Try something new when setting objectives

It's always number one on the event planning check list for business events: Set Objectives. 

We go through the motions, set the objectives but if we are honest, can you remember the objectives by the time you deliver the event and do you really measure return on objectives [ROE]? We asked a number of marketers and event professionals who did not want to give their names and the answer was NO!

Why objectives don't work most of the time

The feedback we got was objectives are often very generic: build awareness, create a brand preference etc. Generic is hard to measure and also hard to translate into an event. Everyone seems to know what they want to get from the event, so if it's not clearly expressed in the objectives does it really matter?

Change the question

One event producer we spoke to had an interesting approach to objectives that we thought was worth sharing. Their approach: Change the question you ask. Rather than the generic question: what are the objectives of the event... ask the question: What do you want the audience to do as a result of attending the event? They said the answers were way more specific and much more useful for the event planner in designing the event and measuring ROE. A simple example was an objective like 'to agree to a sales meeting'. Now, when you look at the program you can judge whether the content will actually get people to agree to a sales meeting and your ROE: number of sales meetings set. 

Try something new

Would you be prepared to try this approach? If you do please let use know how it went: Did the stakeholders come up with more meaningful objectives and, most importantly, was the event a great success because of it?