Four Dimensions of Event Planning: Scale, Premium, Distinctiveness, and Excellence

"Big" Type Planning: Should Events Pursue "Scale"?

By organizing a Guinness-style event like "10,000 People Eating Oysters" or "1,000 People Eating Oysters," you can create impact and quickly spread the word through participants' WeChat Moments. Is such an event good? In our view, it's very good, just like the "Ice Bucket Challenge," which undoubtedly attracts attention.

However, there are two concerns. First, as a social charity event, the Ice Bucket Challenge had high attention and participation without issues, but for a corporate event, can it achieve the same effect and influence? This is worth considering. Corporate event planning differs from social charity event planning. While focusing on "attention," you should also strive to enhance "relevance" to leave a positive impression. Otherwise, you might stretch resources too thin, wasting manpower and materials, and putting the company in a difficult position.

Second, whether it's "10,000 people" or "1,000 people," how many of them will become future target customers? Considering that Korean oysters are not a mass-market product and may not easily become a household staple, is such a scale-driven event appropriate? Does this somewhat low-end event match the slightly high-end Korean oysters? This is the second concern.

"High" Type Planning: Should Events Go "Premium"?

In fact, events like "Korean Mayor Eating Oysters" are important because, besides considering "attention," they also fully consider "relevance," aiming to create an organic combination of the two. Undoubtedly, a foreign mayor coming "from afar" to China and "acting as a foodie" in front of hundreds of Chinese citizens—what kind of dedication is that? What kind of courage does it require? Such "attention" will naturally be high. By closely integrating the mayor's personal endorsement with "Korean oysters" in the event planning, "relevance" is greatly enhanced.

From the feedback after the event, such highly relevant activities played a significant role in boosting Korean oyster sales in Jinan.

In the eyes of ordinary people, a mayor should be dressed in a suit and tie, sitting upright, with the primary duty of managing municipal affairs. Coming to China to be a "foodie" is clearly not their role and doesn't match their identity. It might seem inappropriate to the public, but the more inappropriate it seems, the more attractive it becomes. So, by creating an event where the mayor "neglects his duties," both "attention" and "relevance" are achieved. With proper groundwork and design, the subsequent marketing follows naturally.

"Special" Type Planning: Should Events Go "Distinctive"?

If "big" type planning suits mass-market products and "high" type planning suits premium products, then "special" type planning can encompass both. For example, "beautiful women eating oysters" is an expression of "special" type planning, as is "newlyweds eating oysters." But "beautiful women" and "newlyweds" can be both high-end and mass-market.

Of course, these ideas are all good, but how to meet Director Ren's need for "widespread publicity"? Considering his identity, we proposed a bold idea: organize a grand "special" type event.

"Fine" Type Planning: You Need Excellent Planning

If your product is a mass-market product, we suggest you try "big" type planning. If your product is premium or niche, we suggest "high" type planning. If you want your event planning to be sharper and more closely aligned with product functions, we suggest "special" type planning.

But regardless of whether it's "big," "high," or "special" type planning, what you need is "excellent planning." Because in our era, it's not difficult to come up with a plan or a decent plan; the challenge is to create a plan that truly resonates with people, is unforgettable, and becomes a talking point among your city's residents and target audience.