I have pulled together some basic common sense sales tips from past research and event professionals in the field, to compile this list of behavioural Do’s and Dont’s for your sales teams at the next event. Even if  you have ticked all the pre-event marketing checklists and social media-ed your imminent arrival to the hilt, never forget people are the real interface with potential customers.

I am talking about the body language and the lack of rapport that inevitably results when sales teams just do not realize the full potential of face-to-face marketing opportunities at events. It's all about being more approachable and there are some definite cues. Ensure your sales team behaviour doesn't jeopardise the opportunity and flush away that investment.

Behavioural do’s and dont's for event sales teams

Why is body language, establishing rapport and Micro Expression important? 70-90% of our communication takes place visually before the first word is spoken. So gesture, tone and overall demeanour is something you need to take seriously at trade events and conventions.

What NOT TO DO at your next event

Events are all about Face to Face connections and rapport and if that weren't the deciding factor in a successful event, then surely we would all just work online and have robots on our stands instead?

DO NOT:-

1. Appear bored, stand-offish and look like you'd rather be somewhere else instead of networking and business building – says Suzana Ahmad | Clarion Events Asia. This means avoiding defensive posturing, e.g. arms folded, standing behind an obstacle, reading something else when you should be making eye contact, wearing a frown, etc..
2. Act like your stand is some exclusive club, huddle in groups with other team members and engage in exclusive banter with your back to the passing trade. It is intimidating and unprofessional.
3. Exude uneasiness and show your back to the audience or hide behind your Laptop / Mobile Device. Genuinely try to enjoy what you do and pay attention to passing trade not to your Facebook account.
4. Come across all smarmy and overly slick either. People can get intimidated. Prospects can tell by the pre-rehearsed overly clever and culturally awkward one-liners you may have been spewing. They can also tell if you have an over trained sales team with pre-rehearsed scripts that involve no listening whatsoever.
5. Come across too relaxed either; lying in state on garden chairs whilst not making an effort to approach visitors – says Maggie Teeling | Multilingual & Independent professional for Trade shows & Conferences. Likewise, do not lean on your stand or fiddle with your phone whilst manning the stand – Sandra Chau | Media Sales at Mash Media.
6. Be lethargic. Being energetic shows enthusiasm and creates the right ambience at your stand and encourages positivity about your brand – says Fatima R. | @Nexus54. lethargy makes us all look ever so slightly stupid.
7. Rely on flyers alone and the act of pushing them into the hands of passing trade. In fact flyers can be a turn off to some people who do not want more junk mail in their carrier bags – says Sandra Chau | Media Sales at Mash Media
8. Take your eyes off the aisle if you are at an exhibition space. This means staff need to be focused outward and not looking down or into the stand. They should be establishing eye contact with potential passing trade within 6 feet of the stand. If senior management or colleagues insist on talking in big clumps in the aisle outside your stand, make sure you move them so they don’t become an obstacle to passing trade or their line of sight, vis a vis key promotional displays.
9. Be obvious when reading name badges of visitors you are talking to and repeat back their whole name as though you know them. It's intimidating, crass and makes people feel like a number in a factory. If you are trying to filter prospects do it the social and intelligent way; ask friendly open ended questions whilst genuinely trying to learn about the person – something sales people should be focusing 90% of the conversation on.
10. Invade your prospective client’s personal & thinking space by getting too close and leaving them insufficient time to experience the product, sample it or watch a demonstration before actually giving them your “spiel”.

Positive Sales Tips to Remember When Selling at Events

Now for the antidote.

It's not about body counts – it's about getting valuable leads and establishing rapport. It is about engaging, understanding and most of all connecting on a human level.

SO DO:-

1. Ask for training tips from the an event organiser. Be sure to provide key guidelines, tips and relevant staff training for your stakeholders or your own staff. – says Leigh Kealton | Exhibition & Promotions Pte ltd. Australia.
2. Be inviting and stand along your stand perimeter or in front of your booth. This means using open gestures that encourage your passer by into your private space for one-to-one attention. i.e. your stand. – says Adam Blakney | Diversified Exhibitions Australia.
3. Understand that visitors are at different stages of their buying cycle. As an exhibitor, it is an art to immediately gauge where a visitor is in the cycle, and then adequately address their issues. Your body language is important in both situations because you don’t want to close off if the visitor isn't ready to sign up, and you don’t want to be seen as pushy for someone who is ready to buy – says Adam Blakney | Diversified Exhibitions Australia. This also means asking nice friendly open questions at the start.
4. Be energetic. Even if there is absolutely nothing to do, find ways to look active, awake and move around with a clear open expression. Show interest in your customers , visitors and products.
5. Engage with eye-contact. Eye contact establishes trust, exudes confidence & approachability plus it can exude charisma and also confirms that the client has your attention.
6. Appear at ease with what you are doing and the people you are talking to.
7. Engage with fellow-exhibitors instead of avoiding eye contact and pointlessly marking territories – says Maggie Teeling | Multilingual & Independent professional for Trade shows & Conferences. It might come in handy in the long term especially if they are not direct competitors. If you aren't at the stand and otherwise disposed, they may pitch in and direct people to you.
8. Ask open questions and be genuine when learning about the customer. If you are a sales manager, then make sure you let your team spend sufficient time listening and learning. Don’t put them under pressure to get through a large body count of contacts at the risk of losing valuable learning opportunities. Potential customers are people not numbers and they know when they are being treated like one.
9. Provide your sales team with tools to engage people with as drawing people to a stand can be like cold calling. So help your team to interact and attract during an event. Give them a demonstration, feature display, prize draw, sampling platform, or some kind of interactive in-booth activity that will help them break the ice. Flyers are useful only if they aren't handed out indiscriminately and are used as an ice breaker.
10. Let your personality shine through: be enthusiastic and smile. Bring a sense of humour and don't be afraid. Think of it as a way to turn strangers into new friends and discover more about the business. After all, people visiting trade events and conferences have paid to get there so at least half are there to learn. Isn't that half the battle won?

Additional resources

• John Twohig of the Ahain Group suggests taking a look at this video if you are not convinced of the power of micro expressions: The Role of Microexpressions Lie Detection

• The 27 Rules of Engagement For Booth Staffers  by Skyline exhibits is an excellent round up of some very good sales prospecting tips at events, some of which we have also mentioned in this post.
• I stumbled upon this really comprehensive list of body language tips the other day by selfgrowth.com focused on Sales professionals: Reading Body Language for Sales Professionals
• If you spend most of your time at presentations and speaking at seminars then maybe take a look at this from one of my favourite sites Lifehacker.com: Avoid These Body Language Postures and Gestures When Giving a Presentation by Melanie Pinola. The "think, turn, talk" method for presenters they mention is a super presentation tool.

Key sales takeaway

I hope these sales tips help. Yes, they do sound like plain old common sense but the big lesson I have learnt  as a manager - you need to be ticking these off your checklist on the big day and don't take them for granted when briefing your team. You may be be a master at these but does the rest of your team know what is expected? Especially true if your trade event utilizes team members from other parts of your organisation not just the Sales Department.

If you are paying money to be there or are organizing an event, don’t waste it all by appearing unapproachable in the flesh on the day itself. Remember, it is not enough to just turn up.

Have you more insights, sales tips or real life examples on how to possess the right body language at an event? Do share your thoughts.

The post 10 Ways To Sabotage Your Next Trade Event And 10 Essential Sales Tips appeared first on Tweak Your Biz.

Surefire sales tips to boost your revenue at events

Simon Naudi of Answers Training

Earlier this year, The Irish Event Organisers Association (IEOA) provided sales training for its business clients and associates at The RDS in Dublin during an Exhibition Open Day. They enlisted the help of a very entertaining Master of Event Sales : Simon Naudi of Answers Training and he delivered some very common sense , concise and pertinent tips for improving your sales techniques and sales straining  via this Open Day Slide presentation .

I include a handful of key takeaways from his presentation in the first half of this post alongside my own thoughts in the 2nd half.  These are essential sales pointers for your checklist when planning any event.

# 1. Define your objectives

What do You want to Accomplish at the Event?

• Market research?
• Push permission marketing with data capture?
• Increase sales?
• Launch a new product?
• Strengthen and renew relationships with existing clients?
• Improving brand awareness, PR and presence?

Not sure ? Here's a  few tips:

# 2. Refer to sales data and customer feedback to direct your event objectives:

• Trends & Direction: What direction are your sales trends heading? Do you need to reverse, reign-in or reinforce them?
• Reinforcement: Are you looking to reinforce what you already do: improve repeat custom, spend per customer and loyalty for example?
• Feedback: Do your Frontline staff and Customer Surveys point to weaknesses and opportunities in your offering that need to be addressed at this event? Is there new product or service they are crying out for or a gap in their understanding of your products?

# 3. Translate your objectives into event operations on the ground

What is the main Call to Action at your event?  Ask yourself:  Are you showcasing what's new or providing a solution to an existing problem? All these objectives change the way your sales team should behave. They affect the design and operational resources you need to focus on during the event.

• Launching a new product? Are you providing opportunities for product testing & experiential moments that let them assess the product ? Have you enough samples in time for the event?
• Brand Awareness? Do you need a large noticeable Presence? If so, increase your displays' prominence using eye tracking research,  go for strong impact and drive curiosity.
• Capturing Data? Do you need to Meet lots of new people in a short space of time or enlist more subscribers?
  1. Reward passing trade with an easy to spot incentive.
  2. There are Devices you can hire to scan in Badge Bar-codes to save you time taking down information.
  3. Alternatively keep the more involved lengthy Sales Schpiel as a follow up conversation post event.
  4. Don't focus on Corporate hospitality in this case as its time wasting.
• Market Research? Are you looking to Reinforce relationships whilst Networking with key target clients. Do you need to take Orders on-site? You should allow for more Corporate Hospitality that encourages clients to stay awhile such as:
  1. welcoming space
  2. alcoved areas
  3. refreshments
  4. time to accommodate involved meetings.

Regardless of the key aims of your event-based promotion ensure you are staffed sufficiently to allow each sales person time and  accessibility to key clients requiring attention.

# 4. Refine your event sales objectives into measurable goals

Specific measurable objectives are easier for sales teams to follow. Like any sales and marketing activity, justify your investment with metrics that can form clear measurable goals.

For example :

• How many leads  /  direct sales enquiries  /  appointments  do you want by the end of the day?
• How many new subscribers do you want from which market segments?
• Who are the top ten clients you want to visit your stand / event?
• What is the average order value you wish to secure during their visit.
• What do  the visitors and delegates  aim to do most at these events? Do they want to be kept  up to date, research new ideas, new products? This determines how you spend money on space you have. Research the audience to understand who will be visiting the show and why.
• Have you profiled the key target customers for your team need home in on? What demographic / professional profile do they need to aim for.

# 5. Clarify & communicate sales method and targets clearly

• A Smaller number of focused objectives is better than a long to do list. It means your sales team can focus and you can track them more effectively.
• Revenue based targets are better than body counts. Actual inbound leads are more important than mere visitor numbers logged at your event or stand.
• Brief the team well pre-event:
  1. Allocate clear roles.
  2. Educate the whole organisation including backroom & office staff so they are aware of the activities at the event and play a supporting role in their own capacity.
  3. Brief the Team daily at the start of each day if your event occurs over a number of days.
  4. Ensure your team has the right Elevator Pitch when meeting new prospects at the event.
  5. Ensure your team has the right set of questions that need to be asked and the ability to answer FAQs

# 6. Use the event organiser & venue's complimentary publicity channels

If you are a exhibiting in a larger event that is not your own, be sure to contribute to the collective pre-event buzz by providing exciting promotional content to the event organisers or the venue management. It is in your own self-interest to piggy back as much as possible on their marketing machine especially if the services are of mutual benefit and provided  free of charge.

In short, make it easy for your event organiser to promote  you to the show audience in advance of the event.

Provide your Event organiser with useful info Pre-Event:

• A portfolio of good Images: be they logos, hi-resolution product shots or good profile shots of participants if  selling a service.
• Well written copy and press releases ready to go with any photos submitted: All these can be put together as blogs, newsletters or trade press features / advertorial.
• Guest blogs on their website: Have you a good bio, expertise to share, or a human interest story about the company, its team members, or interesting historical facts to provide? This must be linked to your website. Anyone prominent at your organisation up for an interview?
• Sales promotions including discount codes, coupons or free gifts, lucky draws to redeem at the event. Ask the Organiser to includes this in their direct newsletter marketing as well as the catalogue listings both printed & online.
• Don't fail the deadlines for the organiser's show Catalogue  or any other PR opportunities if there is one.

A great spin off:

Your website could be getting links back through your pre- event promotions , especially if your pics, press releases and blogs are channelled via an events organiser's website, social media channels and trade press contacts. If it is your own event - make sure you  get mentioned via  associated trade event listings.

# 7. Use ALL the publicity channels you have to promote your presence pre-event

There's no point organising a party if you don't invite your friends. I am still amazed at the number of people who pay to exhibit at trade events or invest their time presenting or sponsoring at conferences, yet don't bother to invite their contact lists and encourage all their prospective clients  to see them there.

You should be advertising your presence in advance using:

• A Call to action on your website and digital marketing channels, with a direct link to register attendance.
• Pre show mailers and incentives via mail Newsletter or Direct Mail to your customer base and subscribers.
• Front desk customer service and retail sites if any should be handing out invites to relevant target customers.
• Generate blogs and press releases that will attract relevant media attention.

If you are working in a B2B environment:

• Sales field reps and in house sales team should be calling key clients to invite them.
• Ensure the sales team has lined up appointments with key clients prior to the show. These will be more valuable face to face encounters than if it were a chance meeting.
• Piggyback a link to your next event at the bottom of every email signature or scheduled post from Accounts

Depending on the event organiser alone for promotion is not sufficient.

WHY?

• Your Competition will.  If your competitor has the initiative to personally invite the same target visitors  ahead of you, their stand will be a more likely destination especially if they include personalised sales promotions.
• It helps Overall Footfall. The event organiser may not have access to the same contact list you have and it will benefit the footfall numbers at your stand.
• Target Better.  You have a better sense of the exact target Client you want at your stand than the organiser does. 
• Preview and Entice. Provide prospective visitors with a preview of your product, tease them with a sales promotion or give advertise  reward to claim  at your event.  Make your location their destination at the event.

# 8. Use social media to generate pre-event buzz

Events and social media have a lot in common - they involve engaging people, interacting in real time and starting conversations. It makes perfect sense to utilize all your social media channels pre event when generating some buzz around the big day.

Here's a few tips:

Think of the extra content, that preparing for an event can add to your social media publishing calender.

• Post updates showing preparations for the event. Drop in with pics and designs showing the construction process  of your stand design , stage etc.. tell your story leading up to the show.
• Start up an online countdown calendar to build the tension with a new story everyday showing your journey and the mishaps, funny moments, etc..
• Crowdsource design ideas pre event: Why not go one step further and get your audience to help you design your  presence at the event?
• Get Pre-event Feedback:  Use online surveys and polls on Facebook or your own blog to engage your potential audience. For example:
  1. What kind of  promotional offers,  product info, or special treatment would they like to have at the event?
  2. What kind of Questions or topics do the need addressed at the Conference / Seminar ?
• Gamify the Experience: Gamify the build-up to an event by incentivizing potential visitors to spread the word and reward them with pre event offers, prize draws and exclusive promotions at your event

Be part of the larger conversation if you are attending an industry event or conference

• Make sure you use the Event Twitter Hashtag when advertising  to dip into the larger conversation before the big day.

• Engage and pre-network with delegates /trade show attendees by maximising the event organiser's social media channels. For example :
  1. Make sure you make your presence known on the event Facebook profile.
  2. Cross-promote announcements, website links, photos,and videos from the event organiser

Resources

• Here's a good post with some emphasis on Twitter: How to create pre-event buzz using social media
• Here's a good strategically focused Social Media Guide from Facetime.org: The Essential Guide to Social Media for Live Events
• Event blogger Julius Solaris did a crowd sourced post via his Linkedin discussion group drawing in some great advice from event professionals in : The best way to promote your event

# 9. Keep an eye on competition at events

Be aware of what your closest competition may be up to if they are showcasing in the same event

• Where will they be positioned?  Does it makes sense to be displaying your products nearby or far away? Being nearby means you can keep an eye on what they are doing and possibly speak to the same people who meet them at the event.
• What advertising and promotional incentives have they been activating?

If your competition is organising a competing event / conference / seminar,  at another venue:

• Make sure the dates don't clash
• Ask if you are duplicating what they have already done and if so, will this make the content pointless to would-be delegates who have heard it all before?
• What are you offering that is different, more valuable and with a superior USP?

# 10. Leverage partnerships to improve your sales potential at events

Are you working closely with important partners and stakeholders that may enhance your sales activities at an event?

For example

• You could be cross-promoting with a favoured supplier also showcasing at the same event.
• Would your suppliers provide you with extra trade marketing material and stand display props that may save your the cost of constructing them yourself?
• Adjacent Positioning: If exhibiting in a larger industry event , it would be worthwhile to position yourself next to companies that service similar target buyers. For example:
  1. If selling Children's bedlinen, you may want to position next to the manufacturer of Children's nursery products.
  2. If promoting AV Equipment , you may want to position next to a Gaming software company.
• Product placement and Contra Arrangments: Offer your products to someone who may need them elsewhere in the event on the basis you are allowed to label your products and get referrals. For example:  if selling lounge furniture, offer some display samples for use in  lounge areas within other prominent stands or to the Exhibition organiser.

Why bother following these sales boosting steps?

According to Facetime UK:

1 in 3 people have a positive attitude towards your product after attending an event.

People are more likely to buy after sensory experience as it  improves their decision making process.

At events, business comes to you and visitors are already looking to buy and want to be sold to.

So why waste the opportunity? If you think these tips make sense, stay tuned for my next instalment with great sales tips focused on what happens During and After an event.

I hope you find these Pre Event tips prove useful for you. Do you have any of your own to add?

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The post 10 Critical Sales Boosting Steps When Planning Your Next Event appeared first on Tweak Your Biz.

Key News:

1.  The Irish Government’s National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP) and the €70m Energy Efficiency Fund. The fund will deliver up to 675 jobs for every €10m that's spent on financing energy efficiency initiatives in the public and private sectors.
2. Enterprise Ireland reports 3 Irish companies operating in the clean-tech & manufacturing areas have signed contracts to the value of €1.5m with three French companies.The contracts also support 18 jobs in Ireland.
3. Plans are being developed by Eirgrid and the French Transmission System Operator, RTE, for an electricity interconnector between Ireland and mainland Europe. These plans will help meet future energy demands and develop infrastructure facilitating the export of surplus renewable energy generated locally to mainland Europe

Thought Leaders Present Industry Topics at the Better Building Conference

There's hope if you are in the sector and looking to learn more from these game changers. The most well attended building and architectural event in Ireland  is coming soon to the Croke Park Conference Centre in Dublin and there's an opportunity to win Free tickets. It delivers updates on the very latest green building developments and innovations.  This year’s conference has over 40 speakers presenting in four parallel streams, covering topics such as green real estate, passive house standard, innovations and green materials.

How to Enter the Draw for Free Tickets

Simply complete the short Construction Industry Outlook survey at www.betterbuilding.ie for your chance to win free tickets or get a refund on the ones you may have already bought.

What The Better Building Conference Provides

Better Building, Ireland's largest construction and property conference, is to be held on Wednesday 24 April 2013 in Croke Park, sponsored by Ecocem, the low carbon cement provider. The theme of the conference, now in its second year, is Leading Environmental Innovation in Europe and it is one of Ireland's Gathering Events. The Event provides :

1. A One-stop Industry gathering - Better Building brings together the entire property and construction industry to look at the opportunities and challenges for greening the built environment.
2. Opportunities to network  - lunch, all coffee breaks and a post conference drinks reception are all included in the price of your ticket.
3. Great Educational Content - Industry thought leaders will be presenting key seminars at this Sustainable Building event organised in partnership with Key bodies Enterprise Ireland  and the Irish Green Building Council, Cultivate and the Sustainable Building Show.

Networking Opportunities at The Better Building Conference

Topics at The Better Building Conference include:

Retrofit Road maps to 2050

• Europe has to deliver 80% cuts in Carbon emissions by 2050. How much of this can this be delivered through retrofits?  Presentations will be made of examples of best practice from around Europe.

Passive House

• Ireland is leading the way in the global market in Passive House expertise, with a high standard of both passive house designers and products available here.  Presentations will be made showcasing exciting new projects and exploring the potential export markets.

Closing the Performance Gap

• Why do so many buildings, which are designed to be energy efficient, fail to perform as such in practice?  How do we close the gap between design and performance? Presentations will also cover the importance of res killing the labour force, particularly within the trades.

Urban Resilience

• What does it mean to build resilience in urban communities?  Speakers will explore the role played by energy networks, collaborative consumption and governance and discuss how the adoption of resilience thinking into strategic planning requires a flexible, cross-disciplinary and joined-up approach at all scales.

The Green Building Market

• Property Economists discuss the connection between energy efficiency and sustainability with the value premium and how this can drive better building and retrofits. This includes recent evidence from Ireland of the effect of BER rating on the value of property.

Green Procurement

• Presentations will be made on the progress for implementing the Green Public Procurement policy throughout local and national government procurement.  Also examples of leading edge case studies of Green Procurement from the private sector will be explored.

Measuring Embodied Carbon in Materials

• Embodied energy is becoming increasingly important as operational energy is lowered. How do we measure the embodied energy of materials used in buildings?

Retrofit

• The RIAI will chair this session and give information on practical examples of deep retrofit, particularly looking at the hard cases.  Speakers will deliver case studies of conservation/listed buildings and non-domestic buildings.

Reducing Water and Waste

• The introduction of water charges will see a new attitude to how we use water.  Presentations will explore which are the technologies that can help to reduce water usage.

Thought Leaders in the Better Building Conference

Speakers At The Better Building Conference include:

• James Drinkwater is a Senior Policy Advisor at the World Green Building Council
• Paul King is the CEO of the UK-Green Building Council.
• Philip Lowe Director-General of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Energy since 2010.
• Ronan Lyons is an economist, based at Balliol College Oxford and is author of the quarterly Daft.ie Report
• Thomas Mueller is a Founding Director of the Canada Green Building Council

For more on Better Building 2013 including details on the early bird rate (full price ticket is €180) head to www.betterbuilding.ie to register. Group discounts are also available.

Do you work in the Industry and would like to know more about specific Sustainable Building Issues not covered here? Tell us what the key sustainable  building challenges are in your sector.

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The post Key News For Property And Construction Professionals At The Better Building Conference appeared first on Tweak Your Biz.

Warm to the touch and quite timid in real life; the snake is known as keen and cunning, intelligent and wise in Chinese lore. You may agree or disagree. Either way have fun with this fresh look at the year ahead based on the Far Eastern attributes of the Snake.  See if it fits with your plans!

Guido Mocafico’s Magnificent Rectangular Serpents taken from thisiscolossal.com

Best Practice Tips from the Year of the Snake

In 2013; the year of the calm Water Snake could be a welcome cooling antidote to the the fiery tumultuous, game-changing Year of the Dragon, we have all just endured.

A welcome Yin to last year's Yang.

It arrives at the time when the whole world awaits eagerly for the first shoots of growth. How will you prepare your business for this next phase?

Here's my take on what the Year of the Snake suggests:

Snake Smarts 1

The year of the Dragon in your part of the world may have shook things up, led to lots of new ventures or resulted in the creative destruction of your old status quo.

• The year of the Snake suggests its a good time for some remedial steady progress - engaging in some R&D or investing in innovation and technology in a deliberate yet forward looking manner.
• It suggests lasting solutions not quick fixes this year.

Snake Smarts 2

It is said those born in the year of the Snake can be influential and insightful. The deliberate and careful snake thinks awhile before jumping into things.

• A reminder to businesses to assess carefully the events of 2012 especially if you believe them to be game changing.
• Apply some planning to future ventures this year.
• It is said this is a good year for carrying out detailed, logical work and risk assessment.

It is also the Year of the Black  Snake - implying inscrutable and uncharted waters. all the more reason to tread carefully

Snake Smarts 3

The Water Snake can also be a vibrant influence.

• The cooling water element implies its a good time for education, training and up-skilling as we try to emerge from the last few years of immense change and re-position in this new landscape.
• We may have let some people go and consolidated our costs last year - now we have to use what we have left in the most effective way possible using innovation, focus and discipline.
• Snakes shed off adversity like old skin and can be self reliant in this respect.

Snake Smarts 4

Snakes don't attack unless disturbed or hungry. The Snake is unassuming, efficient and low key

• Down to the bone, we need to avoid extemporaneous spending or extravagant behaviour. Diving right into decisions without weighing consequences, can cause financial ruin when you have few resources to spare. The worst nightmare for any business this year would be jumping head first into a financial deal or a buying spree.
• It's time for streamlining - look at maximising what you already have, intelligently.

Snake Smarts 5

How DO you maximise scarce resources? Snakes can be sneaky, remember the term "snake in the grass"? Not always negative thing in my books. They look for loopholes and find routes that are not clearly visible.

• You should be re-imagining your marketing campaigns with some guerrilla low cost behaviour,
• checking your finances for hidden sustainable ways to save,
• collaborate with people you may not have considered in the past or
• exploit new uses for your product or services offering.

Snake Smarts 6

Snakes have a forked tongue and that can be seen as threatening. They are considered introspective and intellectual yet are good communicators. A combination of qualities that could make one misunderstood and isolated in terms of personal relationships.

• Watch your words, be expedient in what you say and communicate with clarity in the year ahead.
• 2013 should be about rebuilding and this extends to relationships that need to be fostered and cultivated like your stakeholders, partners and alliances who have stood by you in the challenging times.

Snake Smarts 7

Snakes are considered refined, cultured and elegant. Perhaps a case of understanding now more than ever, that Less is really more.  That its worth aiming for a higher mutual good when doing business.

• Having less is the mother of invention, the jump start to sustainable design.
• Its a call for a more socially intelligent way of doing business that seeks to foster communities and safeguard the environment whilst also generating profit.

Snake Smarts 8

Last but not least Snakes are quite sexy creatures because they are mysterious and sometimes deadly. They don't strike often but when they do its decisive and wastes no time.

• Make sure your business plan this year has reserves and contingencies that allow you to strike at opportune moments.
• As far as your customers are concerned - make sure they keep coming back for more as you tease them with a better offering.

And as for being sexy....I'll let you figure that one out.

Do any of these pointers resonate with you or do you have a different interpretation of the year of the Snake? I am curious to find out as this year unfolds.

Gong Xi Fa Chai! Gung Hay Fat Choy!

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The post What The Year Of The Snake Could Predict: 8 Best Practice Tips For Business appeared first on Tweak Your Biz.

If you remember Wall Street; that celluloid homáge to Capitalism, you may remember one of its best quotes taken from Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu :

"If your enemy is superior, evade him"

Read on to discover the key elements in this priceless handbook on strategic and tactical thinking.

Business Strategy Lessons from The Art of War by Sun Tzu

Master Business Strategy with 13 Tactics from The Art of War

# 1. The Laying of Plans, Calculations and Estimations

The Book states: before any steps are taken, research and planning are the key to any venture. My Interpretation? Any blueprint or business plan has to be compiled with reference to 5 basic points:

• Seasonal Factors and Timing
• Landscape or Operational Terrain,
• Leadership Qualities - wisdom, sincerity, benevolence, courage and strictness
• Management skills - covering logistics, methodology and organizational structure
• Moral Law  - The Way of the World and the Laws of human Nature.

This strategy handbook proceeds to lay out 7 methods for forecasting based on your capabilities these factors. In short it calls for a SWOT Analysis .

Here, it also calls for leaders to adhere to classic principles in Project Management.  It advises you to have awareness of your capabilities and surroundings, adjust your plans to suit your resources, and track or monitor your operations against possible deviation from the original plan.  Get back on track as quickly as possible, he says.

Once plans are in operation we have to outwit our competition by not betraying our course and be subtle in our direction. One of the most succinct quotes from this treatise says:

"All warfare is based on deception."

# 2. Waging War - The Challenge

The next segment focuses on the importance of decisive behaviour, correct timing and economy in your actions. Before embarking in any ventures, we can minimize challenges, conflict and ensuing costs by:

• Focusing on the Logistics of any plan and prevent over-extension of your company's resources.
• Maintaining organizational Morale and keeping the "Troops" motivated and well resourced.
• Sun Tzu provides us with a clever tip - If you are low on resources and want to save: focus more on exploiting your competitor's weakness rather than throwing more cash/resources at the problem.
• Consider the wisdom of having effective Exit strategies in place if something does not work.  That reminds me of the (Colin) Powell Doctrine.

My favourite takeaway here is something all marketeers can relate to:

"let your main object be victory, not lengthy drawn-out campaigns. "

# 3. Attack by Stratagem or Planning Offensives

Here Sun Tzu echoes that old adage, its Not Size but Unity that determines strength and organizational effectiveness. He makes that now-famous quote:

"the skillful leader subdues the enemy's troops without any fighting"

In other words, avoid competing head on and avoid using up resources directly against competitors. Aim instead for excellence so that no other organisation would even dare compete. In short, create a  natural Monopoly.

How?

• In a business environment, I interpret this as taking the initiative and being first to market or innovate. Engage a pre-emptive "attack" on your competitors with your superior offering thus demotivating any would-be contenders with your superior market share. Invent the most innovative product, process, occupy new territory or be the first to secure the marketplace.

• Failing that, "Surround them" assuming you have adequate resources to cover the market and try for a Me-too approach.
• If you have insufficient resources, a Divide and Conquer approach maywork. Segment the market or break your problem into parts and attack each individually.
• Failing that - your only option is to meet your (enemy) competitor head on. In business terms I interpret this  as a potential Price war.
• Failing that you will be forced into a Siege Mentality which is costly for both attacker and the attacked.
• Once you run out of resources, will have to Retreat or drop out of the market - become the victim of shake-out.

A Chinese bamboo book - copy of "The Art of War " (on the cover, "孫子兵法") by Sun Tzu. Taken from Wikipedia

Sun Tzu also points out ways you can really screw things up as a leader:

• Having insufficient vision and a poor overview of the situation.
• This resultsin using the incorrect amount of resources or methods to meet the right challenges.
• Not being decisive or flexible enough to exploit opportunities - not knowing when to act / when not to act
• Running an organization that does not have the means to respond to your directives & isn't able to act on its own initiative when required.  Recruiting of decisive and strong management is essential here.
• Conversely, not communicating your Goals clearly and leaving your team to their own devices - the mark of a poor leader who has an undisciplined team.
• Poor human resource management skills that utilize the wrong people for the wrong task, the inability to motivate your team or facilitate it.

In other words:

"If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle"

# 4. Tactical Dispositions or Positioning

This phase of his treatise emphasises Defensive behaviour;  securing and consolidating the resources you have and using them effectively as a solid base for exploiting new opportunities when they occur. I see this as a reminder to business to get yourr housekeeping in order, be efficient and lean cost-wise. Have insurance or fail-safes before embarking on anything new or risky.

This  line says it all:

"One may KNOW how to conquer without being able to DO it"

# 5. Energy & Direction

This Chapter is about capturing momentum and synergy.

"The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim."

Sun Tzu outlines Direct and Indirect / Subtle methods of accomplishing your mission or let us call them obvious versus not-so-obvious downright sneaky methods.  He encourages us to use these 2 approaches creatively and in tandem.

Being able to alternate methods generates momentum and ensures sustainable results.

Tips on how to "win" the battle include

• The Element of Surprise
• Deception: Masking your true strength when trying to outflank or outwit your  "opponent"
• Using Bait to outwit your oppononents and draw their true intentions and positions.
• Not relying on any one person but instead focusing on the discipline and unity of your team.

# 6. Weak Points and Strong / Illusion versus Reality

Here Sun Tzu helps us spot the best opportunities for attack, how to spot weaknesses in your opponent and position yourself in the most advantageous way. In business terms, I interperate his advice as follows:

• Take the initiative  rather than play catch up - you may waste more resources playing catch up than in taking entrepreneurial risks.
• Be aware of your Competition's weakpoints, expose them and hasten to do better in these areas quickly.
• Be aware of markets or territories where your Competitor has no presence and exploit these gaps.
• Be aware of  Competitive advantage. Maximise your resources where you possess natural barriers to entry.
• Be a Moving target and make it hard for your Competitors to guess your next move.
• Never overextend yourself and focus on your Core Competencies. If you have weak organisational flaws, consolidate your resources in strengthening a few critical areas not all of them at once.
• Timing is everything- make sure you research the accurate moment with which to activate your plans.

My favourite Line:

"Do not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances."

# 7. Maneuvering and Dealing with Direct Conflict

There will be times when we will still have to meet difficult challenges head on and may not circumvent them. Sun Tzu advises us to maintain the following if we are to emerge unscathed and maximise our tactical advantage.

My key takeaways here:

• Personnel - Maintain harmonious relationships between all levels of your hierarchy and create a unity within your organization that operates to an internal discipline. Ensure they get a share of the "spoils" to keep them motivated and help them buy into company Mission.
• Logistics - Always ensure clear l lines of supply secured to sustain you throughout your campaign.
• Local Knowledge - Make sure you have good local knowledge of your market with an insider's view if possible.
• Competition - Know when they are operating at peak strength and only launch your attack when you know they are recovering from another campaign or when they are on downtime.
• Do not enter into an Alliance until you are certain as to the motives of your partners

 "The difficulty of tactical maneuvering consists in turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain"

# 8. Variation in Tactics aka The Innumerable Changes

I believe this section talks about the art of Judgement. Good tactics also means knowing What NOT to do. It is not enough to know your business and environment well, you also need Versatility of Mind.

• In business terms I interpret this as: knowing what paths not to follow, markets that are not worth pursuing or contracts & alliances that are a No Win for your business.
• If subordinate to a higher command, Sun Tzu implies there are situations where you must not even obey your superiors. You could even say it may be a good thing to flout conventional wisdom.
  
• In everything you do, always have the versatility of mind to inhabit the thinking behind Competitors or Customers' actions.
  
• Take a 360 Degree approach to everything you do and be mindful of all your stakeholders in any action you take, this allows you to escape hidden pitfalls or exploit every potential advantage/opportunity not just obvious ones. The sort of thinking can be found in guerrilla marketing approaches or CSR marketing that exploits non- obvious opportunities.
  

 "in the midst of difficulties we are always ready to seize an advantage, we may extricate ourselves from misfortune"

# 9. The Army on the March / Moving the Force

This segment focuses on observing the right signs in your "enemy".  I interpret this as  the ability to read your environment correctly and forecast effectively based on the current behaviour of your competitors, economy,  potential customers and even stakeholders. He goes on to detail clever practical tips for reading your enemy's behaviour on the battlefield.

A great leader has the ability to  read the signs around him, track history and therefore be alert to deception or sudden changes by correctly extrapolating future behaviour.

He gives an Acute reading of human behaviour here:

 "When envoys are sent with compliments in their mouths, it is a sign that the enemy wishes for a truce."

# 10. Terrain or Situational Positioning

In anything we do - we will encounter points of resistance.  How we position ourselves may result in assorted advantages and disadvantages. In the original text, he inventories the types of geographical terrain an ancient army may encounter and prescribes the best positions to take.

My takeaways? Sun Tzu emphasises:

• A Point of Vantage. Make sure that no matter where you are, you have a clear view of the endgame.
  • Sneaky tip 1: when no one makes the first move or you don't know where your competitor is : do a false retreat to draw out your prospective opponents
  • Sneaky tip 2: if your competitor has a superior position than you , entice them to focus on something else and fool them into vacating their no.1 spot
• Secure  Lines of supply and good Communications throughout your organization are essential otherwise there's a disconnect between your best laid plans and execution on the ground.
• Find yourself trying to match up to your competitor and always trailing behind? Me - Tooism can be a destructive acitivity that eats up too much resources.  You should reconsider the campaign in the first place.

6 signs you are failing as a leader

• Flight: when you pit your organization against a superior force with no preperation
• Insubordination: when management is weak and discipline falls apart.
• Collapse: when workers are under resourced
• Ruin: when Management does not buy into the organizational mission and rebels.
• Disorganization: when there are no clear organizational rules, roles or best practice laid down.
• Rout: when the wrong resources or tactics are being used

 "The power of estimating the adversary, of controlling the forces of victory, and of shrewdly calculating difficulties, dangers and distances, constitutes the test of a great general."

# 11. The Nine Situations / Terrains

According to Sun Tzu, there are 9 common stages in any campaign. He prescribes reactions to each one in terms of  old world battle scenarios.  Some prescriptions are obvious..

1) On Home ground; don't waste too many resources campaigning here.

2) On Entering New territory; keep pushing aggressively early in the campaign as long as nothing gets in the way, and as long as you have a clear easy exit strategy. You aren't too heavily invested at this stage and can turn back if needs be.

3) Contentious ground or Strategically Essential Territory; Do not be the first to move without smoking out your competitors' intentions first and understanding their strategy too. Hide your true interests and distract the competition where possible from discovering them.

4) Open ground or easily Accessible territory - don't get in the way of other competitors assuming their activity is of no strategic relevance to your mission.

5) Ground of Intersecting Highways, where there is activity from more than one interested party or contender - form alliances with others.

6) Serious ground; where much effort was required to secure this territory and you are in a precarious position. It may be hard to exit and hard to move forward - A " Winning Hearts and Minds " policy is required here.  Do not antagonize any stakeholders and do your best to sustain all of your business relationships at their optimum levels.

7) Difficult ground or difficult conditions in which to operate - keep going and don't stop until you are in a safer position. In Business terms I interpret this as consolidating resources, being cost conscious and keeping your productivity high, maintaining and pushing for  higher targets.

8) Hemmed-in ground; where it is difficult to extricate oneself from this situation - Resort to Deception, Intrigue and Stratagem.

9) Desperate ground; where there is no exit possible - once there you have to stick it out and give it everything you've got, its all about survival.

Sun Tzu compares a Skillful tactician to a species of mountain Snake due to his ability to react quickly  :

"Strike at its head, and you will be attacked by its tail; strike at its tail, and you will be attacked by its head; strike at its middle, and you will be attacked by head and tail both."

# 12. The Attack by Fire

This next segment does seem a little esoteric especially if trying to apply to contemporary business models - Sun Tzu talks about 5 ways to attack by fire. Nevertheless I  see it as a reminder on the strategic ways you can mount an offensive campaign to any competitor (from the inside).

• The Soldiers  - Poach their personnel , demotivate them or use them ?
• The Stores - Attack your competitors financial investments ?
• The Baggage Trains - Their logistics, lines of supply or key suppliers?
• The Arsenal and Magazines - Attack your competitors cash-cows and sources of Revenue?
• Hurl fire on your enemy as Artillery - Attack their operations, throw a spanner in the works ?

Most importantly - Follow up the internal attack with your own offensive on the outside and be  resourced, time it right and don't get caught up in the fire.

"Unhappy is the fate of one who tries to win his battles and succeed in his attacks without cultivating the spirit of enterprise; for the result is waste of time and general stagnation."

# 13. The Use of Spies / Intelligence

Sun Tzu warns us against wasteful campaigns that expend a lot of resources or hours of  labour  when a simple use of intelligence or Foreknowledge would be more efficient.

According to the text it can only be obtained through scout masters, reconnaissance or 5 kinds of spies:

1) Local spies;

2) inward spies;

3) converted spies;

4) doomed spies;

5) surviving spies.

Key pointers here:

• Reward your spies liberally and be sagacious yet sincere when dealing with them.  Above all keep this operation in utmost secrecy internally.
• If you wish to convert  someone into a spy - spoil them. A converted Spy is your greatest asset as they can help you recruit more.

"Spies are a most important element in water, because on them depends an army's ability to move."

The Art of War On Video

For a more entertaining (if not slightly hokey) background to the book,  I found this Documentary for those military enthusiasts amongst you: The Art of War documentary from the History Channel:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Lovers of chess and the Japanese game "Go" will find his book an affirmation and a helpful guide too.

Other interpretations of the Art of War

• The Business Insider Magazine War room does a quick handy overview too in The Art of War - Sun Tzu
• In this article: Productivity and “The Art of War”: Applying Sun Tzu’s Teachings to Business Tucker Cummings translates its teachings into modern goals for productivity.
• There's even an Art of War App for the busy executive : The Art of War in Business

In Summary

Throughout my interpretation of The Art of War, runs is a misleadingly simple idea that touches on a fundamental thread in Far Eastern thinking - that paradoxical notion of Doing by Not Doing and Illusion. You will find similar ideas in Taoism, Kung Fu, Fengshui, Zen Thinking and many other Asian practices I will be exploring in the future. Conversely Conflict and disruption  are anathema to Far Eastern sensibilities and their philosophy considers chaos and disruption a sign of failure, not a route to success.

In other words, if we can position our businesses into a Harmonious operation with the world around us - beyond the reach of any threat by being superior & indispensible, practising excellence and manipulating our environment to remove all obstacles, success is within our reach. The building blocks you might say of most strategies cited in any Marketing 101 textbook.

Nevertheless I suspect,  as time goes by I shall unearth deeper or different inteprretations from this book as I understand more of the world.

Have you read the book and have a different interpretation? I would love to hear your biggest Business Strategy takeaways from this enduring classic.

Footnote & Credits

All quotes used in this post are referenced from the following site www.suntzusaid.com a site created by John Watson. General information on the Structure of the Art of War was taken from Wikipedia using translations of chapter headings by Lionel Giles (1910), R.L. Wing (1988) and Ralph D. Sawyer (1996)

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The post Why Wall Street Loves "The Art of War" - A 13 Point Plan To Mastering Business Strategy appeared first on Tweak Your Biz.

It's The Environment Stupid!  A No Brainer Guide to staying on the Green and Narrow. No longer the domain of sandal wearing crusties; green, ethical and eco-friendly business practices are a sure route to sustainable business, cost-savings, improving profitability, lowering carbon taxes, raising productivity and meeting eco-targets. The biggest benefit of all? It's good for everyone.

Within this post, we’re presenting 100 online and offline routes to cost-saving ideas that also grant you a green halo. This post also sums up some ‘go to’ blogs, communities and online resources with fine, good advice.  Our sustainable business  ideas range from eco to ethical, simple to not-so-simple, short term to long term investments or individual projects right up to scalable community programmes.

Just a note of caution: it may cause you to ditch your car, swim the Atlantic and make your own clothes!

How do you know if business practices are Sustainable, Eco friendly or Ethical?

Although clear industry guidelines and ISO Standards do exist. This blog introduces sustainable cost saving and profit boosting ideas as a  "way of working" , not a rigid checklist with a one-size-fits-all set of criteria. Here are some definitions to give you an overview:

DO BE GOOD & GREEN

• Sustainable - Long-term renew-ability and living within our current capacity e.g. Resources lasting longer with minimal negative impact.
• Eco Friendly - Practices that are not harmful to the environment e.g. Recycling, Reusable resources, non pollutive behavior
• Ethical - Socially Responsible practices with minimal impact on the environment and surrounding community on a global or social level e.g. Fair Trade, No animal testing, Vegan products.

DON'T BE BAD

Business-Level ‘Costs’ for Non-Green Support:

Apart from financial costs worth saving, consider the other costs your business may incur through its operations :

• Bad workplace productivity and absenteeism impact on your bottom line
• Social costs of being wasteful, harmful to your environment and community versus a  CSR dividend
• PR Fail if caught engaging in unethical behavior

100 Eco friendly business ideas, tips, green choices and ways to save money

Consume less
Use Renewable resources
Recycle and Re-use
Collaborate more

Green Your Office Environment with Simple Quick wins

Lighting & Electrical Appliances

1. Start on the right note: understand your energy bills and consult your supplier to understand any penalty charges and how they can be reduced or avoided e.g. spotting how much electricity is used at night may reveal areas for saving.
2. Regular Cleaning and Maintenance of electrical units, heating appliances and lighting fixtures start you off on the right note and improve the efficiency of your plant and machinery.
3. Ensure switches are labelled so staff are aware of switches that are relevant for use and won’t be switching on too many appliances or too much lighting.
4. Charge appliances or heating units overnight for cheaper rates of electricity.
5. Install Light Dimmers, so you can adjust for varying levels of natural light in the room.
6. Display lighting should only be installed for spot-lighting selected displays and not as general  illumination.  If you are in retail or hospitality, keep lighting on a reduced level and only switch on display lighting just before opening time.
7. Vending machines carrying non-perishable items can be set on a timer or switched off during off work hours or on weekends when the building is closed.
8. Energy light bulbs - invest in CFL, halogens and LED light bulbs to capitalize substantial long-term financial savings that should compensate for their higher prices. If in Europe this makes even more sense. A phased EU ban on incandescent bulbs  has just been completed.
9. Install motion sensor lighting especially for storage cupboards, plant room lighting and other rarely used rooms are switched off by default.
10. Install Timers and Smart Control Systems that switch off devices when you are not using them. These work better with lighting devices, kitchen and heating appliances.

Greener  IT Equipment & Infrastructure

This is where you can reduce the amount of Standby power consumed bearing in mind, that electrical equipment can be plugged in for a minimum of 128 hours in an average office. Think “Vampire”. 

CleanTech gadget saves money with Renewable Energy : The Solar Window Charger designed by XD Design

11.  Intelligent Energy Monitoring shuts down peripheral devices when a computer is not in use. During sleep mode a signal is sent by USB cable to the plug board and specific sockets on the board are shut down. This applies to devices such as printers, scanners, monitors, external speaker systems etc.

12. Switches (central hub for computers) using Green Ethernet. If there is a period of network inactivity, the switch powers down the ports to a reduced speed. Transfers to an ‘idle’ state.

13. PC Sleep mode  for laptops on Operating systems for singular machines.

14. Timer Options on servers and software that monitor all computers on the network. You can set the PCs to either shut down or safely shut down at a particular time i.e. 7pm.

15. Avoid buying a Fax machine - upgrade to Scanners and eFax. You only print what you want using normal printers thus saving you that very expensive toner replacement cost. Block junk faxes if you are using a Fax Machine or nip them in the bud by contacting the guilty party and take yourself off the list.

16. Use The Cloud - Decrease printing and use (cloud) online document sharing applications such as Google Docs, DropBox, Box.net

17. Source energy efficient models or servers that exist under major computer brands such as Apple, Lenovo or Dell for example.

Simple Quick wins with Heating:

18. Bleed Radiators at the start of the cold season. This maintenance exercise eliminates air that has accidentally gotten into the radiator's coils and ensures your radiator heats up evenly and operates more efficiently in winter.

19. Power Flushing your central heating system can reduce fuel wastage by a third as it can remove undesirable corrosion residues, replace aggressive water, quickly restoring circulation, efficiency, and increase the lifespan of your system

Online Energy Saving Resources For The Workplace

20. Robin Waters  lists The Top Ten Apps To Make You More Green in Techcrunch 

21. Green Cam: Energy-saving app turns off PC monitor when users walk away

22. Greenbusiness.ie is a site that provides on-line audit tools for measuring resource use and identifying where green savings can be made. If in Ireland you can request a site visit, where a Green Business Advisor will visit your premises and identify actual "no" and low cost measures that will save businesses real money.

Saving on Water charges via Water Conservation & Capture

If you are facing high water charges or are being metered for water consumption then look into these environmentally friendly ideas and devices to help your bottom line.

24. Cistern Displacement Devices - fill them with water and lay inside the toilet cistern to reduce the flush volume. You can also source dyes that check if your cistern’s are leaking

25. Rainwater Harvesting - with the right fittings, rainwater tanks and devices you can recycle grey rainwater for toilets, mechanical wash-down, landscaping or process water. (Example is the Eden Project in Bodmin, UK)

26. Install Motion sensor taps in washrooms and canteens to prevent running water when not in use.

27. Instant Electric Hot Water Taps . One frequently overlooked expense is hot water that uses standard heating systems. If you are waiting up to 10-15 seconds for your running tap to generate hot water, in the course of a year, you could be wasting literally thousands of litres of water. There are devices that connect directly to cold water pipes replacing your existing tap and can generate hot water instantly.

Recycle and Save on Waste Disposal Costs

Good recycling habits should be transferred from the household to the office or business environment, especially if it costs you less or nothing to recycle waste in the face of municipal bin and landfill charges for all that waste your business generates.

Recycling a No-Brainer?

• More awareness of recycling and of the environment exists amongst workers and customers. It’s worth being seen encouraging your clients or customers to do the same, driving a positive association between your brand and responsible business.
• A polluter pays principle exists on most municipal services with the introduction of bin charges. Higher landfill levies exist in some jurisdictions to support alternatives to landfill. Environmental Legislation may exist in your locale requiring recycling quotes with penalties in place
• Improved recycling and recovery options are being introduced by most authorities.

Recycling In the Workplace

28. Local municipal bodies can assist in setting up better recycling awareness in your business and direct you to relevant businesses. For example : Recylemore.ie  is a helpful site assisting with recycling tips

29. Empty Ink cartridges can be sold back to recycling agencies. Folamh.ie is an example of an organisation that delivers collection bins and collects them, then sends you a cheque.

30. Mobile Phones can also be returned to businesses who will buy them back at rates commensurate with the Phone model. For example Envirofone recycle phones across Europe and pay for used or damaged phones in exchange.

31. Recycle your WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) using social enterprises and Environmental bodies in your locale. For example, The European Recycling Platform (ERP) helps you locate recycling centers and holds free recycling days where you can return anything with a plug or battery.  Visit local recycling centers that help you reduce business waste disposal costs or social enterprises that re-purpose electronic goods for the developing world such as cameras, also allowing you to donate computers.

32. Source or Encourage Suppliers to take back packaging for recycling as a prerequisite for doing business.

33. Commercial Food Waste Disposal & Recycling Systems - Relevant if your organisation engages in hospitality and catering. These commercial appliances can reduce waste volumes, landfill and bin charges whilst also recycling biodegradable waste. Some systems generate desiccated organic food waste, dry by-products for use as compost or biomass heating fuel.

34.Schwopping - Create a “Buy and Give Back Culture” amongst your customers or  by encouraging them to recycle used products whilst also drawing repeat business and customer loyalty.  Swap offers and vouchers in exchange for returned items.

Shwopping - A Buy and Give back Recycling culture. M&S to Sell First “Shwop Coat” Made From Customers’ Unwanted Woollens

M&S is a perfect example as they work in tandem with Oxfam to encourage clothes exchanges for vouchers. The vouchers have a minimum purchase value attached thus encourage a higher spend. Taking it one step further they have announced the first recycled product from this project: M&S unveils first 'shopped' product made from unwanted clothes.

Reduce Consumption in the First place and Green your office

Here are some tips that also reduce consumption in the first place:

35. Office paper: Use both sides of your paper when photocopying or faxing and also use the back of discarded documents as note-paper instead of buying fresh notepads. Caveat: do make sure no sensitive client or business info is located on any of these.

36. Save and reuse packaging and postal package envelopes rather than buy new ones.

37. Avoid Paper or Plastic Cups and go back to using your office mugs or glasses at the water cooler. Get Re-usable portable coffee mugs while you’re at it to reduce disposable coffee cups.

Re-Using Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment

38. Salvage pre-owned furniture by sourcing them at architectural salvage companies, liquidation sales and auctioneers.

39. Re-store and Up-cycle - old discarded furniture & fixtures. Visit up-cycling centers that reclaim unwanted battered furniture from you and others. Custom design restored furniture and equipment using their up-cycling skills and create new branding opportunities in the process. Examples in our locale include Busy Bees Furniture, The Rediscovery Centre, and CRNI.ie.

40. Use Second Hand Goods Portals - Online classifieds papers & portals in your locale help you buy and sell used items. Craigslist or Freecycle.org are perfect global examples.  Use portals that facilitate the free local exchange of used goods.  In our locale we have: www.buyandsell.ie. For example Free Trade Ireland  is a unique public service allowing you to pass on and pick-up items free of charge.  Sell 2nd hand uniforms and textiles to  www.clearout.ie.

Busybees Furniture up-cycled these office Chairs found in a Skip and resold them to retailers and other businesses at the Irish Furniture & Home Accessories Trade Fair

Greening the Hospitality Sector

The Cliff House Hotel, Ardmore - their General Manager gives an interivew on their Eco Friendly Policy

41.  If you are in Hospitality and have access to grounds for cultivation you should seriously consider a Grow Your Own policy. Reduce the costs of buying in from distributors and create backup stocks during emergencies. It allows you to pass on lower costs to your customers. Grow your Own Ireland is an example of local organizations that exist to provide helpful advice and tips.

42. Source Local and you might find yourself with more reliable suppliers given the proximity, lower transport & delivery costs. This becomes another selling point and marketing feature point when creating menus.

43. Want to see how a Green business policy can work in the Hospitality sector and pick up some of their best practices? Take a look at: The Eco Friendly Policy at The Cliff House Hotel, Ardmore.

44. More Environmentally conscious hospitality tips are available at this local site Greenhospitality.ie 

Sustainable Interior Design

45. Surface Design - paint your work areas in lighter colors and use brighter surface design materials to maximize the effect of natural lighting.

46. Use Non Toxic Finishes and Eco paints.

47. Position desks closer to natural light to reduce the onset of SAD.

48. Make sure heaters and radiators are unobstructed by office furniture and reduce the thermostat in unoccupied rooms or in busy concourse spaces and corridors where people move quickly through anyway.

49. Maximise use of natural light sources with Retrofitted lighting fixtures such as  Solar Tunnel Lights for example.

Green your Building with Retrofit Techniques

50. There are work-place & retrofit grants to convert buildings into more energy efficient properties. Make it your business to contact your local municipal authority or environmental body to find out more. Here are some retrofit techniques to consider:

Insulation

51. Building Insulation techniques use synthetic or natural products to create more energy efficient buildings whilst also protecting against damp and the formation of mould thus avoiding sick building syndrome. It can be installed during new-build construction or retrofit of your property.

52. Cavity Wall Insulation is installed in the spaces or cavities between two walls and may be a relevant retrofitting exercise in an older property that consists of masonry or block walls with a gap of at least 50mm between them. Different types of materials can be used to fill the gap ranging from Foam to sheep wool to recycled Eco friendly natural products.

53. Consider Dry Lining;  a form of Internal Wall insulation that involves fixing insulation to the inner surfaces of your external walls and covering it with a vapor barrier layer and plasterboard.

54. Outsulation, (AKA ETICS = External Thermal Insulation Composite System) is a form of an external thermal insulation to the exterior walls of a building. It can be cost effective, durable against all weather, versatile aesthetically and energy efficient at the same time.

55. Glazing: Install Doubled or Tripled glazed windows to keep buildings warmer and reduce heat loss.

56. Installing Air-Tightness products lower heat loss and therefore energy costs in your building, whilst improving air quality by preventing warm air from escaping or cold air to seep through. Air tightness systems involve creating an internal envelope around the complete building thus sealing all gaps and cracks.

Ventilation, Heating & Plumbing

Avoid one of the hidden costs of a business- i.e. absenteeism and low productivity by avoiding sick building syndrome. Ventilation and heating are key factors when designing or retrofitting your workplace.

57. Choose an environmentally responsible Renewable Energy Utilities supplier like Airtricity or Green Energy UK Chances are, they cost less too.

58. Retrofit an environmentally responsible Renewable Energy heating system

59. Engage in a micro-generation system that uses natural recycled fuel or Renewable energy. Micro-generation done right is a route to owning your own renewable energy sources and may result in you feeding back into the Energy Grid. IMAGINE sending the utilities company a Bill for a change!

Examples include:

• Retrofitting Solar panels 
• Micro-generating Electricity with your own Wind Turbine
• Geothermal Heat Pumps.

60. Biomass Boilers - relevant if your business is rural based and focused on farming, forestry/timber or even involved in the processing of organic material. Your waste products can be recycled into biomass fuel.

61. Pool Renewable energy investment in your industrial park, small town or office block. Pool your resources to form a CO-OP that invests in a wind turbine, heat pump or solar panelling depending on which are more suitable for your locale and start making money once you feed back into the grid. This is a long term investment but pays off sooner if resources are pooled and increases the value of your property.

62. Retrofitting Heat Recovery Ventilation allows your building to provide continuous or timed ventilation throughout  and recovers the heat carried in the exhausted stale air. In short it delivers better climate control, fresh air and more energy efficiency. If your property is already well insulated and airtight, you will be better off refreshing the air and controlling humidity this way rather than opening the windows.

63. Under-floor heating is especially relevant if you are moving into new premises and have to install a new floor anyway. It can deliver a rapid and uniform distribution of heat, which helps optimize your energy costs. Aesthetically it helps you to do away with radiators and improves the decor of your property.

Location and Sustainable Architecture

64. If it’s a new build, select offices with plenty of natural sunlight so you can work longer before turning on lights. Create more sources of natural light via larger windows and atriums in your building design. This also alleviates Seasonal Depression aka SAD.

65. When looking for premises, consider retrofitting an old derelict property also known as engaging in Slack Architecture instead of occupying new office blocks.

66. Civic intelligence – Locate in a district that puts you closer to the suppliers, customers and partners you work with to minimize transport costs.

67. Don’t  forget there’s this cool new trend in Re-Purpose Shipping Containers what with the global recession and all.  Great if  you have a vacant space on your property and need to build an extension or more storage space. Your local portacabin supplier will probably put you in touch with the right models.  Also great if you need to build a Home office in your back garden.

Starbucks opens store made from recycled shipping containers

Starbucks' brand new reclaimed shipping container coffee shop. Starbucks Opens New Reclamation Drive Thru Made From Recycled Shipping Containers turned into Starbucks Drive Thru. (Taken from - Inhabitat Blog on Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture & Green Building)

A Greener Urban, Architectural and Civic Business Environment

These portals help you tap into the cool trends, great ideas and civic discussions emanating from around the globe. If you are part of a city council, town hall, business chamber or high street business network, why not tap into these conversations and ideas and see if you can create a Beta Project with your community.

68. Sustainable Cities Collective - Comprehensive series of blogs covering sustainable living and business practice in an urban context. Based in the US but with a Global focus.

69. Green Building News US provides energy efficiency and sustainable building information targeting commercial and industrial facilities.

70. GreenBuildingAdvisor.com provides useful, accurate, and complete information about designing, building, and remodelling in an energy-efficient, sustainable manner. A US based one-stop source for builders, re-modellers, architects & home owners looking for expert advice on green products & strategies.

71.  Inhabitat | Design For a Better World!- a Global online guide to the best green design ideas, devoted to the future of design, tracking the innovations in technology, practices and materials that are pushing architecture and home design towards a smarter and more sustainable future.

The Green Line from A to B

 Cool Green Eco-Transport Tips

Old War poster asks the Question: Is your Trip necessary. from the Treehugger blog: 13 Great Posters From When Driving Was Considered To Be Almost A War Crime

72. Facilitate Car-pooling in your business  with workmates that live nearby. Just drive a short journey or walk to each other’s house. Doubles up as fantastic social banter time and possible team building?

73. Electric Car and shared car programmes. Is there a city-wide shared car or Electric car programme with electric charge points in your city? For example, Go Car.ie is a car sharing initiative in Ireland, offering short term car rental to members on a hourly basis.

74. Use the Right Graded Tyres. As tyres account for 20% to 30% of the fuel consumption of vehicles, choosing a tyre rated ‘A’ for its energy efficiency can help you make fuel cost savings in the range of €170-€230 per year. Consumers in Europe will be able to tell straight away which tyres will help them to save fuel. Every new tyre has to come with a new easy-to-read label displaying information on three essential aspects of the performance of a tyre: fuel efficiency, wet grip and external rolling noise. The new requirements are laid down in a new EU regulation on labelling of tyres.

75. Is there a Cycle to Work Grant scheme in your locale? in Ireland the use of  bicycles purchased by employers will be free of Benefit In Kind (BIK) tax and will be fully tax deductible by employees that avail of the scheme.

76 . Work from home or allow employees who live far away to take turns working from home one day a week if you are not sure about going the whole hog.

77. Use Electronic Banking as much as possible or online payments systems to avoid unnecessary trips to the bank, delays in cashing cheques or postal costs.

78. The big switch happening in the retail industry is Zero Carbon. As air travel increases food miles, the most logical choice is to use road, rail and sea. It’s no secret that air transport accounts for over 70% of carbon emissions. Taxing carriers and customers has done nothing to stall the flow of air transport, but engineers have found a better way - changing the fuel. Have you considered using Bio-fuel and Ethanol Fuel?

Squeaky ‘Green’ Marketing and Event Ideas

Here’s a taster but there’s way more ways to do this and some sites are great global resources on this topic.

79. Networking - use online resources to network from home. Here is a useful post summing up online networking resources by Corpnet - handy from a small business point of view - Start Your Business Networking Easily From Your Sofa

80.Use Email advertising instead of Direct mail or Email invites instead of  Flyers and other promotional material when it comes to your regular client base and regular customers. These are people who you know will pay attention to your email-shot. Caveat: not so  good with new business as you need to get their attention in more ways than one.

81. Use CD’s or Branded Data Keys instead of large paper catalogues where possible or PDFs when sending out product information to your clients. Safer when you are dealing loyal customers or returning clients who are already familiar with your business.

82. Reduce printed material at events by producing PDFs and providing WIFI for attendees who wish to view their brochures and programme planners on their laptops, net books or tablets.

Design Grass by Curb Media - an example of environmental friendly Media and surface design

83. Digital ticketing instead of posting out badges and tickets pre-event -  now more executable with the plethora of Event apps and badges are easily reproduced at the front door with registration software.

84. Here’s a handy Blog we found on Simple Innovative Tips to Greening your Conference by US company CRE Rentals.

85.  Here a cool new trend: Ambient Advertising using environmental friendly Techniques. Design Grass by Curb Media is a living grass surface design material for indoor environments that allows you to create branded designs and indoor green spaces vertically or horizontally without landscaping. It is also hypo-allergenic and a natural sound-proofer whilst being rigid or durable if re-purposed as a soil-less living carpet or flooring for events.

Put on your Green Beret and Go Guerrilla

Low Impact Advertising & Ambient marketing as an alternative to conventional media  & printed advertising

86. Green Graffiti - Uses grass, nature and moss to get the message across. Great if you want to show how green you are in the first place. Here are 20 masterpieces

87. Cleanvertising - This format uses the natural environment in an aesthetic manner to grab attention. Examples include logrow turf cutting advertising and sand sculptures

An Eco Friendly way to advertise

88. Reverse Graffiti or Clean Graffiti involves no spray paint- just a steam-cleaner and a stencil. Linked to this is Rain activated Graffiti that only generates an image when in contact with water.

89. Urban Art,  Hacktivism and Urbanism as Marketing - add some color and inspiration to your urban community with street art and create a good association with your brand by engaging local design collectives, art students and community groups. Don’t just advertise via conventional media channels. Improve your municipal environment by hacking it and gain some social credits with your local catchment area.

Re-Purposing Vacant and Derelict space in Marketing

90. Events can be made edgy especially with a Secret tour or Occupy theme using Derelict space such as abandoned warehouses, abandoned office blocks, un-used retail units.

91. Use your own excess space or under utilised properties as Sponsorship opportunities by making them available venues for  Community / Trade events.

92. Pop-up Shops restaurants & retail revitalize derelict space in your high street whilst using a lower cost alternative to long term lets by choosing targeted short term leases for a month or two months at a time - source these using local municipal authorities or Estate agents who may be encouraging pop-up activity and who will have a list of sites ready and waiting.

Collaboration - Seeing the Woods not the Trees

Collaborate, Cooperate and form a collective with Resource Exchange Networks

93.  Setting up a resource exchange network allows you to save money and resources whilst reducing waste going to landfill. It also encourages networking and new business development opportunities within your community and binds you closer together.

Examples of Resource Exchange Networks in our locale:

• SMILE Resource Exchange (Saving Money through Industry Links and Exchanges) is a free service for businesses that encourages the exchanging of resources between its members. Potential exchanges are identified through networking events, an online exchange facility and a support team to assist throughout.

• A Favour Exchange is a skills and labor exchange system.  It is open, voluntary and does not involve the making or spending of money.  It is at heart “an economy of goodwill” with its own currency, the favour.  Examples from our locale include a community that describes itself as  “an economy of goodwill” with its own currency, the favour.: Clonakilty Favour Exchange

Publicity & PR

Turn your halo on and paint it green

94. So now you've got your business super energy efficient. You are lean and not at all mean, given all that Fair-Trade and Ethical work you do collaborating with the Community. What next? Why broadcast it course!

• There’s no better cost effective method for advertising than using Social Media. We found a great small business focused blog for leveraging your Halo: Using Social Media to Convey You’re Eco-Friendly

• Don’t forget your activity in adopting these sustainable measures are great Content for all your advertising campaigns and open up PR or publicity opportunities.

 Resources– Sustainability, Ethical and Eco

Global

95.  Treehugger- a Global one stop shop for green news, solutions and product information. Here's a sample blog that highlights new ways to go green: ShopGreen Lets Online Retailers Incorporate Carbon Offsets into Purchases

96. Small Business Trends  has a green Business Segment with helpful Sustainable business blogs - here’s one: 100 Green Business Tips crowd sourced from their small business community.

97. The Sustainable Business Blog - By ‘The Guardian’ Publication is useful for sustainable technology and industry updates alongside the Guardian Environmental Supplement.

Greening in  Ireland

98. Events and portals available in our locale are worth a look for universal green tips and resources for a more sustainable business:-

• Local Switch blog - A very useful blog curated by the Irish Cloughjordan Eco Village community full of practical down to earth ideas for small business.
• Cultivate.ie is an Irish Organisation that posts useful information on their site. They also host a range of events, workshops and networking gatherings that give you the right information, notably their recent:
• Better Building Conference done in conjunction with The Sustainable Building & Retrofit Show which also hosts free to attend seminars on issues like green materials, retrofit and passive house building.
• The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland  Business support section is an excellent resource for any business looking for resources tips, advice and grant info.
• We got some great advice from Energy Efficient Ireland
• The free to attend Autumn BeGreen Roadshow helps businesses discover ways to reduce costs through better Resource Efficiency – targeting Energy, Waste and Water costs.

Leading by Example

Learn from green & sustainable business practice in the Retail Sector

Bloomberg Magazine Cover - Its Global Warming Stupid - Time to take Green Sustainable Business seriously

99.Tesco are proving themselves to be Green Grocers in more ways than one. Their strategy involves:-

• a £100 million fund for investment in sustainable environmental technology such as wind turbines, solar panels, combined heat and power and gasification. Cutting energy use per square foot by one-half by 2010 against a baseline of 2000.
• Customers are encouraged to help save energy in their homes as Tesco gives clubcard points to promote its green products.
• It has invested considerably in electrical recycling and pushes free home insulation and inexpensive wireless energy monitors.
• Tesco has also spent £millions on opening new-concept eco-stores (which are carbon neutral) and on carbon-rating many of its products.
• Tescos have made notable changes to achieve a low carbon rate like using rotten food for transport fuel and lowering  transport (food miles) costs by using barge and train for transportation
• Tesco’s subway virtual store has made it to marketing blogs – Tesco’s Virtual shop front at Gatwick Airport and subway virtual shops in Korea are making headlines and servicing time poor customers at the same time.

100. M&S aims to be at zero carbon by 2015 with their now famous PLAN A campaign (because there is no Plan B), which details the steps they have taken.

• Their Plan A programme is an example to other businesses for a coherent sustainable business programme.

• It was also advertised widely providing a green marketing halo and super CSR credits

Taking the Green Bug Home

Sustainable Projects in Masdar in Dubai show us how it is possible to apply this way of thinking city wide.

Key Takeaway

Companies like M & S  or Tesco maximize the full profit boosting and cost saving benefits of being Green and Sustainable. They have strategic coherent programmes of ethical and sustainable business practices, work hard at providing a holistic approach and re-educate both customers and their workforce. They also leverage their behavior as social marketing content via PR, Advertising and Branding campaigns.

This post is by no means a comprehensive list but hopefully it explores the many faceted approaches to saving money with sustainable Business practices and points your thinking in the right direction.

Authenticity, accountability and consistency are key in any campaign that seeks to exploit the CSR dividend these sustainable practices can bring.  Anything else reeks of Greenwash and lip service.

Related: 100 Guerilla Marketing Ideas: Grow Sales With Zero Budget

Have you any other cost-saving ideas that tick the following boxes: Sustainability, Ethical business and Social consciousness? Share them below. 

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The post 100 Green ‘Monster’ Tips: Ethical And Eco-friendly Cost-Saving Ideas For Business appeared first on Tweak Your Biz.

No doubt; many of us have embraced the new paradigms unleashed by digital marketing on issues like driving engagement, conversation, social business, Person-to-Person and word-of-mouse marketing,  as we try to keep up with the changing expectations of our millennial markets.  If  you have already signed up to these notions online, it makes more sense than ever to carry those valuable psychological insights into offline marketing campaigns and real world business events. Which in turn create more engagement, legacy and viral content that may feed back into your digital marketing activity.

But first of all: WHY BOTHER Refreshing your Events?

Our current cultural Zeitgeist has thrown up a few interesting trends and  ideas associated with  capturing more engagement, creating user-generated content and awakening imagination.

• We have moved from a world of Infotainment and Edutainment to one of Crowd sourced Idea-tainment. Don't Believe me? Have you heard of TED Talks?

• We have also moved from a world of Monologues to Dialogues.. and now to a millenial generation that has relentless digital access to Polylogues. A  discussion or new idea is no longer broadcasted top down only but is dessminated multi-directionally.

• Content is increasingly user-generated both online and now offline through new experiential and participatory event formats.

• We have too much information and not enough time to digest it.  Events have to be able to crunch, disseminate and present several new and fresh ideas in smaller packages of time. Apart from the busier schedules of our audiences, event and marketing  managers also have to accommodate more 2-way conversations, feedback and Q & A sessions to leverage more value  from our audiences, attendees and clientele.

Innovative (and Counter Intuitive) Ideas to Refresh your Events

#1 . Lost Lectures

• The Lost Lectures take audiences out of mundane corporate conference environments and transport them into secret pop up hideaways.
• The location has got to be interesting enough to awaken your audience's imagination and allow them to rejig their thinking. Examples can include derelict vacant space, a never before used space, a movie set, a mobile unit or going outdoors instead of indoors.
• In addition, just think of how much more magical it might be if you preceded it with a secret tour. Definitely the sort of thing to encourage more opt-ins pre-event and word of mouth post event.
• Add to this, a surprise interactive element to one part or all of your speaker programme so that potential delegates are intrigued and announce the programme only hours before the event via social media to heighten expectation.

#2. Unconferencing

A seemingly counter intuitive approach.

• No preset agenda or programme exists for this conference pre event as a large part of it is developed through organic participation on site around a general idea.
• The schedule is driven by attendees at the start of this open space event around a theme set by a Facilitator and advertised beforehand. Any attendee can claim a time and space within the event and initiate a discussion.
• A marketplace for discussions thus develops at the start of the event. The event is therefore made up of a series of audience-sourced discussions rather than a top-down monologue.
• Programming does not  have to be a linear list of speakers in chronological order. It is an organic process, and can have several sub-discussion groups taking place simultaneously.
• People can drop in and out of discussions.

This Open Space style event has spawned many similar event formats and Unconference Methods

For example:

#3. Pecha Kucha talks

• Japanese for "Chatter" or " Chit chat", these are now familiar to many in design based or creative industry events. They involve a series of short 5 minute stand up talks , usually 8-15  sessions in total,
• These may or may not contain multi-media presentations.
• Some events restrict presentations to "20 images in 20 seconds" .
• Some Pecha Kucha talks are executed  soapbox style, with small stand-up audiences occupying temporary spaces.
• Some allow for an immediate critique in the final 20 seconds.
• Great way to see "elevator pitches" by not so famous people like students, researchers or start ups who want to spread their new innovative ideas.
• Quite egalitarian and can be preceded by an open call for presentations.

Similar ideas include:

#4. Ignite Talks

• An Ignite Talk is a brand of global events series, characterised by 5 minute talks and 20 slides per presenter.
• Presenters talk about their passions, brave new ideas or news ways of problem-solving

Ignite Talk Videos say it all.

Click here to view the embedded video.

#5. Lightning talks | Data Blitz

• A fast succession of 1-10 minute talks with no multimedia.

Apart from the Design based creative industries, new event styles are emerging from academia which include hands on participatory Think ins, Problem solving workshops or Hackathons. Here's a few:

#6. Speed Geeking | Rapid Demos

• A bit like  speed networking but not about selling businesses, it's all about the pitching your big idea.
• Presenters are dotted around the room
• Each time a bell rings groups of 4-7 converge on a new presenter.
• Presenters pitch their idea repeatedly to every time the bell rings.

#7. Fishbowl Conversations | Unpanel | Samoan Circle 

• A concentric circular arrangement of seats whereby an inner ring of people discusses a topic
• They are surrounded by a larger circle of audience members who may  just observe or
• Dip into the debate by taking turns sitting in the inner active ring in order to  gain speaking rights.

#8. Knowledge Cafes | World Cafes

• A Workshop styled event format that kicks off with a general keynote address event. A Facilitator provides some open ended questions based on the pre determined topic or puts forward a problem that needs solving.
• The group gets into small round table groups, discusses, digests the problem and submits feedback for the larger group at the end of the round table pod sessions. Conversation and Participation are the key processes.
• A World Cafe allows one person to stay behind while the pod moves on to the next table. The person that stays behind gets to infect the next group with their ideas.
• Great for a self regulating guild, association or trade gathering that wishes to address issues facing their sector for example.

There are also some interesting ideas coming from the Cultural sector which may find their way into the cutting edge mainstream events.

#9. Silent Discos inspire Silent Conferencing

You must have heard of Silent discos by now - where attendees apparently dance in silence, wearing headphones WIFI-ed into the DJ's sound system? Arts Festivals are incorporating these especially as Flash mob events.

Silent conferences or Silent product launches solve the problem of engaging distracted visitors within a busy exhibition or event space.

• Hook up seminar audiences with headphones directly to the speakers microphone.
• Great if you are worried about engaging distracted attendees to the event, being discrete with information and don't have enough facilities for a closed-off seminar space.
• Even better when you do away with the large screen slides and broadcast slides directly into their devices.

#10. Open Mic Jam

In the music world,

• Open mic sessions invite members of the public or audience to step up to the plate and contribute.
• Jam sessions especially in terms of Jazz, allow different performers to play together, experiment and most importantly improvise on stage.
• Bring the 2 together and you've got a new format for engaging the attendees to your event. Creative business sectors are picking up on this with open mike storytelling or Jam sessions where you get to put out your latest ideas and have be open to feedback.

Here's a local example : The Innovation Dublin Festival  will be holding an Open Mic Idea Jam where anyone with a new innovative idea can get on stage and share to an invited audience consisting of Venture capitalists or potential collaborators.

#11. Soundclash

• Soundclashes take place when 2 different bands are pitched against each other on opposing sides of the stage. They often displaying different styles of music. A sort of duel takes place.
• Add some frisson to your events by kicking of some soundclashes of your own. You could pitch opposing points of view like Buyers versus Sellers, Big Business versus Small business, or competing businesses and brands for example. Another way to approach this would be to get people from 2 different disciplines to tackle the same problem

#12. Multi Sensory Mash up

Talking about ideas can be so dry sometimes. Sitting through a profusion of words and intellectual content in the abstract can be challenging. Remember to present your information in a Multi Sensory format to break the monotony, provide conversation starters and talking points that make your event more memorable.

For example:

• Use a visual mood board as an event installation rather than written material. Or a giant Mind Map to outline your programme schedule onsite.
• Get Tactile and Tasty. When handing out  drink reception cocktails, Design consultancy Designgoat made attendees choose  from a series of  3D shape tokens instead of offering them a menu. The cocktail was served according to the shape chosen and it was a surprise recipe. Delegates were left guessing as to the ingredients.
• Go Mobile, go outdoors and grab some fresh air. Cater for breakout coffee or lunch by getting delegates outdoors and hire mobile food trucks instead of a standard buffet.

#13. Crowd Sourced Installations

The visual arts world are engaging more festival go-ers and members of their community with crowd sourced installations that get centre stage display rights during the event. This brings a sense of ownership to all contributors who are bound to spread the word virally and attend to view the end result.

Business events can take this further by:

• Crowdsourcing ideas with a hashtag
• Displaying them on the day via multimedia as a backdrop to the event. Here's an idea:  Crowd source ideas into a pinterest board pre event and turn this into a large scale visual backdrop at the event, a real world display wall or slideshow.
• It could also be a simple traditional idea. Like Yoko Ono's wishing tree in the Dublintellectual biennale, whereby guests were asked to write down their wishes on tags

• Generate merchandise out of the contributions, programme content or publish the results as a takeaway momento of the event.
• Use this as a basis for a pre event viral marketing campaign and use the onsite result as content for a post event viral ad .

 I was inspired by the arty ideas creative agency Tangible Interaction's series of Artworks

Caveats to Crowdsourcing

I found this handy blog detailing the: 10 Commandments of Crowdsourcing

Blending the Offline with the Online

The full potential of these ideas and their execution is of course more possible now with the profusion of social media channels that can engage more people pre event. Tap into:

• Event software that allows pre-event introductions, and networking. Basic event profiles in social networks like Linkedin and Meetup already allow a rudimentary facility for engaging pre-event.
• Apps that can Gamify the experience in the build up and during the event.
• Storytelling applications like Storify or Photo-tagging that have the power to create a post event legacy.

Summary

In short we have to change the way we look at our marketing events and corporate conferences.

Where Events were once a method of Con-tainment i.e. keeping a captive audience to yourself in an enclosed space, we have moved on from that way of thinking. Events are evidently becoming more useful as an explosive creative device.

Think of them as:-

• a launch pad for generating more content for broadcasting into the ether,
• a stage for crowd sourced ideas from outside the 4 walls of your business and the programmed thinking of your organization,
• a 4D experience that extends beyond the conference or exhibition space.

I would really like to think there are way more examples of innovative event management styles, formats and conferencing ideas out there. I have more in my back pocket for future posts on various new styles so do stay tuned.

Why don't you rise to the Polylogue challenge and throw some new ideas back at me? What other innovative event ideas and formats have you seen?

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The post 13 Innovative Event Ideas That Drive Engagement - Discover Lost Lectures, Fishtanks And Speed Geeking appeared first on Tweak Your Biz.

I have worked on project management, on building sites, inside department store window displays, in exhibition halls, backstage and onstage. It’s affected my world view and made me a pessimistic optimist with a dash of nihilism: I hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and assume it’s probably impossible to make everyone happy.

So I saw a great cool infographic the other day Taken from the Event Manager Blog by Julius Solaris on the personality traits of an Event planner and it made me think about the personality quirks I had developed from my line of work. Every project I did added another layer , another tweak in my skillsets as I learnt along the way.

Here are just a few of the the tell tale signs of an Events person.

Do you see yourself in here somewhere?

• You have any one or all of these essentials in your handbag or if you are a boy; your rucksack, car etc. betraying your superhero complex and paranaoia: A spirit level, plasters, A tape measure or measuring device, Masking tape, Blu-tack & Cable ties. Spare stockings and probably your dressing table.

• You are possibly turned on by the latest AV equipment & Technology as much as the prospect of acquiring a shiny new staple-gun?

Onsite

• You are capable of performing MacGyver levels of Lateral thinking should the situation demand it using rubber-bands, duct tape and a paperclip to resolve complex structural impediments in a display unit, staging area or key structural portion of your venue?

•  If you are a woman: you have mastered the art of day-to-night cross dressing. You are able to transform from a the butch-look fleece top and jeans to glamour puss cocktail dress in just about any confined space measuring 1.5×1m in the middle of a field if needs be, in less than 20 min.

• You have multiple phone chargers with you for several brands of mobile phones and a host of other new devices onsite with you at every event?

Related: Master Face-To-Face Marketing: 15 Sources Of Event Management Intelligence

In General

• You are a detail - holic, verging on OCD and have gone beyond list making to making lists which cross reference other lists. You have been given a mug declaring you love spreadsheets.

You are a walking measuring device

• You always assume it takes a longer time to do something regardless of what the other person says and if it doesn’t you know you want the extra time to iron out last minute tweaks and glitches.

• You’ve gotten really good at estimating how long it takes to do something actually and have developed a great internal clock.

•  You are able to gauge the size of a room in 30 seconds flat  and can guess the maximum capacity of most spaces in a variety of seating styles.

Online

• You are developing a new obsession with Pinterest – dumping your scrapbook for this new tracking method for your feature ideas, competing events, stakeholders, leads, venues ..you name it.

•  You have backups for your backup. And your favourite piece of jewelry could possible be that Data key around your neck.

• You are good at colonizing a cafe and turning it as a mobile office or War room for the next 5 hours. You are able to hot desk like no one else you know.

•  In the old days you spent loads on directory enquiries, now your smartphone eats up serious amounts of data on site and is App-ed the Nines.

•  In fact you can’t believe how we coped before the smartphone and then you remembered how you used to lug around that battered and overwhelmed Filofax in the 90s and how it had your whole life in it. In those days  you had on speed dial: Av man, electrician, a printer who works miracles in 24 hours, last minute babysitters, temp agencies and ideally 2 very available men with a van.

•  The Cloud is your friend. You are eternally in google docs mode or Dropbox – insert your Cloud CRM Application here.

In your personal life

• You can’t help taking photos of venues and locations instead of your loved ones when on holidays or out for the night

• You either approach all personal life events be it Christmas shopping or your wedding with a spreadsheet, Gantt chart and guest database cross referenced to the hilt. OR, you probably do it all last minute as you have zero time for your own life.

• When you do your own wedding, chances are every supplier is also a guest and the bridesmaid was given a spreadsheet on google docs.

Related: Maximising Your Presence At Events – Learning From Eye-Tracking Research

A life lesson

I was prompted to ask myself: Was I drawn to the business because of my pre-existing character traits? Or did this career make me the person I am today? A Chicken and egg syndrome was starting to develop in my head

There are moments when you think habitually that Murphy’s law is the only thing you can count on. But equally important is remembering that it’s not necessarily your fault – Life happens but being prepared is what matters most.

I could do this forever being in events as list making is one of our industry’s forte’s but enough about me – let’s hear what others have to say on the topic…

Do you have your own list of personality traits that work for you in your business? Do share your key personality traits that help you excel in the business!

Do you have a view on my Chicken and egg Syndrome?

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The post The Good, The Odd And The Quirky: Confessions Of An Events Professional appeared first on Tweak Your Biz.

A showcase of new products and services in Irish Sustainable Building, Renewable Energy and Water Conservation sectors

Retrofit, Renovate, Refurbish: all key buzzwords inhabiting the new economic reality facing our construction industry here in Ireland. Following on from the success of the Better Building Conference last April, The Sustainable Building & Retrofit Show 9^th– 10^th November 2012, will take place at Industries Hall, RDS, Dublin showcasing products and services in the building, renovation and retrofit sector. Over 3,500 buyers spanning the industry are expected to visit.

Supported by:

• Cultivate,
• The Construction Industry Federation of Ireland and
• The Chartered Institute of Building in Ireland,
• Construct Ireland Magazine

The 2012 Show highlights the direction the industry is now taking, with sustainable and quality retrofitting proving to be the way forward…

“Ernst & Young recently issued a Cleantech Ireland report, which estimates the clean-tech sector alone has huge potential for the country. By 2020, Ernst & Young said the clean-tech sector in Ireland could create nearly 80,000 direct and indirect jobs through specific national schemes, such as retrofitting, renewable energy and construction and boost GDP by €3.9bn." Source: Silicon Republic 05.07.2012

Purchasers and specifiers visiting this B2B trade event will comprise Building Contractors, Architects, Planners, Quantity Surveyors, Engineers and  Local Authorities through to Plumbers, Joiners, Building contractors, Surveyors as well as serious Self Builders.

Location:

The event will take place in the RDS, an easily accessible venue in the heart of Capital City Dublin. It is located close to Dublin’s city centre via various transport links.

What's on:

• Visitors to the Sustainable Building & Retrofit Show will find an array of new products, services and contacts in construction materials & services, water conservation, renewable energy, insulation, and plumbing.
• A free seminar curated by Cultivate will provide an educational snapshot of the sector’s new developments. Other show features will be announced closer to the date.
• Suppliers, wholesalers and manufacturers will be presented with a one-stop  face-to-face networking opportunity that allows them to launch and demonstrate new products, make new contacts, keep abreast of competition or revisit existing relationships.

Comments from exhibitors at the last Sustainable Building & Retrofit Show:

• “In a recession it is easy to cut back on marketing.  With an industry specific event like the Sustainable Building Show attracting targeted customers, it is possible to generate profitable business.  This we are delighted to say we achieved beyond our expectations” “Based on our enquiries...I think that the stand paid for itself in the first TWO Hours of the Show” Douglas Gordon, Quest Utility Services

• “Great venue, well organised.  Good quality of customer genuinely interested in sustainable building solutions”   Tim Burgees, Brick Sales (Porotherm Ireland)

•  “Great interest in energy conservation and the green agenda at the Show” Tim Kennedy, Aerobord

•  “Good communications with specifiers and company directors and decision makers” Frank Hughes, J B Deco

 Contact the organisers

Victor Dunne via email,  victor[at]exhibitionsireland.com or call at 00353-1-2888821  to :

• Book a space & checkout the walk -on packages
• Get an update on who's attending
• Participate through sponsorship.
• Or Register to attend

Connect  with The Irish Sustainable Building & Retrofit Show online via:

1. Website: www.sustainablebuildingshow.com
2. Facebook IrishSustainablebuilding
3. Tweet: @SustainableShow
4. Linkedin: Sustainable Building & Retrofit Show

 How much?

• Online registration will be available shortly.
• FREE registration at the door for trade visitors
•  Tickets for non-trade €15.00
• Students (construction related): €5

ABOUT THE COMPANY: Member of the AEO, IEOA & Winner of the Irish Event Industry Awards: Best Business Exhibition 2009, Finalist in the Best Business Exhibition 2010;  Irish Services has been in the exhibitions business for 40 yrs hosting other Trade events in Ireland such as The Irish Building exhibition, Irish Spring & Autumn Furniture & Home Accessories Trade Fair, Irish Sustainable Building Show, & The Wood & UPVC Machinery Show. We are a subsidiary of Montgomery Exhibitions a Global UK based Exhibitions co. spanning over a century in the Business www.montex.co.uk

Irish Services
13, Rock Hill, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland
TEL +353 (0) 1 2888821
FAX +353 (0) 1 2883127

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The post The Sustainable Building And Retrofit Show appeared first on Tweak Your Biz.

It is a movement characterised by community building, innovation and sustainable living. This article explores a few examples from the city I live in and delves into the mind of one such visionary in an interview with PrettyvacanT Dublin.

For Example:

• Exchange Dublin: A new collective arts centre re-purposing a vacant unit in the city centre holding discussions, gigs, visual arts and performance. Most projects originate from the autonomous “Exchange Groups” that use the space as a hub. The Collective programmes and coordinates events in the space. All work is voluntary and no one is paid.

• Fieldwork & Strategies:  have a project that turns a strip of wasteland along the city's tram line corridor into an outdoor art gallery using crowd-funding.  The "Art Tunnel" project is twofold, involving the realisation of an outdoor gallery for the inner city area, and secondly as a micro- neighbourhood park also providing for a biodiverse wildlife habitat.

•  Block T: An organisation that provides a platform for visual and performing arts, as well as fostering philosophical, creative and social innovation, locally and internationally whilst re- purposing derelict space in the inner city.

• UPstart: A community initiative building a Pop-up park in Dublin city bringing together a diverse range of community, voluntary and professional sector bodies. The  collaborative aims to showcase the best in local design talent by temporarily converting one of the city’s vacant spaces into a thriving visitor playground. They will reinvent an abandoned city eyesore and provide a safe and socially inclusive space for rediscovering the urban landscape.

PrettyvacanT Dublin

I delved into the mind of  one such organisation as I interviewed Louise Marlborough, a visionary user of vacant space from the Cultural Sector. She is foremost an artist, photographer and more recently Founder and Co- Founder and Director of PrettyvacanT Dublin with Philip Rowley . To date, they have organised 11 exhibitions across locations, worked with over 60 artists and received thousands of visitors.

The Founders Of PrettyvacanT Dublin

What is PrettyvacanT Dublin and what does it do?

It is an initiative that re-purposes vacant properties as temporary exhibitions spaces for artists. We make vacant premises more aesthetically pleasing through dynamic use of space:

• To create vibrancy and activity around the property and surrounding area thus creating a halo effect
• To attract visitors and potential customers for existing businesses
• To bring art to a wider audience whilst also providing an alternative exhibition platform for creatives and artists.

What was your motivation for this social enterprise and drove you to do it?

Early in 2009 I returned home to live in Dublin to find a changed urban landscape filled with countless numbers of vacant properties.

Where others might have seen them as a blight on the landscape, I saw opportunity. With a background in Fine Art I decided to utilize some of these vacant properties as exhibition spaces and so PrettyvacanT Dublin was born. PrettyvacanT Dublin was not set up as a commercial enterprise but more a philanthropic gift to the city; a small but positive step to making Dublin an even better place to live.

Related: Would You Launch A New Product In An Industry That’s On It’s Knees? Leo Scarff Tells Us How He Did It

PrettyvacanT Dublin build it and they will come exhibition

Why is PrettyvacanT Dublin relevant or beneficial to the business community? What kind of people do you find solutions for?

PrettyvacanT Dublin provides a win-win situation for all parties involved.

• For the property owner we bring life, activity and positive endorsement to the otherwise empty space and by acknowledging their support we provide a free advert for the building.

• We deliver art in a more accessible and exciting way to a wider audience and the artists get the opportunity to showcase their work in a new environment and some great exposure.

 We have worked in a diverse range of properties including a former supermarket, disused travel agent, an abandoned office and a number of potential retail units. Consequently we have worked with a variety of property owners from the ILAC Centre and Clerys to Smock Alley Theatre to Dublin City Council

How do you promote yourself since you are a Social enterprise with no Marketing budget or resources?

PrettyvacanT Dublin has a strong digital presence which includes our website and Social Media channels (Twitter, Facebook and YouTube). These channels are free and open and we use them to promote both the PrettyvacanT Dublin project and our events.

• At our digital core is the PrettyvacanT Dublin website. In addition we have extended our digital presence through the use of Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

• We also use these forums to lead the digital conversation on the use of vacant space.  Social media is perfect for building a community around a burning issue e.g. uses of empty space.

• Twitter is a useful tool for both contributing to the digital conversation and sharing articles and links relevant to the community. Twitter is also immediate - it allows us to post pictures almost instantly, which helps communicate a real sense of “now”.

• YouTube allows us to spread our very own content and enables people who didn't see the show to be present virtually, and to get an understanding of what PrettyvacanT Dublin has achieved.

•  Facebook’s intrinsic virality helps spread news of our upcoming events through its inbuilt calendar, which signals people’s attendance to friends and then, when clicked, friends-of-friends.

Related: Dungarvan Brewing Company – A Success Story Brewed From Redundancies In A Recession

I have been following the growing relevance of collaborative partnerships – have you used this to great effect and how have you made collaborations work for you?

• PrettyvacanT Dublin is by its very nature collaborative. Each exhibition is a unique once off event, never to be repeated. When organizing and curating, we respond to the space and collaborate with property owners and artists in order to bring the exhibition from conception to delivery.

• We are part of an existing grassroots, DIY arts movement that uses empty properties and we believe by making new connections we can further extend our reach and raise our profile.

 What have you learnt on your journey so far (the pitfalls & challenges)?

• Shows are more effective when they respond to the space. Our Hidden Currents exhibition, highlighting the near-invisible movements of commodities around the globe, was held in a disused travel agent, and to great effect.

• Cities are a hotbed of artistic talent. You just need a beacon - such as PrettyvacanT Dublin - to illuminate and guide that talent to a place where they can be seen.

• Just because you are arts initiative, doesn't mean you shouldn't act like a professional. When dealing with the businesses like the ILAC Shopping Centre and Clerys Department Store, you must be punctual, reliable and deliver on your promises.

How do you envision the future of the organisation?

•  For the future we envisage PrettyvacanT Dublin being firmly embedded into the cultural landscape of Dublin. For the future we are looking to explore further partnerships with other arts and cultural organisations in Dublin

• We hope to become a recognized and collaborative solution for empty properties in the city. Our strengths lie in our mobile, flexible and reactive approach, and so PrettyvacanT Dublin wishes to evolve, sustain and continue to excite.

And here is the last question: If you could change 1 thing about the way business is being done here what would it be?

If I could change one thing about how business is done in Ireland I would say improve the level of coherence and connection between existing groups and organisations. They seem to operate independently rather than pooling resources to solve problems collaboratively. Organisations operating in parallel are less effective than organisations operating in partnership.

My Key Takeaway from this movement?

Social Entrepreneurs often pave the way when it comes to approaching business with a fresh eye. The key qualities that allow these organisations to develop creative models and opportunities are: collaboration, imagination and thinking out of the box as they grapple with very little resources at hand.

Long term I believe community focused approaches such as these will become sustainable models for doing business in the private sector too, in an increasingly challenging and austere economic environment let down by old business models.

Related: Facebook And Pinterest Helping To Grow The Secret Garden Centre

Have you any Guerrilla ideas to add from your Own Business Experience that utilize collaborative thinking? Or are their organisations you know of  in your locale, who have made great creative use of vacant property?  Tell us .

Stay tuned as we update you with more edgy community led events and guerrilla ideas in the posts to come.

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The post Re-Purpose, Re-Imagine And Re-Generate: PrettyvacanT Dublin Talks About A New Model For Business appeared first on Tweak Your Biz.