Upcoming DES Certification Workshops

• One Day
• Five Learning Modules
• June 23, 2011
• 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET

Sessions Include:

1.    Digital Events 101…it’s not all virtual (What are digital event elements and what do they do?) 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

This module will help you understand the various digital elements you can add to your event and meeting portfolio. You’ll examine virtual platforms, virtual worlds, video streaming, chat, co-browsing, podcasts, feeds, social media, social broadcast, content management, location-based apps and mobility and more. We’ll discuss what a robust event assemblage looks like with physical, hybrid and virtual elements. And you’ll learn about the basic digital platform characteristics and deployment models. You’ll leave this session with an understanding of the time, scale, costs, engagements, environmental benefits, and differentiated and long-term opportunities of digital.

2.    Digital Event & Meeting Management (Models and examples) 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.

In this module, we examine the various business models for digital engagement and the unique characteristics of each. We’ll tour digital events for:

•    Generating  revenue — from registration fees, exhibits and sponsorships
•    Launching new products and producing sales
•    Marketing activities meant to expand awareness and generate new leads
•    Marketing programs to nurture leads already in the pipeline
•    Customer care to build relationships
•    Delivery of member services
•    Cause and donation
•    Internal company meetings sales meetings, partner activities, etc.
•    Job fairs or other types of recruitment
•    Physical event previews
•    Press events

In addition to the various models, we’ll cover event formats – one-day, multi-day and persistence environments. You’ll learn about the unique requirements for managing virtual events, with an emphasis on the new skills you’ll need. We’ll discuss the metrics of digital ROI and the true meaning of engagement.

3.    Needs Assessment, Objectives & Strategy (What do you want to accomplish?) 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Every event starts with a solid understanding of the business drivers for the engagement. This module will provide you a framework for evaluating digital events in terms of accomplishing your various objectives. We’ll discuss what digital can and cannot do, and help you get to the important areas of focus to create the support for what you need to accomplish. We’ll guide you through a process for creating a digital strategic plan for your event, and help you craft an action plan.

4.    User Experience & Engagement Mapping (Creating the attendee experience) 1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.

This module will take you through the steps necessary to ensure that the attendees’ experience maps to the goals and objectives of the program, while taking into account the attendees’ point of view. What do we want them to take away, and how will we do that? What do we want them to feel, and how do we make that happen? Finally, what actions do we want them to take, and and what tools and techniques can we use to ensure success?

5.    Exhibits, Sponsorships & Other Monetization Techniques (Creating ongoing revenue streams) 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

In this module, we focus on the critical topic of planning, marketing, selling and executing an exhibitor and sponsor programs that generates revenue for you – and results for your exhibitors and sponsors. In addition to developing goals, this module will teach you how to see digital opportunities from an exhibitor’s point of view. You learn to communication the proper message, set the proper expectations and create the types of engagements that will please the exhibitor as well as the attendee, thereby ensuring success – and future digital programs