An excellent way to generate new revenue for your firm, establish new relationships, increase brand recognition, and make a name for yourself is by conducting an event. The event can be of any type; a town hall, a kiosk setup at a business fair, anything. Large-scale events in the most favorable locations can attract potential customers alongside future employees and shareholders who may want to be a part of your venture.
Here are tips for organising a business event to help eliminate the anxiety and stress that come with it without compromising its aim and success.
Set goals from the outset
Business retreats, townhalls, sales conferences, and other business events aren’t a joke. They aren’t dreamt about overnight and executed the following day; planning them takes weeks or even months of preparation alongside large amounts of capital and resources.
Before you host an event or even discuss it, you ought to ask yourself the purpose behind it, if it will bear fruit, and whether it will increase awareness of your brand. It can be for reasons like a product launch or network expansion. Whatever the purpose, be sure to have a clear goal in mind and stay determined throughout to achieve it.
Choose a venue
Choosing the best location can favor you in more ways than one. Firstly, you must pick an event venue for rent that doesn’t make you pay through your nose. A space big enough to fit people without making them claustrophobic should be your aim.
Additionally, the seating arrangement should not take up most of the area. A place with immaculately clean toilet facilities and private spots for business discussion is a plus that will have a lasting impression.
Next comes its location on the map. A venue that is easily accessible by foot, car, or public transport is a venue that will have more and more people show up. If it’s shown on the map, that’s a plus point. An eye-catching venue with a breathtaking interior can impress attendees and attract people through word of mouth. Moreover, you will save on interior decor if the place is already aesthetically pleasing.
Have a realistic budget in mind
Corporate events can cost you more than you think. Crossing the assigned budget is only bound to do you more harm than good as it will affect other aspects of your business. Allocate a budget and jot down all current and future expenditures. These include catering, venues, marketing, advertising, and more.
Take estimates from multiple vendors and service providers to find the cheapest option without compromising quality. Doing so will help you have a rough estimate in mind. Now compare your expected benefits and profits from the event-to-be to know whether having an event is worth it.
Assign tasks
Doing everything by yourself will only drive you to the brink of burnout or mental breakdown. Instead of putting yourself through literal hell, delegate tasks to employees who will help with what is an event of the organization whose payroll they are on.
Alongside assigning duties, have someone look after all operations while you focus on other aspects of the event. The phrase “the more, the merrier.” strongly applies to event planning as more brains mean more ideas and suggestions. Collectively, a much more successful event can take place and do you more good than you initially expected. Moreover, having a team work on the event can make the entire process breezier and more carefully organized.
Spread the word
Spreading the word about your event is one of the most underrated aspects. That’s because, without people showing up, your event will bite the dust. However, this is where your marketing strategies come in.
First and foremost, get in touch with your already existing contacts. Invite them, invite them all. Make sure you can get as many of your contacts as possible to show up; this will make a good impression, and through word of mouth, more and more people will hear about it even if they don’t attend it. Invite all your existing customers and employees via the company database.
Lastly, social media is a brilliant way of attracting people. Have a social media handle that is actively updated to keep people hooked. Moreover, consider paying for social media advertising. The more people see them, the likelier they will at least check them out.
Pick a time and format
Choosing a date and time for your event can be an arduous task. That’s because you have to consider the weather conditions, whether people will be free, and whether the traffic situation on that day and time will make it easy for them to show up.
Consider having it during off-business hours so more and more people from the corporate sector, alongside potential customers, can attend. The best time is arguably late evening, as people can come right after work instead of on the weekend, which would require lots of effort.
You must also pay heed to the format and theme of your event, as they are indispensable. The traditional way allows people to mingle and have private conversations amidst the crowd. Or you could have a meeting-cum-brunch where attendees will dig in on a lavish breakfast and sit down while things happen. It’s time to get creative and think outside the box if you’re someone that finds either one boring.
Refreshments
Ensure there are ample refreshments for all. Don’t compromise on food and drinks. Depending on what you believe your guests will prefer, you can either go for a buffet or a la carte. Ultimately, what matters is that the food should be toothsome, and the drinks should be the icing on the cake because they will both have a lasting effect.
Conclusion
organising an event is nothing short of fun and can teach you many things along the way. Arranging and hosting a corporate event is even more gruesome yet thrilling as the stakes are higher and a lot is on the line. The tips above will help your business event become a big hit and be as fruitful as possible for you and your business. Good luck!
