Planning a brilliant business event can put your company on the map, helping to build your reputation like you would not believe. Thankfully, figuring out how to plan the most amazing business event that is memorable for all of the right reasons doesn’t have to be as difficult as you might expect. This guide contains some of the most effective steps that you can follow to arrange the best business event, and it couldn’t be easier to get started today.
Finding The Perfect Venue
First and foremost, you need to find the perfect venue. The location that you choose to hold your business event will have a huge impact on its potential success, as you need to identify somewhere that is easily accessible. If you make the wrong decision of opting for a venue that’s out in the sticks, then you’re going to end up with very few guests in attendance. So, it’s important that you can take the time to find somewhere that is central and easy to reach. Opt for a venue that’s close to a train station, bus route or main road, as this way all guests will be able to get to your venue from all locations.
The venue itself needs to have a variety of different features in order to be fit for purpose. A good venue is one that has all of the necessary amenities within easy reach, such as having its own dedicated event space with a projector, speakers, high-speed internet, and other essentials. Make sure it’s large enough to accommodate the right number of guests too – find the right balance between not too big and not too small! If you choose a small venue then your guests will be too cramped and hot, whereas if you have a venue that is too large it will seem as though your event is empty even if there are hundreds there. Take some time to scout out a few different options, and book an in-person viewing of some top of your top contenders rather than simply relying on pictures.
You also need to ensure the venue is fully accessible for wheelchair users; make sure there are lifts, suitable toilets, etc. Don’t presume that the venue has thought of this as many haven’t.
Staffing Your Event
Next up, it’s time to find the right staff for your event. The team that you have for your business event needs to have the right skills and personality to put on a brilliant show, as opting for poor quality employees will no doubt leave a bad taste in your guests mouth no matter how much effort you put into the rest of your event.
You should always try to find some staff that actually have previous experience with events, as it will take an age to train your employees on the job, and it’s fair to say you have countless other things to focus on instead of staff training. If you don’t have the time to gather a group of talented people together for your event, then it’s a brilliant option to get in touch with a staffing agency. They can match up employees to suit your unique project, cutting out the stress of having to read through potentially hundreds of applications and perform round after round of interviews.
Ensure that the staff you hire are approachable and confident, as first impressions and interpersonal skills are so important during a good business event. Remind your team to keep a smile on their face at all times, and try to remain as approachable and friendly as can be.
Maximising Branding
Your corporate event is the perfect opportunity to advertise your brand far and wide, so you need to make this a main priority if you’re going to stand any chance of achieving success as a result of your endeavors.
A great place to begin such a task is by personalising your chosen venue, as you can add branded balloons, prints that feature your brand logo and catchphrase, and even an area that can be used as a photo opportunity for your guests! If you run a car business this could be a wall or sculpture made out of tyres and car parts, or if you run a natural beauty brand you could create a background made of real flowers that are used in your products – this will be so beneficial for your event and your business, as it’s fun and interesting while also allowing for additional marketing and advertising through your guests!
You can also create some form of goody bag that your guests can take home with them after your business event is all said and done. This is an excellent idea for long-term branding, as your guests will be using the items you provide them with long after your event is over! The goody bags that you hand out should contain items that boast your logo or business name, such as personalised badges or even mugs or T-shirts. You can also include items that directly relate to the products and services that you offer, such as a mousepad for an IT company or a pen for a publisher.
The main purpose of any corporate event is to spread the word about your brand so that you can build your reputation, so don’t forget about these features when you’re planning your next stand out corporate event if you want to achieve excellent results for many months after your successful event!
Marketing Your Event
Last but by no means least, you must not forget to take the time to market your business event if you want to achieve total success, as you have to be able to attract as many guests as possible for your event to reach its original goals. Channeling such a large volume of time, energy and money into planning a great business event will no doubt be such an enormous commitment, so to have it all go to waste when no guests turn up at your venue will be the worst disappointment that could discourage you from wanting to try any further.
Advertising and marketing your event doesn’t have to be difficult, as you simply need to adapt your efforts to suit your target audience. If you want to inspire other business professionals in your industry to attend your event, then it’s a good idea to advertise on business networking platforms (like LinkedIn), or even on social media. You can also hand out leaflets in your local area, or decorate the venue itself on the day to make sure all of your guests know exactly where to head to. Make sure that you do channel energy into physical, local marketing as well as digital adverts, as in-person events tend to attract more attendees from nearby rather than afar.
You don’t need to include that many details on your marketing materials for your event as you don’t want to give too much away (always leave them wanting more!), but just briefly explain the purpose of your event and list a few attractions or ideas that you know will draw people in. Don’t be afraid to use colour and bold writing in your adverts, as this is the perfect way to grab a person’s attention and get your message across.
Planning the most brilliant business event that is sure to put you and your team on the map has never been such a simple task when you can take the time to utilize some of the brilliant tips and tricks that have been carefully detailed above. So, get out there and achieve ultimate success with your business event today!
