From recent discussions with clients, it has become increasingly obvious that finding the optimal locations for customer engagement is the key priority for most businesses when planning their experiential tour or roadshow.
The rise in professional management of location rights, together with the improved measure of media value and commercial return available at these locations has significantly increased the cost of key locations. However it’s not just cost that has to be considered when choosing the best event location, companies also have to determine who their audience is and the suitability of their venue.
The biggest and most expensive event locations aren’t necessarily the best choice for your company.
Finding a location within budget
Whilst cost isn’t the only factor, it is an important one to consider when selecting the best event location. In a recent talk at the Event Production Show, Nick Morgan the CEO at Big Cat group, spoke about the importance of planning your activities effectively to get the most value from your investment. He illustrated this by indicating that whilst certain campaigns may be better off at a high cost location like Westfield Stratford, companies with lower budget campaigns would be better off exploiting a location like Stratford Shopping Centre, which is just across the road, yet much cheaper in price. It’s all about deciding on the most lucrative locations for your experiential tour or roadshow.
Reaching your audience
Whatever tour you’re running, it is important to consider who your primary target is. In the past, we have found that many clients take comfort in choosing a location with a large audience, without considering whether the audience is the right audience for their tour. This is why we believe it is important to choose a location that reaches the people you are looking to engage with. It’s no good getting a big crowd if they’re not people who will buy your products or services. A smaller crowd of your primary audience is much more valuable to you.
Far too many people get caught up in the cost of the site and forget how important it is to give their audience the time, focus and priority it deserves. Make sure you’re not one of them!
Suitability
It’s no good choosing a cheap location or a location with a big audience if your venue isn’t suitable for your experiential tour or roadshow. You need to consider whether the venue is flexible enough to meet the needs of both your company and your audience. How accessible is it? Does it make people feel comfortable and welcome? What does it say about your company? These are all questions you need to answer when deciding on the best event location.
A useful option could be our event containers, which highly maximise the effective use of space.
Crowd management
The other day, we came across an interesting article in the Virtual Festival publication, which shared the view of Emma Parkinson from New Buckingham University on crowd management. Emma explained that when planning any event, it is critical to consider crowd management and get the balance right between theory and practice. Too little theory and you risk missing the big picture. Too little practice and your abilities to enforce practical, cost-effective solutions are limited.
We believe this perfectly illustrated the importance in taking time to consider the right locations for your experiential tours and roadshows.
If you want assistance in planning your event, get in touch with The Event Structure on 0161 821 1010 today. We can help you identify the right location for your event and explain how using our roadshow trucks, upcycled shipping containers and mobile exhibition units and exhibition trailers can help you to set up the perfect brand experience for your customers.