4 Must Do’s When Creating A Learning Event For Entrepreneurs

Guest post by Sammi Jaeger | Program and Special Events Manager, Dent

Entrepreneurs are extraordinary people. They have a unique ability to spot opportunities, innovate new ideas, overcome adversity and build brands that we talk about with real emotion.

Entrepreneurs create jobs, build economies and support communities. Being a business owner doesn’t come with a job description but more often than not, it includes running off a cliff and building the parachute on the way down.

So as an Event Manager, how can you create environments for these unique people to learn? Here are four must-do’s to consider when creating a learning event for entrepreneurs…

Know the Learning Outcomes – Hit Them

Business owners, especially in the early days are involved in everything. They are the head of marketing, sales, HR, finance, operations, admin and delivery. They are the swiss army knives of the business world. So, when they are investing time, money and energy into fine turning one of these skills, it really needs to hit the mark. When planning your event, get clear about what it is they will be leaving with. “Improved business skills” isn’t a defined outcome “A perfected pitch” is. Brief your speakers to the outcome and check in with attendees throughout the day to make sure you are on track.

Avoid Extended Periods of Sitting – Make Them Move

Entrepreneurs are busy people. Not just in the crammed schedule sense but the busy body sense, they move fast and break things. They have their fingers in lots of pies and generally aren’t all that great at sitting still or concentrating on one task for very long. So, make them move! Even short disruptions of their physical bodies can work wonders. Ask them to stand during a task, to move to a different space in the room, to swap seats or even sit on the floor.

Don’t Take Up More Time Than Necessary – Condense the Day

Ever heard the saying, less is more? It is easy to get a little complacent running business events, they almost by default start at 9 and finish at 5…. but why? Because those are the “usual” office hours? An off-site event isn’t a usual office day so break the mould, give delegates some breathing room in the morning to get there. It’s likely your attendee’s morning commute has been a little different on event day so starting just half an hr later could give everyone the extra time they need to delegate the days tasks to the team, navigate to a new location and be really be present by the time the show kicks off. It’d be rare for a business owner to take 3 lengthy breaks during a usual work day yet it’s the norm for full day events… Keep break times tight and end times sharp, they’ll appreciate you for it.

Prevent Death by PowerPoint – Have Fun

Winston Churchill said, “Personally I’m always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught”. This is true of so many Entrepreneurs and although eager for the outcome, the learning part isn’t always enjoyable. Face to face events are such an opportunity for people to really connect and to make learning fun. Inject moments of surprise, happiness or fun where ever you can through music, videos, games or quick moments of silliness. A great speaker will have tricks up their sleeves. A few silly moments and attendees can connect with each other and learn on a totally different level.

Final Note…

Entrepreneurs are people who are driven to solve problems and help other people. So, as an Event Manager, help them to help others.

Guest post by Sammi Jaeger | Program and Special Events Manager, Dent

Sammi Jaeger is Program and Special Events Manager at Dent. She has more than 10 years events industry experience working across hotels, unique venues, catering, public events and currently works alongside Glen Carlson, specialising in creating environments for entrepreneurs to learn and grow their businesses. Last year alone she delivered more than 50 events to a combined audience of more than 5,000. Sammi believes businesses can be and must be a force for good, she is a strong advocate for The UN Global Goals. When she isn’t working, she can be found attending business events or jet-setting across the globe on her mission to visit 30 countries by 30.

You can connect with Sammi on Linkedin or follow Sammi on Instagram