How to take your team with you when changing events or a business.
Managing change within an event team is emotional, difficult, and challenging. Teams are often emotionally connected to their events, and see it through a stubborn filter and a time-proven way of this is how we do it here mentality. Recognising these challenges, managing these beliefs, and empowering the event team, so they own, embrace, and adapt to a new format is crucial if your remodel is going to achieve optimum success.
Below is Kotter’s eight-step change model adapted for events. This is just one of many models we use at Event iQ to assist entrepreneurs, SMEs, and association event organisers in growing, launching, remodelling, or turning around their events.
Create a sense of urgency:
- Present real data: Show declining engagement, competitor successes, or changing market trends that threaten your event's relevance.
- Paint a bleak picture: Discuss the consequences of inaction, like lost revenue, brand damage, and missed opportunities.
- Spark conversations: Facilitate discussions with stakeholders (organizers, sponsors, attendees) to gauge their concerns and desires.
Form a powerful guiding coalition:
- Gather key players: Include representatives from marketing, sales, sponsors, speakers, and even loyal attendees.
- Diversity is key: Seek individuals with different perspectives, skills, and influence to add balance and differing viewpoints.
- Empower the team: Give them ownership, decision-making power, and the resources to drive change.
Develop a vision and strategy:
- Brainstorm a compelling vision: Describe your ideal event – innovative, engaging, impactful.
- Set clear goals: Define desired outcomes: increased attendance, stronger brand perception, higher sponsor ROI.
- Craft a roadmap: Develop a phased plan with milestones, actionable steps, and identifying those in the team responsible.
Communicate the vision:
- Be clear, concise, and passionate: Explain the vision, goals, and benefits of the remodelled event.
- Use different channels: Communicate through emails, presentations, social media, and internal events.
- Encourage dialogue: Be open to feedback and address concerns transparently.
Empower broad-based action:
- Delegate tasks: Empower team members to lead specific areas of the remodel based on their strengths.
- Provide training and support: Equip them with the tools and resources they need to succeed.
- Celebrate small wins: Recognize and reward early achievements to maintain momentum.
Generate short-term wins:
- Focus on quick, achievable victories: Start with smaller changes that are easy to implement and deliver visible results.
- Showcase successes: Publicly celebrate these wins to boost morale and confidence in the long-term change.
- Adapt and iterate: Learn from early wins and adjust your approach as needed.
Build on change:
- Sustain momentum: Continue celebrating successes and communicating the ongoing progress.
- Refine the vision: Based on new learnings, adapt, and adjust your overall vision for the conference.
- Expand your coalition: Bring in new members who can champion the change and broaden its reach.
Anchor new approaches in the team culture:
- Integrate changes into core processes: Make the remodelled event the standard operating procedure.
- Recognise and reward champions: Celebrate individuals who actively embrace and promote the change.
- Monitor and adapt: Continuously evaluate the remodelled event and adjust and maintain its effectiveness.
By following these steps, you can begin to navigate the change process and create a truly transformative event that engages, excites, and delivers lasting value to all stakeholders. Remember, change is a journey, not a destination. Embrace the process, adapt to challenges, and celebrate your successes along the way!