Pam Corcoran knows a lot about sold-out events. As VP of global events at CrowdStrike, she’s driven massive growth for the company’s flagship Fal.Con conference — and navigated all the new challenges that result from maxing out your attendees.
“It seems like a ‘good problem to have’ until you actually have it,” she quipped during a recent episode of Event Perspectives, RainFocus’ interview series led by VP of events Rodney Hart.
Managing event budgets
Corcoran joined CrowdStrike in 2022, as the company prepared to relaunch the in-person conference following its pandemic-induced virtual pivot. The team knew attendees were eager to return to in-person gatherings. But they didn’t know how fast registration demand would surpass all growth projections.
Reaching maximum capacity for your event can happen in different ways, Corcoran explained. Sometimes it’s simple: The venue can’t fit any more attendees. In other cases, the event sells out because it’s reached certain thresholds defined by all the moving parts and complex budgetary levers within a large event.
To make things more complicated, smart event leaders know that just filling seats with any attendees isn’t ideal. For example, members of target industry audiences are naturally prioritized. VIP clients need to be kept happy. Sponsors might send a large crew of staffers for their booths but not reserve their passes until the last minute.
On-site event staffing
Plus, running successful sold-out events requires sending enough internal employees to meet every need on-site — from running workshops to hosting demos to attending sales meetings — but not so many employees that they occupy too much of the remaining sliver of capacity or budget.
For preventing any sellout panic, Corcoran recommended creating an event’s sellout plan far in advance so that allocations can be made before it’s too late. To manage employee attendee numbers, she ensures that everyone being sent is filling multiple roles. Sales reps also may need to send a certain number of clients to earn their ticket.
“Our team is small but mighty,” Corcoran said, and they’ve been able to keep up with event growth and sold-out events through flexibility and careful planning.
Corcoran offers plenty more wisdom in her full EventPerspectives interview. Click here or watch below to catch the full conversation. You’ll learn about the most effective ways to partner with agencies, why working in events isn’t for everyone, and the top signals of a successful event.
