Starting a business is tough in so many ways and there are endless obstacles to overcome along the way. One of the major challenges of starting a new business is making your existence known to the world, and that’s where hosting an event can really help put you and your company on the map.
Hosting an event is a fantastic opportunity to increase your company’s profile, network with potential clients and drive your business forward. But throwing an event is just half the battle. Throwing a great event will be the difference between success and failure.
So to help you make sure that your first event is a complete success, here are our top four bits of advice.
Dream Big
When it comes to throwing a fantastic and memorable event, don’t be afraid to dream big. Of course, there will be logistical and budgetary constraints further down the line but in the early stages you should be reaching for the stars.
Come up with a concept, a theme or an idea that really excites you. Whether it’s a circus spectacle or swanky cocktail hour, think of the kind of event you’d like to go to and roll with it. You want your attendees to enjoy and remember the occasion so don’t be afraid to think outside the box and do something new.
Plan, plan and plan some more
Take your time to really think things through before taking action. This is the time to think through the logistics of your big dreams. It may require compromises along the way but don’t be afraid to get creative in order to achieve what may initially seem unachievable.
So if you want to ride in to the event on horseback accompanied by cheerleaders, fire-spinners and acrobats, take some time to think it all through. Make a detailed budget outlining all costs including worst case scenarios. Think about the flow of the event and how your entertainment (or lack thereof) will affect things. Think about health and safety as well as how many people it would require to pull the event off. This of course includes catering, greeting staff and general clean-up.
The more you think about things in the early stages, the less stress you’re likely to have further down the track.
Know your purpose
At every point of the organisation process, you need to have a clear idea of your event’s purpose. What are you trying to achieve? Do you want people to buy a product? Do you want new clients to sign up to your services? Or are you simple trying to raise your company’s profile in the industry as a thought leader? Whatever it is you are trying to achieve should be in the front of your mind at all times.
Every aspect of your event should support this ultimate purpose. So for example if you want clients to sign up to your services, you should have information about what you have to offer readily available. Whether it’s in a video presentation, in handy booklets or as part of a formal presentation, this should be woven in to the overall flow of your event. Your clients should enter and leave your event knowing exactly why they were there.
Get professional help
Hosting an event is stressful at the best of times. But hosting your first ever event can be even more overwhelming. To help give yourself the best chance at success, you should consider using professional help. Though you may be tempted to do it yourself for budgetary reasons, investing in professional help could actually end up saving you money.
Event management companies in Sydney do this kind of thing day in day out, so not only will they be able to work more efficiently and help reduce your stress levels, but they will also have working relationships with all kinds of suppliers. Using a professional event management company will therefore help you get better deals on everything from venues and audio visual equipment to catering and decoration.
So there you have it. Four top tips for hosting your first business event. Good luck!
