Trumblog

Last weekend I attended HONK! festival and parade held each October in Somerville and Cambridge, MA.  HONK! is one of my favorite events of the fall with great music from lots of bands, crazy costumes, performers who are really excited to be there and amazing fans.  Those fans, myself included, create a lot of media chronicling the event.  We twitter about the bands,  we post pictures on Flickr and add videos to YouTube.  I was even streaming video of the parade as I walked along the route.

Thus begins a great feedback loop of appreciation where the pictures and video captured and posted by the raving fans is favorited or commented on by the performers . Some lucky fans have their content linked to included on the performer’s websites.   This further engages the fans and encourages them to support HONK! and turn out the following October.

So what is the point of my blogging this, besides encouraging you all to come out to HONK! next year?  I describe the media production and audience performer interaction at HONK! to ask you the following questions:

• What was the last corporate or marketing event you attended that involved you like this?
• What events have you been to that excited you so much that you wanted to let everyone know what you were experiencing and where you wanted to share the event with people who weren’t there?
• What was special about the events where you did take photographs and videos to document and extend them?
• Think about what what it was about the events where you wanted to really connect with the people on the stage, open a dialogue and keep it going well beyond that day or two?
• What were the results of the events that you went to where the leader and performers  incorporated your dialogue into the event?
• Were those events successful?  Not necessarily making money or going off without a hitch, but did they increase sales, build the team or start a movement?

Now finally ask yourself the biggest question of them all.  Why aren’t all corporate events like these?  Why at every event aren’t people twittering the important information and most inspiring lines? Why aren’t employees posting pictures and video online after every event?  Why aren’t they always so excited to be there that they want to include people who aren’t?  Why hasn’t the content so great that they want to share it?  Why wouldn’t the audience and people on the stage be engaged in real, and real-time, dialogue?  Why isn’t it always the case that attendees are planing how to be more involved at the next event as they are leaving this one and why aren’t the people who didn’t attend planning on being there next time.

Sure, some events include confidential information that can’t be shared with the public and a lot of events don’t let their freak flag fly as proudly and free as at HONK! and so aren’t as full of photo and video possibilities, but think if you could harness just a portion of the excitement and engagement that had me giddily following the Rude Mechanical Orchestra all the way down Massachusetts avenue to hear every song and catch every moment.  Ask yourself why your events aren’t like that now and how you can harness some of that the next time.  Then think of the ROI that event would have.

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