Get the most out of your event

Find important information about setting your event’s purpose, target audience and format.

If you can clearly define these elements, then you’re well on your way to creating a meaningful event that will benefit your community. 

‍‍Why are you running your event?

It sounds like a simple question, but it can take some serious thought. When you’re identifying your purpose, your focus should be on your attendees – what will they get out of it?

The effort you put in during the planning stage will pay off at the other end when you hold a successful event.

It is important to be specific, as the purpose of your event should be factored into all elements of your event planning and delivery.

It might be helpful to consider: 

• Is your event being held to meet a specific legal need that has been identified? 
• Is your event being held to educate people about a new development? 
• What do you want attendees to learn at your event? 
• What do you want attendees to be able to do after your event?

Identifying your target audience

Your event will be more effective if it is targeted to a specific group, as you will be delivering the right information to the right people in the right way.

Ideally, Victorian Law Week events should aim to provide legal information directly to the groups that need it most.  

Who do you want to talk to? Who needs to know the information you are sharing? Who will be interested in attending your event? Be specific.

It might be helpful to consider:

• Is your event designed for people in a particular geographic location? Age bracket? Occupation? Education level?
• Is your event designed for people at a particular life stage (for example, university students, young parents, empty nesters, retirees)?
• Is your event designed for people who are joined-up with other services? If so, would it be more effective to target your event at the service providers rather than the individuals?

Common traps

Your first thought might be that your target audience is everyone who has a particular legal issue.

This may not be specific enough, as different groups will have different needs. For example, you might want to run an event about future planning for anyone without a will. But the information needs, mode of delivery, and even the most convenient location and time for your event will differ greatly between groups such as young parents and retirees.

Your target audience should not be the general public. Why? In order to communicate effectively with your audience, you need to speak to them in a manner that is appropriate, relevant and useful – and you cannot speak to everyone effectively in the same manner. If you try to speak to everyone, you’ll end up speaking to almost no-one.

Considerations

When planning your event, you should think about your hook.

• Why will your target audience want to attend your event?
• Why would they take time out of their day to attend your event over anything else they might want to do?

Keep in mind that not everyone is able to recognise that there is a legal dimension to their problems and/or seek appropriate help.

Your target audience should dictate:

• The language you use and how you focus your messaging
• The format of your event
• Event location, date, time and duration
• How you market your event

When identifying your target audience, it is also important to consider if you have a way to reach that audience to let them know about your event.

When deciding on your event format, it’s always essential to consider your target audience’s needs and capabilities.

Choosing a format that works for your audience

Your target audience is the most important factor to consider when choosing an event format. What type of event is the most suitable for them? It might be helpful to consider:

• How does your target audience like to receive information?
• What is an appropriate setting or location for them?
• Are they comfortable attending online events?
• What type of event works with their daily lives (location, time, duration)?

Here is some information about different specific event formats to help you make your decision.

In-person events

In-person events will be more likely to attract your target audience if held at locations that the target audience frequents (such as libraries, neighbourhood centres, community groups) – go to where your audience is, rather than expecting them to come to you.

If you would like to run an in-person event, it might be helpful to consider:

• Will your event be held at a location that is convenient for your target audience?
• Will your target audience feel comfortable gathering in a group?
• Is the venue accessible? Are there any additional measures you can put in place to increase accessibility?
• Are there public transport links and parking?

Make sure you have a back-up plan in place, in case the rules about public gatherings change and your event cannot proceed in-person.

Live online events

Live online events can be a cost-effective way to reach a wide audience. You may want to consider running an event online to take advantage of the benefits.

It’s important to consider the limitations of online events and whether a live online event meets the needs of your target audience

For more information about running a live online event watch our webinar.

Pre-recorded online content

In general, live online events attract larger audiences because they create a sense of urgency or timeliness. It can be easy for people to put off watching on-demand content if it’s accessible at any time.

However, pre-recorded online content can be appropriate in some instances. We are open to reviewing pre-recorded content to see whether it is suitable to include in our Law Week program.

We encourage you to consider a hybrid approach: running a live event and uploading the recording to the Victorian Law Week website afterwards to extend the reach of your event.