There may come a time in your entrepreneurial career where you decide to host an event for the public to attend. This is usually to promote your products or services, and if you have anything in the pipeline it’s a fantastic opportunity to release it into the world. You might even host an event to celebrate a certain amount of years in business, or the launch of a new direction that your business is going in. Whatever your reason for wanting to host a business event, there are a few do’s and don’t’s that you should take into consideration to ensure that your event is a complete success.
Do’s
#1 Family friendly
First and foremost, making sure that your event is family friendly is one of the main key things to getting people through the doors and interested in your business. This is because usually events are held on the weekend, which is family time and therefore many people will want to bring their families along with them. Pro tip: make it so that children under a certain age can attend for free.
#2 Serve refreshments
There’s nothing worse than being at an event and being either thirsty or hungry. Make sure that you’ve got a stall or van set up that can provide your guests with refreshments throughout the day so that people will stick around longer. Also, if you’re providing the food and drinks you could make money from selling it to customers which in turn could be put back into your business.
#3 Provide toilets
One thing that many event holders tend to forget about is providing toilets for their guests to use. This is especially useful for those that are bringing young children. Hire out an ablution block for your event to ensure that all of your guests are comfortable and happy at all times. This will also come in good use for any members of staff that are working that day too!
#4 Host a raffle
A brilliant way of getting people interested in your products or services is to set up a raffle for a giveaway of what you’ve got on offer. The idea of paying a small amount for a ticket for the chance to win something that’s worth way more than what they’ve paid works brilliantly with the general public. To make the raffle even more exciting, why not have a few items to be given away in the raffle, as this will ensure that guests stay long enough to see if they have won.
#5 Set up entertainment
While you want your guests to be concentrating on either buying merchandise or your services, having entertainment around will also ensure that they stay at the event for longer. Try to be clever and have the entertainment relevant to your event. For example, if you’re a baker then you could set up a stand where someone is baking fresh foods and teaching your guests some techniques to try at home.
Don’t’s
#1 Charge too much for entry
While you need to make some money back on hosting your event, charging a lot of money for entry will turn people away. A good idea would be to hand out vouchers in the weeks leading up to your event which will give people a discount on their entry fee. You could also host a competition on social media allowing a few lucky winners to gain free access on the day of the event. Whichever you decide, just make sure that the entry fee isn’t extortionate.
#2 Leave it until the last minute
Make sure that your event is planned out well in advance so that word about it has chance to get around. This is especially useful if you have clients that come from all over the world. Once you’ve got a date set, be sure to send out an invitation to your email lists, put flyers around town, and also announce it on your website and social media accounts. Be sure to remind people closer to the date too to ensure that people will come flooding in.
#3 Try and over do it with products
It’s understandable that you’d like to promote your products during the event, but having too much for people to take in will also be a turnoff for most people. Be sure to have the most relevant products available to your customers. To make sure that products not displayed aren’t missed out, why not set up an area that people can take a catalogue of what you’ve got to offer so that they can take them home and look at them?
#4 Forget to wear uniform or some sort of company t-shirts
Establishing the difference between members of staff and the general public is important so that if anyone that’s visiting is lost or unsure, they can speak to a member of staff and easily distinguish who is who. Plus, having your company name and logo displayed on all members of staff just adds even more free advertising for your company.
#5 Miss out on the opportunity to enjoy yourself
People are coming to your event to see what it’s all about, and while you need to remain professional, getting out there and speaking to potential clients will allow you to see what they would like to see from your company and more importantly, enjoy yourself! You have built an incredible empire and the event is to celebrate the success that you’ve built and also sell your products. Being out there in the midst of everything will also show clients that you’re down to earth and a good business man/woman.
Planning a business event can be stressful if it’s not done properly and efficiently. Remember to plan well in advance, keep your guests happy by providing food, drink, toilet facilities and entertainment. You can then bask in the glory of the event and most of all, enjoy your success!
