“EVENT PLANNING TIPS FROM AN EXPERT” “EVENT PLANNING TIPS FROM AN EXPERT” JORGE ZURITA’S ...

““EVENT PLANNING TIPS EVENT PLANNING TIPS FROM AN EXPERT”FROM AN EXPERT”

JORGE ZURITA’SJORGE ZURITA’S

www.EventPlanningMasters.com

Your regular source of eYour regular source of expertisexpertise

JORGE ZURITAJORGE ZURITA

““EVENT PLANNING TIPS FROM AN EXPERT”EVENT PLANNING TIPS FROM AN EXPERT”


Your regular source of eYour regular source of expertisexpertise

PETER KINANNE on HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR RESULTSWHEN SELLING YOUR EVENT SERVICES

Peter KinnanePeter Kinnane

Founder & Managing Director at Founder & Managing Director at

OFF SITE CONNECTIONSOFF SITE CONNECTIONS




CAN YOU SHARE WITH US SOME OF YOURPRIOR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCES

THAT LED YOU DOWN THE PATH TO CREATING ASUCCESSFUL EVENT DESIGN ANDMANAGING BUSINESS OWNER?


Your regular source of ExpertiseYour regular source of Expertise


I was very lucky tohave the right people around me, to have creative ability, and also knew how to look outside of the box.






My parents owned a large operation in Australia,which was a family business. I think that gave

me a lot of self confidence, knowing aboutrunning a business during good times

and bad times.





CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US THE PROCESSESOF HOW YOU FORMED YOUR BUSINESS,

INCLUDING SOME THE STEP-BY-STEP ACTIONSINVOLVED IN STARTING AN

EVENT PLANNING CORPORATION?





I think the biggest step for me, really, was resigning after 18 years in the same company.

At the age of 35, I had to makemy own move, and I thoughtthe move was right at that time.





Starting up a business wasn’tdifficult. What I found extremelydifficult was working out whatthe company name was, whatwe would represent.Writing the content of aweb page is a commitment to you, to your clients, and totaldisclosure of what yourcompany does.





I needed to create an edge forthe business -- the reason whyclients would stop using theirexisting suppliers and changeto me.So I went out to find differentand unusual venues and places to offer to my clients.I started looking for off-sitevenues with a difference.





HOW DID YOU SELL YOUR VERY FIRST FIVETO TEN EVENTS? DID YOU HAVE A CLEAR PLAN

TO MAKE YOUR POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS ACTUALLYBUY FROM YOU, OR WERE YOU JUST IN THE RIGHT

PERSON AT THE RIGHT TIME AND PLACE?





I had a pretty solidnetworking system. I knewa lot of people in the rightplaces, so I went out andtold them that I was startingmy own events company





We targeted a lot of PCOs(Professional ConferenceOrganizers) that really hadno experience in producingthese sorts of events inremote locations. So not only did we help them with the creative concepts, but we delivered the end product.





WHAT MAKES AN EXCELLENT SALES PERSONFOR AN EVENT BUSINESS?





I found that the best salespeople are the ones that arepassionate, they’re good listeners, good communicators,and more importantly, they don’t oversell.In most cases, you are selling an experience.





CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE TYPICAL PROCESSIN YOUR COMPANY FROM WHICH A LEAD TURNS

INTO A PAYING CUSTOMER?





We get the brief, which is then passed on to the eventmanager who takes ownership and makes contact with

the client to start putting the concept together.Make sure you address the brief in detail.

Don’t forget anything!





Once you have all the content completed, putting together the pitch is really important.

The pitch is putting togetherthe presentation and thenpresenting it to the client.





You need to take the clienton a journey and make them want to buy the experience.





TELL ME AT LEAST THREE OF THE TECHNIQUES YOU USETO GET NEW CUSTOMERS.





I’m a real believer in tradeshows,but don’t become a tradeshowjunkie.You really need to make surethat the targeted audienceat the tradeshow is also part ofyour target market.





I’m a great believer of going tothe travel or trade magazines,talking to the editors, and doing some case studies.They are always looking forcontent for their magazines.If you are prepared to write thearticles, there’s a lot of freepublicity available for you.





ONCE YOU GET THEM COMING TO YOUR DOOR,DO YOU HAVE A SECRET STRATEGY TO

MAKE THEM ACTUALLY ENTER THE DOOR?





If you can make a customer get into their comfort zone,and you can truly make them feel that you really are

Passionate, and that you believe in what the customeris saying, then you can share this journey with them.

If you don’t have passion, then you can’t survive in the events industry.





I think a wonderful tool is to exceed the customers’expectations.Making that customer lookfantastic within his owncompany is also a very important thing.





WHAT DO YOU DO TO GET A CUSTOMER BACKAFTER THEY HAVE GONE TO YOUR COMPETITION?





If you’ve lost a business,try to see them afterthe event becausethat event may not havebeen 100% successful.It’s a nice way to keepthe customer on your side.





WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION FOR EXPANDINGTHE COMPANY TO AUSTRALIA AND CHINA,

SPECIFICALLY VERSUS ANY OTHER COUNTRIESYOU COULD HAVE ENTERED?





I certainly didn’t start thecompany knowing we would one day have offices within Asia. China came to us by chance.





WHAT WAS THE PROCESS INVOLVED WHENSETTING UP YOUR COMPANY IN CHINA,

INCLUDING DETAILS OF ANY ETHNIC, CULTURAL,OR REGULATORY ISSUES THAT HAVE TO BE

SATISFIED OR RESOLVED BEFORE BEING ALLOWEDTO OPERATE WITHIN THEIR COUNTRY?





I’ve got a Chinese partner up here, and he helped mewith getting the business established.

It took about 3 years to go through the legalprocess of getting our business

fully registered.





PLEASE SHARE WITH US HOW YOU WERE ABLETO SET UP SUCCESSFUL VENDOR RELATIONSHIPS

WITH VENDORS OVERSEAS, INCLUDING,HOW THOSE RELATIONSHIPS DIRECTLYCONTRIBUTED TO THE SUCCESS OF THE

OFFICE LOCATED THERE?





My two biggest assetsup here are my staffand my suppliers.I consider our suppliersas a vital componentto our company.





CAN YOU PLEASE SHARE WITH US YOURPHILOSOPHY OF LIFE AND HOW THIS PHILOSOPHY

HAS ASSISTED YOU DURING YOUR JOURNEYTO BECOMING A RESPECTED GLOBAL LEADER

AND SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS OWNER?





One thing I really believe in is believing in yourself.It plays an important partin all our lives.I love creative energy andgetting people together towork as a team, to createthe best possible result.





Our industry is built onchange and that’s whyI love it.And I think the majority ofpeople in our industrylove change.





If you’re ahead of the restwith your creativity andyou’re surrounded by greatpeople, then you’re on your way to having a successful business!





PLEASE TELL US HOW OUR SUBSCRIBERS CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT YOU, YOUR BUSINESS,

YOUR WEBSITE, YOUR BLOG OR ANY OTHERINFORMATION THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO

SHARE WITH US?




Peter KinnanePeter Kinnane

Founder & Managing Director at Founder & Managing Director at

OFF SITE CONNECTIONSOFF SITE CONNECTIONSwww.offsitesonnections.comwww.offsitesonnections.comE-mail: E-mail: [email protected]@offsiteconnections.com




IN YOUR PERSONAL OPINION,WHAT IS THE NUMBER ONE SECRET

TO BEING SUCCESSFULAS AN EVENT PROFESSIONAL?





TO ME, SURROUNDING MYSELF WITH GOOD PEOPLE.



JORGE ZURITAJORGE ZURITA


Good bye everybody, have a great event!Good bye everybody, have a great event!



“EVENT PLANNING TIPS FROM AN EXPERT” “EVENT PLANNING TIPS FROM AN EXPERT” JORGE ZURITA’S ...

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