A successful event offers the opportunity to make or break a business. If it goes well, you have a chance for expansion, customer retention, and a stronger following. No matter if it is a social event for your company, a promotional event, or an evening of celebration, there are specific steps you will need to follow to ensure it’s a successful and memorable occasion.
Making your event accessible, memorable and enjoyable will only be possible with a fair amount of planning. Read below for some pointers on how you can make the most of your event.
Planning The Event
What To Consider
When you have an idea in mind for an event, you will need to consider what you want the outcome to be. Is it a promotional event? Is it a networking event? By pinpointing the aim of the event, you will be able to form a plan that focuses on how you can achieve that result.
So, what comes next? You have the ‘Why,’ so it is now time to focus on the ‘How.’ You will need to consider the venue, the food, the entertainment, the guest list, and how you are going to promote your event. Planning should commence months before to ensure you have time to finalize everything and sort a date that is guaranteed to fit with schedules.
Venue
The venue is everything. You will need to ideally find somewhere that is accessible, popular and representative of your company. If you are running an art show, an art gallery is the obvious choice. If you are running a networking event, then the capacity and type of event will determine your venue. Pavilions, libraries, or hotels are other options you may want to think about. You may be looking for a larger open space such as an atrium or industrial area, or you may opt for an intimate gathering at a bar or rooftop terrace. If you are running a casual social event to promote a new product, then a bar or restaurant might be a suitable option to fit the vibe you are going for.
Catering
The catering is something to nail down once you have finalized on numbers. You will want to choose food that will go down well across the board, so settle for familiar favorites and don’t forget to include vegetarian and vegan options too. You will need to find out any dietary requirements of guests before the event, so nobody misses out. Eventcatering can have a significant impact on the success of your event; it could be shared on Instagram stories if it’s appealing to look at, or ridiculed on social media if it is unsuccessful.
You will also need to consider:
– Your budget
– Labor charge
– Chef fee
– Bartender fee
Make it accessible
It’s also crucial to make your event as accessible as possible. You will need to consider disabled access, fire exits, and signage if you think people will struggle to find you. If it is in the center of a city, be sure to post clear directions and any nearby bus stops or subway stations. If it is further out, what are the parking facilities? Provide all this information long before the event. Do you need to cater to the visually impaired? Will you need headset facilities? These are crucial considerations to make as it could be seen as a severe faux-pas if you fail to deliver on this. Every guest should feel welcome and able to enjoy the event. Head to
www.plant-tours.com for more information on sorting appropriate headsets, and contact the venue for information about wheelchair accessibility, for instance.
The time and day of your event are also critical. If it is a networking event or social occasion, you will want it to be long enough for people to arrive and enjoy the evening. For many people, weekdays are preferred as weekends are taken up by personal commitments.
Promoting The Event
Promoting your event well can help build a following and, if it is a free event, see more people turn up. Social media has now made it more possible than ever for potential customers to find out about your event. Just remember these pointers:
·
Keep it visual: Aim to share photos as often as possible, including pictures of the event space. Instagram and Facebook stories now make it possible to post videos or photos live. You could build up to the event by sharing images of the preparation process on
Twitter, too. The world is your oyster!
· Use hashtags whenever possible: An event hashtag will give your event further reach and can help anchor it and keep it prominent in people’s minds and easy to find online.
· Entertainment: If you have speakers and performers, be sure to highlight these long before the event. You could do bios about them to garner interest or share your event with their fan base.
· Make your tickets easy to buy: The easier they are, the more likely people will opt in. A frustrating, clunky process may likely put people off, as it will seem unprofessional, and not reflect your event in the best light.
After The Event
Make sure that you take many photos throughout the event. Not only does this build a buzz and encourage interaction, but it also provides you with some valuable content to share after the event. This can help you to connect with those that attended by keeping their details. They may go on to share these images on their own social media pages, and thus get the word out about your business, too. It wouldn’t hurt to ask for feedback, either, as this can help you make sure your next event is an even bigger success.
So, what are you waiting for? If you are in the process of planning your first event, then get your thinking caps on and follow this guide to make sure your event is memorable for all the right reasons.
Bharat Saini
