Memorable small business events don’t just happen. In fact, if you want people to remember your event, you have to put a lot of time and effort into it. On the other hand, mess it up and it could have terrible repercussions for your company. With that said, it’s obvious that you need to do everything you can to make your small business event a success. To help you, we came up with 7 tips that are guaranteed to work.
Know the Purpose of Your Event
Why exactly do you want to hold an event? You’d probably be surprised at how many entrepreneurs decide to organize a small business event without having any idea what they want to achieve. Lacking a true objective can end up being a costly effort that simply doesn’t help your business. Do you want to use your event to unveil a new product? Do you want to hold a fundraiser with a clearly defined financial goal? Or maybe you just want to attract investors and business partners? Figure out what you want to achieve and organizing your event will be a lot easier.
Plan the Attendance
Just like you need to understand the purpose of your event, it’s also critical that you know who you want to invite. The reason why identifying your guests is important is that it mandates the size and location of your venue. Bear in mind that your guest list will always end up being way longer than you initially thought. For example, if the purpose of your event is to validate your employees, it’s a good idea to do it in front of their families. This means everyone in your team gets a plus one or more likely, plus several.
Choose the Right Location
The issue of location is the next important matter and getting it right is the key to a successful small business event. Think about whether you want your event to take place outdoors or indoors. If you opt for an indoor event, it’s time to start looking for the perfect venue. Luckily, there are just so many beautiful venues and finding one that fits all your needs should be easy. Other than this, think about transportation and make certain there’s a way to reach your venue using public transportation.
Think about Catering
Food and beverages are an important part of your event. Once you have your guest list all figured out, it’s time to see how much food and how many beverages you should order. Don’t forget that miscalculations can result in overspending or not having enough. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t serve alcohol at your event and finding experts who can deliver it to you is a good idea. If you’re looking for a company that offers corporate alcohol delivery, finding a local business you can turn to should be a piece of cake.
Time It Right
Timing is crucial when it comes to organizing a small business event. Fail to choose the right time and you might just end up having fewer attendees than you planned. Think about key dates, such as holidays and local events that happen annually that might compete with your event. Usually, it’s better idea to pick a date that works for everyone. However, if that’s not an option, you can always just choose a theme to highlight your event and give your guests a reason to show up.
Delegate Responsibilities
Organizing an event on your own can be tough. Luckily, you don’t have to tackle it alone as your team members should be able to help you. Make sure that if you decide to include them in the organization process, you delegate responsibilities. Having everyone in charge of the entire thing is only going to create a mess and ruin the whole thing. If possible, have your employees control the areas they’re most interested in. For example, if there’s a music enthusiast in your company, let them come up with a playlist for your event.
Alert the Media
If you want people who are not your employees or business partners to show up, it’s crucial that you create some buzz about your event. No matter where you’re based, you can always find reporters who’ll be ready to attend your event and cover it. However, we live in the age of social media and having influencers invite their followers to your event is a must. Creating a Facebook event is also a good idea as it gives you an insight into how many people are interested in your event.
Executing a memorable small business event isn’t easy. However, it’s very important that you do it, especially because there are major returns to be gained from it. In the last few years, we saw more and more small businesses host events and there’s no doubt this trend will continue in the future.
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