really have time to digest more than a couple of them?
Or does blogging in the meetings and events industry need to be legitimized or can it just be an exercise in personal communication, thought/idea gathering or venting?
Typically I would add a bullet point list below of the reasons why I think blogging in the event and meeting industry is of great value. But instead I am going to leave this question open for discussion. I am very interested in your thoughts and opinions and also if there are blogs that exist currently that you find are valuable resources for you.
I look forward to your thoughts!
Thank You – Ed
Some great points made here. There certainly is a lot of noise in the industry about meeting/event strategy and value and such. So, how do you get heard over the din? I think it begins with great thought leadership – really unique and innovative points of view shared by industry subject matter experts. And then, a critical component, is to provide something that is actionable. In other words, I want a blog, or any other resource for that matter, to challenge me or educate me and then help me do something with the takeaway.
For this blog, maybe we need to increase focus and home in on corporate social responsibilty, for example. And when we do, be more generous with sharing best practices, case studies, tools, etc. In that way, we provide greater value to readers. Remember it is when, and only when, we have readers that there is any associated marketing value to the authors.
I understand and appreciate the value of a blog and the open communication forum it provides, but admit that I find myself thinking “I really don’t have time to read blogs, follow blogs, comment on blogs.” The catch 22 is that I DO think they are beneficial and I do seek them out when searching for ideas, or for sharing thoughts will my peers, or when desiring the insight of those with more/additional experience in a certain industry.
I think we all know there IS a value to Meetings and Events – and a blog needs to be followed by those that don’t see the value in order to educate them. Do we think this blog is reaching those people?
Jillene Szostak, DMCP
Vice President
Chicago Travel Consultants, Inc. (CTC)
Dear Ed,
At times it seems difficult to ascertain the effectiveness of social media tools and to judge their impact on your business.
At EventWorks, we have been asking ourselves the same question. We just recently learned much to our surprise that our blog (http://thenewsfromeventworks.blogspot.com) was read and appreciated by our international clients. So, yes, blogs do have their place and they can add an extra tool to your business. We really need to ask ourselves what we want to achieve with a blog. In the words of social media guru Dr. Allen Weiss “It is a conversation. And that is all that it is.” So what should this conversation be about?
I do agree with Jeff that we should consider broadening the editorial perimeters of The Strategic Business Value Of Meetings And Events.
We have many interesting, skilled, experienced bloggers in one forum so let’s step up to the plate and find the courage to share openly our experiences, thoughts and ideas related to our industry as a whole.
I look forward to reading more comments from all of the bloggers!
Janet Elkins
President
EventWorks
To build on what Jeff has said, maybe the focus of this blog should more specifically and clearly be on providing tips & guidelines to make meetings more effective. If the target audience is meeting planners and professionals, they know the strategic value of meetings and events. What they need are tools, tactics and ways of thinking around how to achieve that strategic value. As we all know, not all meetings are created equal and not every meeting or event provides strategic value. That is the key, unique perspective that this blog can provide. What do you need to be thinking about, what things should you be considering, what new ideas have been tried that have proven effective? People need creative sparks to help them evolve and improve each successive meeting that they plan and execute.
Ed:
I would submit to you that the meetings industry doesn’t need another blog about the strategic value of meetings and events. What we need is a blog that helps meeting professionals understand the value of interactive events, teamwork events, corporate social responsibility and experiential learning. I think your blog title is misleading to potential readers. Strategic value of meetings and events are buzzwords that should rest in peace. Over done, over used and without much meaning anymore.
I would like to hear more from your team about the why and how of the programming that you provide. We need some thought leaders to rise up about your areas of expertise.
Also, I would submit to you that blogging about your areas of expertise, when done with good keywords and SEO strategies, will definitely drive more traffic to your site. I know that’s what is working for us.
So that’s my two cents.