From software to industrial design,
seminars are often used as an opportunity to bring together many experts in one
location. They often have a theme and everyone focuses on developing solutions
to particular problems that are related by that theme. As a landscaper or nursery owner, you host a
seminar at a local level by bringing together a group of well-respected
professionals to solve problems in your region or community. Hosting such a
seminar is a great way to get your name out to the community (both to other
professionals and potential clients)
and allows you to learn about industry trends and new innovations. Here is an
overview of how to set up a seminar.
Pick a
Theme
Most seminars revolve around a theme like
sustainable landscape design or native gardening. Your theme should relate to
the needs of your particular region, city, or town and should attempt to
address a specific concern. Once you have a theme, you can begin to flesh out
topics as they relate to that theme. For example, if your theme is sustainable
landscape design, you may want think about topics like water conservation,
permitting, solar energy, sustainable plant installations, and more. Knowing
your theme allows you to develop topics and knowing topics is necessary for
picking experts to attend your seminar.
Find
Experts
Once you know what topics you are going to
cover at your seminar, you can start looking for experts to offer insight and
learning. Experts can include other landscape contractors, nursery owners,
local business people, political leaders, administrative personnel from local
government, and advocates from non-profits and other interest groups. Don't
just ask these people to put on lectures, but look to them to provide hands-on
demonstrations, workshops, and other in-depth activities. If they can bring
their own resources, that's great, but plan on providing resources too.
Set a Date
Once you have most of your experts lined
up, you can pick a date that works for everyone. Make sure you set the date far
enough in the future that you can prepare adequately and so that attendees can
plan ahead. As soon as you have a date set, start advertising your seminar to
your target audience. You may plan on charging for the event or you may simply
offer it for free (at your cost). If you invite vendors to the event, they may
help to cover all or part of the costs.
Logistics
After you have set a date, it is time to
consider logistics. You should already know what size audience you are
expecting and that will allow you to plan things like food, restrooms,
beverages, and venue. You may want to consider hiring an event coordinator to
help make sure that things go smoothly or you may want to do the work yourself.
Just know that doing the work yourself usually means putting out fires on the
day of the event rather than participating in the event itself.
Why Do It?
You may be wondering why you would go to
all of the trouble and expense to put on a design seminar. The answer, it turns
out, is multi-faceted. Benefits of hosting a seminar include:
. Promoting your business
. Gaining potential clients
. Making industry and political connections
. Increase the prestige of your brand
. Solving a local problem
. Boosting awareness
. Generating positive word of mouth
. Creating connections with vendors
. Learning about new technologies
You should not underestimate the good will
such an event will generate either. Demonstrating a willingness to push your
industry forward and include peers in your business is a great way to generate
good will that will pay dividends in ways you may not be able to imagine. You
may even get a contract out of the event if you plan a seminar that is designed
to solve something like a local municipal or civil problem.
Resources
