Filling The Seats: Running A Great Business Event
One of the biggest things you can do to increase brand awareness is a business event. Whether it's a conference, a corporate event or you are looking to negotiate a time slot in a trade show where you can showcase your products, a business event is an incredibly impactful thing, but only if you do it right! It can be a great way to drum up support from customers and clients alike. But what can you do to ensure that you are running a business event like clockwork, and getting the results you need?
Determine The Purpose
What do you want to achieve with this event?
This means you have boil it down everything to a finite goal. Once you do this, you can push forward with the best methods to structure the event. Once you look at what you want to achieve, the budget can be determined, but also, you may realize how much extra help you will require.
And this means that you may want to bring in extra helping hands, crew scheduling software to organize the event or work with a staffing agency to ensure everything runs smoothly. But it all boils down to that simple purpose. And the purpose should only be a couple of sentences, but it really needs to get to the core of developing the company.
Detail An Event Plan
After you've determined your goal, you have to have an understanding of the cost of the event, but as well as this, you need to figure out if you need any entertainment, who you are inviting, but also, the venue. The venue is crucial because this is how you will set the mood of the event. If you rent an oversized space, and not many people turn up, this doesn't help sell your company in the right way, but if the space is too small, everybody gets uncomfortable. These components will help provide the structure for the event. But also, planning the event timetable, as well as factoring in for last-minute problems can ensure a smooth day, with a backup plan in place. Remember to account for catering too, as this is easily overlooked.
Marketing The Event
It's never too early to promote the event because you need to fill the slot as soon as you can. Once you have the numbers in place, this gives you a better chance of focusing on the event, but also, think about the audience.
If you're communicating with the public, there will be a different feel to the event. But if you are running a corporate event, it could very well be a bit more “stiff upper lip.” So when you are promoting the event, it's not just about the usual marketing methods, but you need to make the most of the speakers who are attending. You may find that the people that attend are followers of those speakers, and not necessarily your business. This gives you a perfect opportunity to bring other people on board.
Running a business event is a great way to harness awareness of a brand, but like any day-long event, there are so many different moving parts. Ensure you get it right.