Business events are a fantastic way to get more business, find new customers and also nurture relationships with customers you already have. Yet the thing about business events is that they require careful planning and a good strategy to be a success. There’s nothing worse than putting on an event only for it to flop.
As they say with a reputation, it takes forever to build but can be shattered in an instant, so you want to ensure it’s something that people talk about for all the right reasons. In this article we take a look at some top tips for throwing your first business event, whether you manage vendors and want to share seamfree methods for this with clients, or if you’re looking to spread the word on a new product launch, there will be something here for you. Keep reading to find out more.
What are some types of business events?
Once you’ve decided you’re going to throw a business event, the first thing you need to think about is the type of event you’re going to do. There are many different events you can choose between, including:
- Networking events: These events are designed around building connections and relationships within a specific industry. There are many ways to throw a networking event, from a coffee morning to a dinner or presentation, the choice is yours.
- A conference or seminar: Conferences are often aimed at businesses looking to find out more about a certain topic or subject that you might specialize in.
- A product launch event: If you have a new product coming out and you want to shout about it, a product launch is the way to do so. This enables you to get your product seen by the right people and generate buzz.
- A gala event: Corporate dinners and galas are another popular event type, most often used for fundraising or celebrating industry milestones. These tend to be formal and include a meal, presentation giveaway or raffle of some kind.
- A dinner: Whether you’re looking to host just a few people or a lot, a dinner is something that can easily work for both. This can be something intimate or a whole venue can be hired out.
- A workshop – Workshops are an interactive event whereby the main focus is strengthening skills or passing on knowledge about a particular topic. They often include topics such as sales techniques or leadership and tend to be hands on in their approach.
- A virtual event – If funds are tighter, if there are geographical issues or if you want to reach a really large scale audience, a virtual event can be a fantastic way to do this. For this, you simply need to share a link and host the event remotely through something such as Zoom or Google Meet.
- A customer loyalty event: If you’re looking to reward the customers you have already and hopefully encourage them to purchase more from you, a loyalty event can be a great way to do this. You could invite loyal customers to an event with discounts, prizes and other incentives and encourage them to share their experience such as on social media. This can help to build your reputation with new customers and also retain your existing ones too.
What do you need to consider before throwing an event?
Before throwing a business event, there are some things you need to think about to ensure it’s a success. Being such a big thing for your company, it’s not something you want to just leave to chance or not plan properly. Some of the things you need to think about before going ahead includes:
Your budget
Events can quickly get expensive and you’ll find you spend money in places you didn’t even realise you would need to. Because of this, you’ll need to set a budget you’re willing to spend and be sure to include some contingency funds in this for those costs you mightn’t expect. Think of things such as venue hire, food and drink, goodie bags for your guests, decorations and more. You’ll also need to consider how you’ll invite people to the event, whether it will be digitally, via post or something you’ll advertise for everyone to attend and buy tickets for. Also think if it will be free or people need to pay to come.
Your audience
Who are you throwing your business event for? Are you planning on throwing it for fellow businesses to come and learn more about your company and offerings? Do you want it to be for general consumers to find out more about a certain product? Will it be for journalists and members of the media so they can write about you and gain more following? The choice is up to you, but you will need to market and throw your event differently depending on who’s coming to it.
The purpose of your event
As well as the above, you’ll need to think about and define the purpose of your event. Are you looking to generate revenue through ticket sales for your business? Do you want to spread the word about a new product you’re bringing to the market? Do you want to improve customer loyalty? There are many reasons you might want to throw an event but without a definitive goal it’s less likely to be a success.
Where you will host it
The venue for your event is one of the most important aspects you need to figure out. Do you want to throw it something glitzy and glamorous? Do you want it in a small local venue? Where are people coming from who are looking to attend? If they’re coming from all over the country or even the world, you’re going to want to make it somewhere with excellent transport links that people can get to without too much hassle.
How you will measure the success
How are you going to measure if your event was a success? Are you basing it on sales? Social media signups? How much money you brought in? There are many ways you can measure success and it’s important you know how you’ll do it so you can tell if you will throw an event again or not and where you can improve going forward. By setting yourself a goal, you’re also more likely to push to really make it happen.
Top tips for throwing your first business event
Throwing your first ever business event is stressful. Not only will you be left wondering if you’ve done enough for it to succeed, but you also don’t really know what to expect. Some of the top tips we have for throwing your first business event includes:
Ensure you offer value for attendees
When people are coming to your event, you want them to leave feeling as though they’re taking something of value away. Whether this is an unforgettable experience, information and knowledge or something physical, it’s all important to offer to your attendees. Think about how you will do this and throw an event everyone feels like they got a good value from.
Market it to the right people
Think about who you want to attend your event and market to them. Are you looking to attract people in the same industry as you? Existing customers? Or people you want to be customers? Consider the techniques you’ll use to get the word out to those you want to come and how you’ll execute it.
Consider the logistics on the day
On the day of your event you want it to go smoothly. Consider the logistics such as parking, signage, seating arrangements and other little things that might seem menial but can have a real impact on its success.
Plan for contingencies
While you always hope for everything to go to plan, the unexpected may happen. To stop this being too catastrophic, plan for contingencies such as more attendees turning up than you thought, or a weather alternative in case it rains and you’re meant to be outdoors.
Follow up after the event
Once the event’s happened you want to get in touch with attendees to thank them and get their feedback. This will show you’re grateful to them for coming and also ensure you stay fresh in their minds. The feedback will help you improve future events that you run.
These are just a few top tips for throwing your first business event that should help it to be a success. Whether you’re looking to build connections within the business world, inform people about your new product or bring in money from ticket sales, these should make it that little bit easier. Once you’ve done your first event it will be easier the second time round as you’ll know what to expect and you can build on what you did the first time. What are some top tips you have for throwing your first business event? Let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you.