EVENTS MEAN BUSINESS

EVENTS MEAN BUSINESS: BEYOND EVENT SPEAK

Turning events from a nice-to-have into a business must-have

In May, ICENetwork launched a white paper exploring one of the most important challenges facing corporate event leaders: how we move away from “event speak” and start using the language of business.

For too long, events have been described through logistics, delivery and experience. But in a world where trust is harder to earn, attention is harder to hold and business leaders need evidence of impact, events have a bigger role to play.

“Events mean Business” is about helping in-house event teams translate what they do into the language of business value: trust, influence, behaviour change, growth, reputation, revenue, culture and competitive advantage.

This theme will be brought to life by Joanna Lawlor, Global Director at AstraZeneca, whose keynote will explore why events must be positioned as a strategic business medium, not simply a channel or delivery function.

During the ICENetwork Conferences in Munich on 2 July, London on 9 July and New York on 22 July, we will run dedicated workshop sessions exploring the barriers that prevent event teams from being seen as business-critical.

These sessions will ask:

• What language are we using today that holds us back?
• What proof do senior stakeholders need?
• How do we move from reporting activity to demonstrating impact?
• What stops events being seen as a must-have investment?
• And how do we change the narrative together?

The insights gathered from Munich, London and New York will feed into a September paper and practical route plan, designed to help corporate event leaders change the narrative around events and strengthen their position inside the business.

EVENTS AREN’T THE END OF THE CONVERSATION…

White Paper

What happens after the room empties?

At a recent leadership supper hosted by ICENetwork and supported by global creative communications agency DRPG, senior industry professionals came together to examine the strategic value of corporate events, and where the industry is falling short.

This summary explores the key themes from that discussion: why post-event engagement remains chronically under-resourced, how data fragmentation is limiting ROI, and what the most forward-thinking organisations are doing to reposition events as part of a continuous engagement strategy rather than a standalone moment.

Read the full discussion summary to find out what needs to change, and what comes next for corporate events.