Peter Diamandis, co-founder of Singularity University, said this about exponential growth: “Today’s extraordinary rate of exponential growth may do much more than just disrupt industries. It may actually give birth to a new species, reinventing humanity over the next 30 years.” Exponential growth doesn’t have to be a lofty theory. It is a practical mindset that can be applied to many aspects of business, including event planning.
Brand new, imaginative, innovative ideas start with one person. Music festivals, business conferences, future think-tanks and any other kind of gathering that you can think of have the potential to grow exponentially. Here’s how you can take the idea of exponential growth into your event management.
Encourage Inclusion
When you hold your first event, it might just be an evening meeting over dinner with ten of your best co-workers, friends, or clients. Once you invite people, set an intention for the gathering, and experience an evening together, you will have bonded. Sometimes, this leads to a sense of selectivity.
The people who were in the first year of the event may want to meet as an exclusive group the year after, and the year after that. Instead of falling into that selective, club-house like mentality, encourage people to invite others. You can do this by stating your desire on this matter. If you want the event to grow, explain your vision to the original members.
Wow The Crowds
Give the attendees something to talk about. That might be an experience of personal growth and transformation, or it could be a fantastic musical show or a speaker that makes a lasting impression. The more that your attendees talk about your event, the better.
Think About 10X Growth
Peter van der Pijl, the CEO of Business Models Inc., states that “The world used to be more predictable, and more linear.” However, this old world has been replaced, due in part to technology. Van der Pijl states,“Today, the world is very different, but we still live with our old assumptions.”
Within the linear model, a business owner may plan an event and assume that it will increase consistently over the years as it matures. In our changing society, the numbers may well look very different, and the wise event planner will expect and encourage that.
An event could start out with ten attendees. The next year, the count goes up to one hundred, and the year after that, one thousand. Van der Pijl explains that this kind of growth entails a change in the way the business approaches management. “When companies start to work with non-linear business models, you have a mind shift,” he said.
Approach your event planning with the understanding that although it may start out as only a small gathering, if you do things right it may end up to be a massive event in just a few short years. Encourage inclusion rather than a “club-house” mentality, and give your guests stories to tell to friends and co-workers.
Change your mindset about your event growth model, and think regarding exponential growth. Not only will you be affecting change within your organisation, but you will also be a part of the much larger, societal change that Peter Diamandis calls ”the next evolutionary step”.
