A successful business event is a great way to get visibility as well as credibility within your target audience. Therefore, organising a memorable and interesting event that sets your brand’s personality, tone and imagery in the minds of your target audience is of utmost significance.
Here are a few tips to help you in delivering great events:
#1. Decide upon an interesting agenda
Understand your target audience well and understand why they would want to attend your event. If the agenda is interesting and you have called a panel of experts who your audience would like to gain knowledge from, there is bound to be a good turnout. Make sure that your agenda also achieves your company’s objectives behind setting up an event. It could be anything ranging from increasing brand awareness to creating a brand personality. Try to add an element which is original to the event. This adds another reason for the audience to attend.
#2. Set apart time for networking
One of the major reasons you would attend an event is to optimize on networking opportunities. A wide variety of experts and entrepreneurs related to the field attend business events. This is a great opportunity to meet new people, build connections and a good way to gain new business,partnerships, friendships and insights. Make sure to include networking time in your schedule when organising your event.
#3. Prepare a carefully planned out budget
Your budget usually comes from your internal marketing account, sponsors and ticket sales. Start an Early Bird Ticket sales strategy in order to judge the number of people who would be turning up. Provide discounts on these tickets in order to entice your audience. You can also use crowdfunding platforms to sell tickets. Approach your sponsors and partners even before booking your venue so you can anticipate whether your target budget is achievable or not.
#4. Make a check list
There are many aspects that need to be taken care of while organising an event. Create a check list and ensure that you do not miss out on any important aspect. You can also create a timeline that covers which task needs to be completed when and clearly call out the person/consultant responsible for them. This will ensure that all tasks remain on track and there are no discrepancies on the day of the event.
#5. Build a team for the event
Create a team of people dedicated solely towards the event. Distribute and assign tasks to each member of the team and take constant updates on the status of each task. Keep the communication lines open so it is easy for the team to get in touch with each member as well as yourself. A team approach will ensure that tasks are streamlined and carried out in an organised manner.
#6. Market, market, market
A lot of efforts may go into planning the event, but if it is not marketed well, your target audience may not even know about your event. You may hire an agency specialising in social media to maximise your reach or you may create a communication plan by yourself. Recognise the media where your targets lie. Determine which websites your audience most visits, the magazines and newspapers they read and facilitate your PR efforts towards the same. You can even send out personalized, innovative invitations to attract your audience’s attention.
#7. Gifts and goodies
Gifts and goodies are one of the main sources of satisfaction for the audience attending the event. Organising small gifts for them will ensure that your brand is leveraged and the audience receives a reason to look forward to the rest of the event.
#8. Content is king
The main reason your audience decides to attend your event is for the content. If it is a seminar, it is for the knowledge, if it is a cultural event, it is for the entertainment factor. Make sure that the main content is unique.
#9. Make a contingency plan
A pre-emptive approach towards things that could possibly go wrong is a great way to foresee challenges and have a back-up plan to avert them. Have a contingency plan for each of the scenarios you can come up with to ensure smooth functioning of your event.
Organising an event for your business can be a massive task if not planned and structured well. A company event represents the brand. It inspires trust among your target audience and is a great way to achieve business visibility and goals. Focusing on content, contingency plans and marketing are some of the non-negotiable factors in delivering a great event.
Have you planned your event, but still figuring out how to execute? Check out co-working spaces in Koramangla, Bengaluru or shared offices in Andheri East, Mumbai.
