Events are a great way to update, train, launch and promote products or services for suppliers and clients. They can incorporate team building activities if you have staff and are a great vehicle for nurturing a positive company culture.
There are many good reasons to run an event but whatever the objective you would want to project a positive image of your company. From the venue and furniture to the publicity and content of the day, you need to keep in mind the impression you want to make and the outcome you want to achieve.
Plan ahead
No successful event can be set up without planning. Set your budget and if you need sponsors set a deadline for getting them on board. Decide on the timing, when should it start, how long should it run for, will there be breaks and when do you plan to schedule these, around your activities/presentations/training/team-building, etc.
Decide when to send out publicity or invites for the event and make sure you set a deadline for a response so you know how many people will attend. If you plan to have catering this information will be required.
You will have an objective for the event so decide how you will shape the activities for the day. Will you have speakers? if so how many and who? Perhaps the event will be entirely in house, if so which of your staff will cover what? What resources will they need? What kind of venue will suit the requirements of the event?
Online presence
Depending on who you want to draw to your event you may decide to promote it online. If it’s a staff only invite list you may not need to do this. However, if you want to promote the event to existing or potential customers this might be an option. Eventbrite is a platform designed to facilitate this process and is free for free to attend events.
Social media would also be an obvious platform to raise awareness of your event with the only cost of doing so being your time. You would also probably want to send out emails to potential attendees.
Choose the right venue
Bear in mind the impression you want to leave your guests with and the space required to carry out the event. Do you need break out areas for activities or separate rooms for training? Hotels may offer as good a space as a more expensive conference hall and might even be able to supply the catering for the day. Or perhaps you have space at your own business premises. Budget will be a big factor in making this choice.
Select the right speakers
If you want there to be speakers at the event you will need to research who would be appropriate to deliver a keynote speech or lead a panel discussion. Unless the person already works for you they are likely to demand a fee. You will also need to check their availability before booking. A respected authority on a subject tends to draw attendees and will lend credibility to your business, products or services.
Create a buzz
Whatever the objective of your event you will want to ensure you create a memorable experience. Setting up and running an event, if done correctly, will cost time and money. The payoff for this is that it adds value to your company culture, image, services or products. There is no point in going to all that effort if people don’t remember it. A forgettable event may even discourage people from attending another in the future.
Making your event memorable can be done through the choice of venue, the selection of speakers, and the overall atmosphere of the event. By putting thought into the details, you can ensure that your guests have a positive experience and will be thinking and talking about the event long after it ends.
Be ready for the unexpected
However much you plan for an event, things may go wrong and when you least expect it. A speaker may become ill before the event and cancel. The caterers you booked may need to alter the menu with little notice or cancel all together if they have staffing problems. Your equipment may let you down or any number of other issues that may occur on the day.
The trick is to prepare as much as possible for problems and be ready to think on your feet for any you haven’t been able to prepare for. For instance, you might have an employee or supplier you can call on to fill in if a speaker lets you down. The supplier would benefit from free advertising of their own brand as a trade-off for their participation. You might have to run to the supermarket to buy up their party nibbles and sandwiches, etc.
And finally…
Setting up and running a successful event can take time, money and a lot of thought. You will need to be organised and ready to troubleshoot if something goes wrong at the last minute. The payoff, if organised well, will be the opportunity to promote your products and services to a selected audience or build a positive company culture. Arguably more importantly you will also be able to promote your brand. At a time of economic pressure your brand could be the unique selling point you need to survive.