In the modern world, business success tends to boil down to networking and mutual back scratching on a regular basis. Sorry, introverts, there is no way around it; you need to attend and host your own business events if you want to survive and thrive in the competitive market.
On the plus side, shunning away your shyness for a couple of hours to meet new people can be immensely rewarding for your personal career and your company. However, you need to do it just right, and no, a cocktail party at your local hotel is not unique enough to make a proper boom. Here are the five secrets you need to implement in order to host a truly memorable business event.
Spread the word and tickle the imagination
Your event needs its own mini marketing campaign. If you start telling people about the event on the day the tickets become live, you are greatly missing out and you will probably fall short of your targeted sales. You need to spark the audience’s imagination and entice them to want to be a part of your event well before they get the chance to buy the tickets.
Fortunately, you can easily achieve this with a bit of content marketing prior to putting the tickets on sale. Make sure you double your social media marketing efforts and share your posters, blog posts, press releases and other engaging content about your upcoming event, and spread the word.
Create a catchy e-mail strategy to boot and you will be hanging the “sold out” sign in no time.
Choose the venue
The next big step in creating a memorable business event is choosing the venue. It needs to be perfect. Depending on the theme and demographic you want to disrupt the norm or enforce it, your choice. Disrupting the norm means taking an old British couple out to a Tex-Mex joint, and enforcing it means taking them on an elegant cruise.
Get the picture?
Research your demographic thoroughly, and choose a unique, engaging venue that will elevate your business gathering from all the rest. However, there is more to the venue than you might think.
Make it unique
No matter how unique the venue is on its own, it will not be able to break the chains of “been there, done that” in the business industry. These people have seen it all, and they’re not impressed. It is your duty to add a personal touch to the place that will make it truly stand out from the crowd.
Make sure there are several performances, including music, song, and dance, even comedy; hang up lanterns and colorful lighting, add various greenery and by George, don’t forget the floors. The first thing people notice when they walk into an unfamiliar venue is the floor, as they certainly don’t want to trip or slip on something. This is your chance to grab their attention with a unique doormat, so make sure you check out some creative doormats online and tailor a perfect piece that will greet your guests in style.
Remember, small details go a long way.
Create a rapport with the attendees
Imagine the following scenario: you’re walking into the venue, and the place is packed, the turnout has been greater than you ever imagined. But you have no idea who these people are. Where do you begin? How do you try to connect with two hundred people in a single night? What do you say to them and are you missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime by talking to the wrong person?
In order to avoid an outright disaster like that, you want to connect with your attendees prior to the event, create a personal relationship, and let them know how excited you are to meet them in person. Not all of them of course, but the key players that will serve as gateways to bigger and better opportunities.
Be sure to follow up
Everything has been leading to this moment. This is not the time to take your foot of the gas and pat yourself on the back, this is the moment to capitalize on your investment. So, the following day is all about following up on your new leads and prospective clients.
Make sure you engage with people and even upsell them to other services, and don’t forget to engage with them via postcard sized feedback cards as well. This will keep people thinking and talking about you and your event well after the party is over.
Creating a memorable business event might seem like a daunting task best not to tackle until the time is perfect. But remember, there is no time like the present. Be sure to implement these essential steps and you will have an easy time making your unique mark in the industry.
