No matter how many times you cross your Ts and dot your Is, the unexpected will happen. As the meeting planner or communication manager, you are expected to have solutions ready to go. Here are a few examples:
Program changes and speaker updates: Cancellations happen, sometimes at the very last minute. You’ll cringe when you look at the full page in the program book promoting a speaker who’s no longer able to come to your conference, or that a date/time has to be changed. Signage and alerts in the mobile app/on social media can help get the word out, but a show daily gets the information out to attendees in both print and digital form.
- At last year’s NCSS Annual Conference, the keynote speaker was asked to join President Obama at an event, and thus asked to speak on a different day during the conference. This news became our page one story in both issues. Other speakers’ time slots had to be adjusted, and the show daily made sure attendees knew about the schedule changes.
Session cancellations & room changes: Having a session you’re looking forward to get cancelled is disappointing, but more so if you’re rushing to get there and find out it’s been cancelled. And in the rush to get ready, attendees may forget to check the mobile app or social media.
Our client references where readers can find program changes – by putting the page # in the masthead – and asking that show daily temps draw attention to the page that program changes are on when handing out copies as attendees enter the meeting areas.
Exhibitor Updates: Program books are typically printed weeks before a conference, often resulting in the printing of an exhibitor list that does not reflect last minute additions, cancellations and changes. Include the updated exhibitor list (which can be updated up until the show daily’s nightly print deadline).
Miscellaneous: Did you:
- Omit an exhibitor’s company description?
- Forget to include a program book ad placed by an exhibitor?
- Sell a last-minute sponsorship?
Your show daily creates opportunities for make goods (complimentary ads, inclusion of missing descriptions) that will help keep your exhibitors and sponsors happy!