By Rachel Brooks
Events are a great way of gaining exposure for your business and networking. It would be great if we could hire an event planner to arrange everything so we could sit back and relax. However with small budgets and resources this just is not the case. So how can you host the perfect event on a budget?
These 7 tips will guide you to creating the perfect event for your guests and your business.
Decide your business goal early on
Every event should have an end goal that you wish to see out of your event. Think about the number of people in attendance and the amount of contact details you have accrued throughout the event. Think about how you will measure your goal. Creating a plan will form the basis of your event and will be used to refer back to throughout the planning and evaluating stages.
Do your research
Before you get excited with the planning side of things, you will need to decide what event you are actually going to host. This could range from a product launch to a networking event. Do your research, find out what is the best event for your business goal. From this know who your audience is going to be. This will shape your guest list.
Ensure your event does not coincide with any industry events. This could affect your guest’s attendance.
Give your guests plenty of notice
Your guest list is really important to get right. Without certain influencers at the event you may not be able to achieve your end goal. Have a core number of important guests that you will invite such as stakeholders, business partners and suppliers. Give them ample notice and personally invite them. The personal touch really will make a difference.
Don’t be afraid to delegate
You may find that as a small business owner you are left with a mountain of tasks to do for the event. Enlist a trusted member of staff to project manage the event. This will free you up to do more important things. Don’t be afraid to delegate, you can manage this from a far and ask your staff to check in with you to give you regular updates.
Download a planning app
There are so many business planning apps around, it really does make life that bit easier. Use them to your advantage, especially the free ones. Most apps include keeping track of finances, booking a venue and renting equipment. They will even find local vendors and suppliers for you. Use these to check at what stage of the planning process you are in and what tasks need to be done.
Create a marketing plan
There is no point in hosting an event if you are not prepared to market it. Make use of free digital marketing channels such as social media and your website. These are great communication channels that will provide you with a greater reach.
It is important to use relevant hashtags within your twitter communications and to post them in business twitter hours. This will also increase exposure of your event. In the likely event that you partner with another business be sure to tag them in communications promoting the event. Make use of their social media followings as well.
Be personable
Last but not least, be personable on the day. The stresses of organising an event can take its toll on you, especially after weeks of planning and late nights. However when it comes to the event itself remember to smile. This is your show, an opportunity to showcase your business and you. So take a deep breathe, be confident and mingle with your guests.
These 7 tips will ensure your event goes smoothly and that your business benefits from it. Be sure to measure attendance, engagement and interaction. You can then use this as a bench mark for other events you may run in the future.
Rachel likes to write about all aspects of weddings, particularly wedding planning, wedding stationery and bridal fashion. She likes to guide potential brides and grooms through her writing and is a keen vegan.
