Getting Your Event Approved
“How do I get my Event into the Biznik Events Calendar quickly and effortlessly?”
I’m glad you asked! My name is Christian Jacobsen, and one of the hats I wear at Biznik is the Events Review/Approval person. In this capacity I review every single proposed event, run it through several mental “tests”, and then I provide feedback to the Event Host.
First of all. What is a Biznik Event?
Nothing beats the power of a face-to-face meeting to build real, lasting business relationships. Combine that with an online social network designed to get you noticed, and you have Biznik: business networking that doesn’t suck.
Placement in the main Biznik Events calendar is reserved for events that are helpful to growing a business, and provide members with the opportunity to meet one another. This is not a forum for listing sales seminars or launch parties, so event submissions must meet four requirements:
– relevant to growing a business
– self-promotion of the host is limited to 5%
– attendees have an opportunity to network
– all RSVPs are run through Biznik
Review these requirements in greater detail.
In this post I am going to give you the keys to effortless Event approval! How to breeze through the approval process with nary a hitch.
My overarching intent with this post is to ensure every Event in the list is an outstanding example of the power of the Biznik network. Additionally, I have a selfish goal as well: the easier Event Approval is, the less time I spend on Event Approval, so I have more time to work on other Biznik projects!
Let’s get down to it…
The Road To Acceptance
I review events in the morning, Monday thru Friday. If you post your event during those hours, then with very little exception, you should receive a response from me within 24 hours. If your event complies with Biznik’s requirements then there’s no reason why that response won’t be in the form of a, “Congratulations. Your events has been approved!” message. Experience has shown that many first-time Biznik Events hosts are unclear about at least one of the requirements, and roughly 2/3 of the submissions could use some tweaking. My job is not limited to looking for rule-followers, I’m also here to help you create the most successful event possible. This kind of massaging can take time, so I recommend giving both yourself some breathing room if this is your first time.
There are several specific things I look for when I review your Event:
Event Host (including co-Hosts):
Has their profile been flushed out, complete with a photo?
Is this their first event, or have they hosted events through Biznik before?
Have they ever attended a Biznik Event?
Have they published an article on Biznik?
Event Title:
Short, sweet, descriptive and engaging.
(If it’s not, in my opinion, I may offer suggestions.)
Event Summary:
Does it clearly encapsulate the intent of the event?
Does it say who should come?
Is it clear to the attendees what they can expect to gain from the event?
(Same as above, if it’s not, in my opinion, I may offer suggestions.)
Event Description:
Descriptions should start with a brief summary of the event. It should tell me WHAT is going to happen, WHO should come, and WHY they will find this useful.
Congruency:
The Event Summary lives on the Event Listing page, it does not appear on the Event Description page. So the Event Description needs to stand on its own. If your summary was well-written, it will serve well as the first paragraph of your description. I look to see if there anything discordant or incongruous between the two.
Relevancy to Growing a Business and the 95/5 Rule:
Biznik is a community for those interested in growing a business. In order to cut down on the signal to noise ratio, we limit the Biznik Events calendar to events we feel are of general interest to this community. The 95/5 Rules states that, “95% of the event content is helpful; self promotion by the host is limited to 5%.” When members attend a Biznik Event, they are assured that they will receive something of value in exchange for the time they’ve spent, and that only 5% of the content will contain a self-promotional message by the host. In a 2 hour event, you can speak about yourself and your product/service for no more than 6 minutes.
This is where most events get denied… but they didn’t have to! Hosting a meet-and-greet type event is always a sure hit. It is also possible to have a collaborative, interesting, and engaging educational event around your particular area of expertise. You just can’t monopolize the discussion with a glorified sales pitch about what a wonderful job you do. There are great ideas and suggestions on this page: http://biznik.com/about/host
The Networking Aspect:
Biznik takes the stuff that happens online and brings it to the real world. Biznik Events are where members connect the names & faces of other members with real people. Event hosts make those connections possible. Hosts are expected to make time to let attendees introduce themselves to the room, or at the very least, invite them to break into small groups and share who they are and what they do.
You can “seed” your attendees with a few questions to consider, as a part of your Event Description. This can help break the ice at new events, and sets people up with an idea of the kind of networking opportunity that will be provided.
Members only:
One of the cool things about Biznik is that the web site is a tool that supports the face to face meetings. Before an event, attendees can see who else is coming and note the people to meet. After an event, attendees can return to the archived Event Description page and find those they want to follow up with. Didn’t get someone’s business card? No problem! Find them on Biznik.
Can you see why we require attendees to have a profile on Biznik? Being a “member” of Biznik is synonymous with having a profile. Membership is free.
The Devil’s in the Details
The last few things I check before approving an Event are the details: date, time, location, number of RSVPs, and any fees.
Do I notice anything odd about the date and time? Where is the event being hosted? It is an appropriate location? Biznik Events may not be held in private residences.
Wrap Up
So there ya have it. I hope your find this bit of insight into the Biznik Events approval process helpful when planning your event!
And, as always, I welcome questions via email: Christian@Biznik.com.
May all your events be energetic and well-attended!