Maintaining your contact is crucial to long-term collaboration with external stakeholders. Having a personal connection to partners may come in handy and it is usually easier to ask them for support. Also be ready to support them and also share and market what they did to support your organisation, Central Office or institution.

It is important to carefully plan and invest enough time in event preparation. Make sure you can present the future event well to possible stakeholders so they can see the benefits of engagement. Provide a timeline of events and activities, guides where needed, publication agreements if necessary, etc.

Always present the partnership benefits to the partner. What may seem important and useful to one partner may not necessarily be useful to another. Make a checklist and emphasize what is most important to each partner, considering what values, strategies, and organisational goals are presented on the partner’s website. Look at how the company’s branding is presented on their website and what the company shares on Social Media and elsewhere.

Every event exists for a reason, however for external parties it may be harder to understand the strategy of the Practice Enterprise event. Understanding an event’s point and purpose is one of the important aspects of defining an event partnership.

Always prepare a clear explanation of the Practice Enterprise concept and present the event’s goals.

Be ready to research and negotiate. The best way to get the most out of a partnership is to have someone on your team take charge of the partnership. Keep in mind the possible challenges. You may face any of the following:

• Differing management styles
• Differing personal habits and interests
• Financial and equity issues
• Different boundaries/limitations
• Different commitment/responsibility levels
• Time constraints
• Disparities in skills and roles
• Disadvantageous event partnership contract, terms, and other issues

To avoid challenges in your new partnership, research and prepare and address the challenges you may forsee – and plan possible solutions. This will help to strengthen the partnership and collaboration.

Look for a “win-win” solution. Create a compelling partnership proposal and present it the right way. Include the following information:

• Who you are (include info about the Practice Enterprise  concept)
• Why you are organising the event
• Who will visit the event
• Who attended the event the last time (statistics can help support your sales pitch)
• The size of the event
• The target audience
• Previous partners
• Why you need a partner
• Why you want this specific partner
• Be clear on what you want from a partner
• Be clear on what you have to offer

Actively listen and learn to understand the needs and objectives of any stakeholder. Needs and objectives may be different from partner to partner. Take notes and ask questions to get to know them.

Quality,  location and  meaningful purpose help make an event memorable. At the end of the day, it’s the experience itself that lingers in the participants’ memory. High-quality content and an immersive experience can transform an event from memorable to unforgettable. 

Create a list of active and interested contacts with all contact information and descriptions of possible future collaboration. Reach out well in advance and prepare clear information about expectations and timeframes for the collaboration. Don’t overwhelm stakeholders and contacts as they have busy schedules, so plan a maximum of 90 minutes for their involvement.

Practice Enterprise alumni would be well suited to be invited to a partnership as they understand the  Practice Enterprise concept and activities.

Create material that demonstrates your impact. Remember: Impact = Value

• Pictures and videos of the event
• Social Media and Hashtags
• Recap Stories
• Thank You Messages
• Press Releases
• Follow-up Emails

Effective organisers develop follow-up strategies to keep attendees engaged after the event. Event partnerships shouldn’t end when the curtain falls. Consider additional partner outreach after the event. Treat each affiliate like a sponsor. Whether they add value or donate money, treat them as if they were actually paying to attend the event.