Matt O'Neill on using social tools for event production

This is a continuation of my live blog from Media 140’s event on how companies use social media for internal communications. Next up, Matt O’Neill will talk about using social tools for event production – to organise better company events, meetings and conferences.

Please keep refreshing the page for updates.

Easy event production

15.05: Matt is talking about how social media is a crucial part of your internal communications toolkit. When using social tools, there are three things to do:

First, engage with participants.

Second, seek out identity influencers.

Third, use a variety of media: people absorb information in different ways.

If you really want to get reach: make it mobile-ready. When senior execs have their dead time, waiting at airport etc, that’s when they’ll interact with this sort of thing.

It becomes a really live environment with people contributing questions via Twitter, instant messaging, etc.

Promote your event by using existing channels. Ask delegates to forward links – helps to build traffic and they like being asked. Stroke influencers’ egos, ensure email notification with each major update.

Tell people the conference matters: be adamant about objectives. Tell people about workshop activities. Again, get influencers onboard.

Creating a buzz

15.15: During the event you want to report in real time. Write up some of the key plenaries in advance if you know what they’re going to say. As you’re putting up new content, take the comments that are coming in and feed them back into the event: eg: read out tweets that have been made during lunch break. Try to get different viewpoints on what’s been said to create buzz.

Be visible: use LCD screens in break out areas so people can see live content. Make sure roving video/audio team are clearly identifiable.

You don’t want talking shops, you want action shops. Less powerpoint, more interaction!

How British American Tobacco uses social tools for employee engagement

Photo: Samuel Pereira on Unsplash