Sarah Fejfar 0:00
The reason I want you to get all this out in so much detail is because if you don't decide this in advance and get super clear on what your vision is, and then you get further down the road of the planning, and you realize you haven't planned for the revenue to come in that you need in order to deliver on that level of hospitality that is on your heart, then you're going to get to the event, and you're not going to have been able to put in those elements that you wished for, and it's not going to feel good to you, you're going to feel incongruent with who you are and how you want your brand to show up in the world. And I don't want you to get to that place.
Sarah Fejfar 0:35
How are entrepreneurs like us daring bravely to build a stage? Ditch the sweat pants, and step up to the mic? How do we create our own transformative offense? So we can get our message out into the world in a bigger way? It's not only profitable, but it's actually something we can be proud of.
Sarah Fejfar 0:55
That's the question. And the answers are inside this podcast. My name is Sarah Fejfar. Welcome to greenroom Central.
Sarah Fejfar 1:03
Have you ever been an event and felt cared for truly seen and heard and celebrated? Well, if that's the case, that it's likely that event was a shining example of what hospitality means to you, and want you to keep listening for three steps to ensuring that your next event displays the level of hospitality that's meaningful to you. Have you been watching Donald Miller's Instagram lately, he's building this really cool home in his at Tennessee somewhere outside of Nashville, called goose Hill. So the house is built. And they just finished building a carriage house and an event center. It's like a whole compound happening. And I am truly smitten by all of those story highlights you go to a story hall that so you will watch.
Sarah Fejfar 2:09
And what's interesting to me is his vision of what hospitality means to him and his wife, Betsy, and I want you to take a look at that. Because it makes me think a lot about what does hospitality mean to each of us individually? And then how does that extend into our events. So if you think about how, if you go and watch that story highlight on goose hill by Donald Miller in his Instagram, you'll notice how he thinks about how people should feel, how he wants people to feel when they come to his property, how he wants them to feel when they're engaging in a business strategy session in his retreat center.
Sarah Fejfar 3:09
And it'll really I think, help jog your your mind help you brainstorm about that whole umbrella topic of hospitality and how you want to carry it into your next event. I happen to think that there are three things, three steps in order to ensuring that our vision of hospitality extends into the events that we're planning. And first, I think it's that whole concept of deciding what hospitality means to you. I think that might feel like perhaps a a foreign question. But I think it's worth exploring because it directly correlates to the budget that you set for your event. Let me give you an example.
Sarah Fejfar 4:01
So if you decide that hospitality to you, means that there's no way you're throwing an event without paying for everybody's drinks and food and making sure they're fed three times a day and that they're being picked up from the airport and taken taken back to the airport and that they never have to lift a finger or worry about anything other than deep diving into your content during your event. Well, that's a whole different budget conversation. Then if your vision for hospitality is making sure people feel really greeted at the door, making sure people have a comfortable place to sit, making sure people get perhaps a cool piece of swag as a surprise on the way out the door.
Sarah Fejfar 4:50
Can you see how that will inform all of our decision making about budgets? And so we're talking about step one on this citing what being hospitable means to you, I want you to think about all the things I want you to think about. How do you want them to feel? I want you to think about food. I want you to think about beverages, and all of the food and beverages. Is it? Do you feel like you have to serve them breakfast? Do you feel like you have to serve them a morning? Snack and coffee break? Do you feel like you have to have lunch waiting for them? Do you feel like you have to have a happy hour before dinner?
Sarah Fejfar 5:36
All of the food and the beverages I want you to think really, in detail vision, envision your next event and think of how does that feel like something that you need to provide to them? Okay, yes or no? And I'm not saying one answer is right or wrong, it needs to feel right for you. And the reason is, the reason I want you to get all this out in so much detail is because if you don't decide this in advance and get super clear on what your vision is, and then you get further down the road of the planning, and you realize you have a plan for the revenue to come in that you need in order to deliver on that level of hospitality that is on your heart, then you're going to get to the event and you're not going to have been able to put in those elements that you wished for, and it's not going to feel good to you, you're going to feel incongruent with who you are and how you want your brand to show up in the world.
Sarah Fejfar 6:29
And I don't want you to get to that place. So that's why we need to be so crystal clear. Take super like take as much time as you need to decide what hospitality means to you. We talked about food beverages. We talked about swag how you want them to feel like do you need extra staff at all of the doors to make sure that the moment someone walks in there, said hello to personally that they're shown to their seat that they're told, like, like, people want to know how to fit in? What the right next action is for them. That takes extra staff it takes extra budget, right? The environment, what kind of what do you want them to see? What what do you want them to? Like? How comfy Do you want those seats to be? What? What do you want the view to be? That's all about like the environment.
Sarah Fejfar 7:24
And then the last thing I want to think about want you to think about there is C here, like music? Do you want them to have some cool music that is playing whether it is live? Is it a DJ? Is it over the speakers. So we're talking all the senses, see, hear, feel, smell, Get really clear, have some fun with it, brainstorm with your team. And then once you feel like you've decided what hospitality means to you, without worrying about how you're going to fund it, just get it all out, then let's do step two, which is budgeting for it. And then it's going in attaching price tags, to what that level of hospitality delivering on that level of hospitality, what that will cost, okay, then we'll figure out how to bring in the revenue to support that level of hospitality.
Sarah Fejfar 8:25
Okay. So that's step two is the budgeting. But remember, that's after the vision, and then three, it's clearly communicating to your guests. Now, not the surprise and delights. But if you've decided that, you don't need to be serving them. Three Meals a Day, and snacks and coffee and all the things then just be really clear up front. Food and beverages are on own. Here's some places where you could go like make it easy for them. Or we've taken care of all of your food and beverage needs. Can you please send us any dietary restrictions that you've have? Just be really clear, okay?
Sarah Fejfar 9:15
Because we never want to surprise people and have them thinking that their accommodations were taken care of, and then they show up and they're not. That's an extreme example, but clearly communicate to the extent that it's necessary, right? We don't want to be clearly communicating the surprise, gift basket that's going to be waiting for them in their sleeping room, right. That's something that feels hospitable to you have gifts waiting for them in their in their room or at their spot at the table. No, that's not something to clearly communicate, but if it's anything to do with kind of the things that they would feel like they would need to have taken care of I've in order to be fully present for you and your content delivery, then please make sure that they know upfront, okay?
Sarah Fejfar 10:08
And know that there is no right answer. The right answer is inside your heart. You already know what you want to deliver on. In terms of the type of experience, that's, that's the live embodiment of your brand. And so now we're just, we're just getting that out of your heart and making it happen. Okay, so three steps First, deciding what hospital means to you second budget for it. And third, clearly communicate this to your guests. I was recently watching the Magnolia network, and they have this new to me series called bespoke ins. And they're just quick 10 minute episodes that talk about how people who have started small, small hotels, small resorts in small campgrounds.
Sarah Fejfar 11:07
And, and it's surprisingly, it, it comes out in in those little mini, this little mini series that hospitality had always meant something to them. And now they were able to do that in their work. And all the little touches that they were integrating into the the property that they felt were the meaningful expressions of hospitality that they wanted to share with their guests. So I just it, it got me thinking about this whole conversation about hospitality and events and what it is, share it with you. I hope that this was helpful if questions came up, I want you to drop them into my DMs over on Instagram.
Sarah Fejfar 12:00
And I'm happy to help you brainstorm. I want you to hopefully leave this conversation that we've had today. Feeling like you're inspired to journal on what hospitality means to you, and go make it happen for your next event. Take care. Thanks for hanging out with me. Thank you for listening to the greenroom central podcast. If you love this episode, then please take a screenshot on your phone and post it to Instagram and be sure to tag at Sarah Fejfar. And let me know why you liked it and what you'd like to hear or who you'd like to hear from in the future. That'll help me know what to create for you. The number one thing I'm asked by CEOs whether it's their first event or their 20th is Sarah, how do I get more butts in seats.
Sarah Fejfar 12:52
And so I put together a guide for you head over to filling events.com For your free copy of 107 ways to fill your event. I want to help you quickly master event marketing and fill your events even if you've never done it before. I've scoured the online business world and found 107 of my favorite strategies working right now to fill your next in person or virtual event. Great the event promotion planning need from these easy to implement customizable strategies for free over at Philly events.com
Sarah Fejfar 13:24
I appreciate your commitment to leveling up and learning the mindset and strategy of live events. Keep going Keep learning. If you want more, head over to green room central.com For show notes and all the links from today's episode.
