Business events are a fantastic way to boost brand awareness and drive sales. The key to any successful company event is detailed planning. The best starting point is to assemble an events planning team. Allocate different roles to your team, ensuring that everyone knows what they are responsible for. To help you plan a great business event this year, focus on the following steps.
1 . Define your goals
When you’re planning a business event the first step is to define your goals. Why are you hosting this business event? What are you looking to achieve? Defining your objectives and goals will help you to kickstart the planning process. A few common business event goals include:
- Improving brand awareness.
- Generating leads.
- Launching a product.
- Discussing a key industry topic.
- Brand storytelling.
2. Determine the type of event
Once you’ve figured out your goals it’s easier to determine what type of event. For example, is this event for entertainment purposes? Alternatively, it might be an event to introduce a new service? When you’re planning your business event, the following considerations may come in handy:
- Are you looking to make a profit from your business event?
- Will you charge for tickets? If so, how will you price them?
- Are you planning to live-stream your event?
- How will you market your event?
3. Figure out your budget
You must set a budget from the beginning. Budgeting your event will help you to factor in all your different costs, and potentially save money. If you’re a small start-up you might not have a huge budget for an event. Luckily, there are plenty of ways that you can save money. Keeping costs low is all about getting creative, it’s also a great idea to look for sponsorship.
4. Research guest speakers
Depending on your type of event you might like to hire a few guest speakers? You might already have a few people in mind, or need to do a bit of research. Look at similar events or ask your employees if they have any ideas. You could also read industry magazines to get a bit of inspiration. Once you’ve confirmed your guest speakers you’ll need to collect photos and bios, to use for your promotional materials.
5. Decor & catering
You’ll also need to spend some time planning the decor and catering. If your event has a theme, you’ll want to ensure that the decor matches. When you’re choosing the caterers you might like to shop around, to ensure the best prices. Check out reviews and carefully consider all potential dietary requirements. There are plenty of different elements to plan, so it’s best to start getting organized early.
6. Plan guest list & invites
Some business events operate on a ticketed basis, while others send out exclusive invites. If you’re sending out invites, you’ll need to plan out your guest list. Many companies use digital invites, however, traditional paper invites can give a nice authentic touch. If you’re looking for a company that specializes in copper foil invitation printing take a look at The Foil Printing Co.
7. Marketing your event
If you’re running a ticketed event you’ll need to figure out how you will promote your event. It’s best to use a range of different strategies, from social media to blog posts and videos. When you’re promoting your event you’ll need to think carefully about who your target audience is. Understanding your audience will help you to improve your marketing strategy.
8. Measuring success
How will you measure the success of your event? You’ll need to figure out which metrics to focus on. Understanding the success of your event will help you to figure out how you can make improvements for next time. Here are a few ways that you might like to measure the success of your event:
- How many tickets do you sell (if it’s a ticketed event)?
- Use post-event questionaires to ask your attendees their opinions.
- Measure success by assessing social media engagement.
- Focus on revenue (if you’re planning to make a profit).
- Track your sales after the event (sales increasing is a great sign).
Focusing on these seven ideas will help you to plan the perfect business event. A careful plan is the best way to ensure success and focus on your key event goals. Online events are all the rage, but as COVID-19 restrictions pass, many professionals are keen to get back out into the real world. Running successful events will help you to grow your business.
