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Creating Your Next Business Event Can Be Fun

Event planning can be a challenge if you’ve never done it before. We all know the stress we feel when we organize even a small get-together at our homes, so the idea of doing that on a grand scale, even if it’s just a small event, can feel overwhelming. However, events can bring a lot of benefits to your business, and with these tips from the Mint Hill Chamber of Commerce, you can throw your next bash with minimal stress.

 

Your Goals

 

Begin with a clear understanding of what you hope to achieve with the event. Do you want to launch a new product? If so, then create a theme that matches that. Offer some free samples or other related goodies to hand out. And don’t make people drive too far or have to pay to park. After all, you want to create customers!

 

If the event is a thank you to your employees, then make sure it’s more about them and less about the business. Keep in mind that your employees are probably a big mix of different cultures and sensibilities. Hiring a stand-up comic might be a fun way to get everyone laughing. Just be sure the artist can appeal to all ages and cultures. 

 

Start with a Budget

 

If this will be an event to help market a new product or service, then the money for it will be part of your marketing budget. If it’s an employee thank-you event, then it will likely come from a fund that’s related to an increase in sales that your team helped to generate. Once you have a budget, you’ll be able to parse out how much you can spend on a venue, food, and entertainment as well as any money you’ll spend promoting your event. 

 

Choosing a venue that’s easily accessible to the most amount of people will help ensure you have the biggest turnout. Once you have chosen one that you feel will work for your event, you can start your budget with that and see what you have left for all your other event needs. 

 

Then make the decisions about nice-to-haves versus must-haves. A sit-down dinner is a nice-to-have, but it may be too expensive to qualify as a must-have. The same is true for an open bar versus a cash bar or live band versus a DJ

 

Getting the Word Out

 

You want to attract the most number of people for your event, and this can be a special project for your marketing people. Whether it’s a public event or one that you host for your clients, vendors, and staff, social media can be a great place to start. Facebook has a system in place for you to create an event for free. When you create an event using your Facebook business page, your followers will be able to see it and receive invites. 

 

You can make your own video to share on your website and social media pages, and you can also email it to all invitees. If done well, it will make your event invitation buzz-worthy, and it’s not that hard to do. There are apps you can use that walk you through the process with fun templates and even ways for your guests to RSVP right through the app, like this one from Biteable

 

Door prizes or other giveaways are great ways to draw big crowds. If it’s a product launch, then what better way to advertise it than with a giveaway of that very item? Include lots of smaller-dollar but fun items to give away, too, in order for people to think they have a better chance of winning something. 

 

And don’t forget to make flyers and posters. Not everyone will have access to your social media sites and may not be on your email list, so talk to them where they are with signage. You can easily make variations of the same poster in order to target different markets (for example, one version for existing clients who know your product and services well and one for potential customers). Simply create a master PDF template design, and then click here to use a PDF editor online to change words, images, and other details to stand out to each specific market.

 

Finally, don’t forget to have fun with it. The more fun you have planning and marketing your event, the more fun everyone will have when the big day arrives. After all, it’s a party!

 

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