Episode #80 Successful Event Planning with Carolien Mertens
Today I am excited to have Carolien Mertens on the show. Carolien is a live event planner based in Brussels, who has an extensive background in conference planning and has an ever expanding network of contacts around the world. She plans everything from large group events, right down to smaller retreats with groups of 10-12 participants.
Carolien also hosts an Introduction to the Online World event for local entrepreneurs so she has been on both sides of event planning.
Event Planning Process
When planning an event for someone, Carolien offers a variety of services, according to the needs of her client. Her fees are based on either a per person flat rate for the management of the event, with a per person fee added on for additional services.
When starting to plan an event, Carolien interviews her client. Together, they go over everything from the vision they have, who the participants are, what the agenda is, and the desired outcome. Location, and budget are major components of the planning, as well as timelines and suppliers needed to bring everything together.
Return on Investment and Benefits
Carolien shares how entrepreneurs often have great outcomes when they host low cost events, and upsell to a more expensive product, such as 1:1 coaching sessions. If profit from the event itself is the goal, she suggests having regular tickets that cover the cost of the event, as well as premium tickets where the profit is made.
There are many benefits that come out of hosting live events. For the participants, and host alike, a deeper connection is obtained from face to face contact. Live events also provide an amazing venue for learning a new skill, without interruptions. And for participants, connecting in person with an influencer is a huge honor, and often life-changing.
You can connect with Carolien on her website at www.carolienmertens.com , on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/carolien.mertens.96 and on LinkedIn at https://be.linkedin.com/in/carolienmertens
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Resources
Carolien’s free actionable guide, The Starter Guide to Planning Your Event, is available HERE.
Carolien Mertens is a live event planner. She helps entrepreneurs create their dream one-day live event, multi-day conference, or premium mastermind retreat.
Carolien has planned over 100 events for Fortune 500 companies like World Bank, the World Health Organization, and several European Governments and Ministerial Cabinets — serving over 10,000 participants.
She works with entrepreneurs in Europe as well as worldwide to bring their event vision to life — taking care of every last detail, negotiating on the best prices, and creating an incredible participant experience.