ARTICLE
Cut the Sh*t List: Ways to Convert a Bad Event Into a Good One
By Michelle Bruno
December 6, 2023
In a recent webisode of Cut the Sh*t. Cue the Genius., the hosts and geniuses discussed why “bad” events–those that look and feel the same year after year–continue to draw crowds and how to convert a bad event into a good one. Here’s what they had to say.
- Bad events happen for many reasons
The Cut the Sh*t community offered some factors contributing to bad events:
- Event organizers are resistant to change, especially in mature industries.
– Liz King Caruso - Event hosts don’t pay close enough attention to attendees’ rapidly changing (and likely pandemic-influenced) behaviors.
– Liz King Caruso - Bad events draw good crowds because they have been on people’s calendars for a long time, while good events are often planned with short notice, making it harder to let people know they even exist.
– Liz Lathan - People attend bad events due to habit, employer requirements, and the desire to see people they can’t see elsewhere (despite the quality of the event).
– Joan Eistenstodt - Bad events continue to happen because sometimes decision-makers don’t give stakeholders a chance to voice their opinions, or they blame external factors like budget and venue constraints.
– Dahlia El Gazzar
- How to transform a bad event into a good one
Improving a bad event requires making several high-level changes in strategy and practice:
- Organize more micro-events to offer a more intimate and engaging experience for attendees.
– Michelle Bruno - Implement a more proactive approach to event planning that encourages planners to say, “Yes, we can do that” instead of defaulting to “No, we can’t do that.”
– Anthony Allen - Adopt a practice of continuous improvement driven by a deep understanding of audience needs and a commitment to innovation and creativity.
– Liz King Caruso - Offer more personal and professional branding sessions, plus one-on-one consultations.
– Peggy Lamberton - Conduct a “premortem” analysis of your event program to identify potential issues in advance and proactively avoid them.
– Liz Lathan - Give attendees more opportunities to drive the “good things” that happen even at bad events.
– Shawn (Yih-Hsiang) Cheng - Make event spaces accessible by allowing participants to move around freely and leave their seats when necessary.
– Joan Eisenstodt - Co-create meeting programming and content with stakeholders.
– Dahlia El Gazzar
- All is not lost
One genius offered words of encouragement:
Sometimes, good things can happen at bad events.
– William Thomson
