Services | Stronger Ground

Service Offerings

I currently work in the following service areas as a contractor, collaborator, consultant and on a self-produced basis.

I welcome new service enquiries at alicia@strongerground.co

Event Concept Development and Design

I develop end to end event concepts or elements of events such as conferences, event speaker programs, interactive format speaker sessions, training courses, road shows, roundtables, networking dinners, award ceremonies, and exhibitions in partnership with key stakeholders. Concept development is carried out through a combination of desk based research, direct enquiry with prospective delegates and consultation with advisory committees.

Design techniques such as directed interviewing, focus groups and empathy mapping help direct this process. As well as curated events I also produce technical industry conferences using a traditional scientific abstract submission and review processes in partnership with steering committees.

Event Production and Management

Scoping, planning and delivering events from the outset to running them on the day, including any associated functions such as dinners, performance and entertainment programs, networking drinks, and site tours, often including management of pre and post-event logistics, record keeping and financial reconciliation. I’m familiar with taking ownership of the many facets of an event project and ensuring that all of them are delivered to the letter with a high attention to detail; from suppliers, to staff, to promotional copy, to fine tuning event agendas.

I enjoy working creatively and innovatively around a brief and budget and am passionate about delivering impressive events.

Market and Stakeholder Analysis

Developing a comprehensive overview of a business target market and position within this marketplace, mapping all relevant primary and secondary target audiences, key buy/sell/regulatory interactions within a market, drivers of attendance for target audience categories, current and potential competitors, positive and conflicting market factors impacting business viability.

This research feeds into identifying a clear market niche and unique selling point for a product offering if analysis suggests it is viable and lucrative.

Content Creation

I create event related content and analysis tied to key discussion themes, overall vision and making opportunistic use of strategic partnerships and timely industry developments and announcements.

My broader content focus is on crafting media focussed around opportunities for briefing and discussion around policy changes and industry developments, exploring latest technology developments at the cutting edge, the evolution of particular industries and markets, benchmarking and discussion of common strategic organisational challenges, and above all, positive social change.

Partnership Targeting and Negotiation

Research and Insights

High level stakeholder research and pre- and post- event evaluation using strategies including:
- Surveying participants, sponsors, partners and other key event stakeholders in a targeted manner to gain relevant insights, through pre-event research interviews, focus groups and engaging advisory panels to assist me throughout the duration of event production
- Building event research and evaluation related participatory sessions like at-event closing roundtables into the actual event experience - bringing delegates into the post-event evaluation process actively and with clear consent
- Bringing on event partners such as market research firms (Roy Morgan, IBISWorld, Ipsos, etc), business analysis firms (Deloitte, Ernst and Young, Nous Group, Accenture, KPMG, etc), foresight and futures practitioners, professional facilitators and human centred designers either as sponsors or paid subcontractors to assist me in my event stakeholder research

Multichannel Marketing Strategy

Taking profiles of event related stakeholders and targeted audience segmentations and utilising these in marketing database creation and marketing strategy.

Developing multi-channel event marketing strategies incorporating print, social media and other mixed campaigns and timelines and executing either on my own, or through briefing marketing executives on this detail as well as any designers and PR contractors.

Event Experience Design

Throughout my career I’ve made a strong effort to stay abreast with trend developments around content and event format models across Australia and globally and understand how to deliver them with finesse. I prefer pushing the envelope to create events that are really cutting edge and world standard vs. sticking with a cookie cutter model of doing things.

I really love to use my skills to step out the usual conference box, working on events that engage people to meet in a genuine way, to let down differences, share ideas and experiences, and think outside of the accepted mould.

Governance, Advisory Board, and Secretariat Management

I’ve acted as a conference secretariat, committee secretary and also not for profit company secretary and governance strategist for a range of events and not for profit organisations including St Vincent de Paul Society, Burning Seed Festival, Burners of Sydney and Surrounds, and BioQuisitive - one of Australia’s first OTGR approved citizen run molecular biology and biochemistry laboratories. I’m familiar with the fundamentals of NGO and for profit entity governance across a range of governance models.

I’m skilled at harnessing effective meeting management, agenda, minute taking and group project management processes to reinforce strong communication and record keeping and help drive the positive momentum of achieving project outcomes.

Facilitation and Groupwork

Chairing and guiding groups of people through in-depth discussions leading to decision making and clear outcomes, learning experiences, team building exercises, and valuable benchmarking and information sharing opportunities has been a key part of my work as an event producer and one of my biggest passions.

I’ve been applying innovative groupwork methods such as World Cafe, U-Process, Wise Democracy, and Warm Data for many years and seen their real impact in driving action agendas further in a tangible way. By connecting people to really explore issues and get to know one another, and most importantly, themselves on a deeper level, we can catalyse profound changes in this world.