5 Steps to Take NOW to Make 2017 and Beyond a Success

by David Saef

With summer in full swing, state fairs and music festivals in full force, and many of us heading to the beach, the woods, or the mountains with a good book or Pokemon Go, it is easy to check out mentally. Yet this is the most important time of the year! Why? First, you have less than five months left to achieve your 2017 goals; about five weeks left to finalize your 2018 budget; and 15 days or so to update your strategy, change out staffing, or tweak your programs before Labor Day comes, and the focus shifts to day-to-day execution.

To save you time, here are my top five steps to maximize performance (and get you back to leisure activities):

1. Benchmark and change. If you are an organizer, compare your events’ results to the CEIR Index: your attendee growth, exhibitor growth, square footage growth, and overall revenue change. If your show is lagging, ask yourself: Do I have…