The power of events

Last year we helped Cricket Australia and the Australia Department of Immigration and Citizenship to stage Australia’s biggest cricket game.

Nearly 150 000 people in over 900 locations across the country showed support for the Australian values of a ‘fair go” and respect for others by playing cricket on the same day. Four weeks later, we helped the Australian War Memorial with ANZAC Day (25 April) – the event that reminds us of Australia's defining national moment, the landing of Australian forces at Gallipoli in 1915.

Both occasions reminded me of the sheer power of events to capture people’s attention. This digital age may allow us to connect with anyone anywhere, but there remains something very, very special about an event where you actually meet others face to face.

That's why events remains the classic opportunity to gather people together in one place to:

• raise awareness of your cause, issue, service or product
• inspire people and generate action
• showcase your organisation
• recognise your own or industry achievements
• generate revenue
• introduce new faces or ways of doing things or
• attract new members or supporters

There is no doubt that Web 2.0 technology is great for sharing information. But events still remain among the best channels for persuasion as long as people like to share face to face experiences.