Make Your Business Event Memorable
Putting on a business event takes a lot of work. Whether you’re inviting corporate contacts to a special evening, throwing a staff party or putting on an event for the public, you need to impress your guests. With so many different events taking place all the time, it could be easy for yours to be just another event that’s like all the others. If you want to make it memorable, you need to think about what your guests are looking for. What are they going to be talking about during the event, as they leave, and even long after it’s over? Take a look at these ideas for doing something that they won’t forget in a hurry.
Offer a Special Welcome
If you want to kick off your event with a bang, do it with a special welcome for everyone. It’s surprisingly easy to greet everyone individually and make them feel like they’re the guests of honour. It only takes a few seconds to welcome them, hand them a drink, a snack or a gift and move onto the next people without making it feel rushed. Make sure you have several people available to be greeters, and staff who can provide assistance for anyone who needs it.
Give Out Personalised Treats
Do you know who’s coming to your event? If you have a confirmed list of names, it means that you can make the event even more personalised. You don’t even necessarily need names if you have a list of companies or similar. Why not create treats that have been personalised for your guests? You could make cupcakes, biscuits, and even marshmallows with printed designs. It’s always delightful for guests to get something special and unique at an event. It shows that you’ve taken the time to think of them, instead of just mass-producing a gift.
Make Things More Comfortable for All
Comfort is essential for everyone, but it’s surprisingly easy to neglect it when you’re planning an event. There are several ways to consider comfort, from the seating you provide to the temperature, lighting levels and noise levels. You should think about making sure that everyone has somewhere comfortable to sit or that there’s enough seating for people to take a break occasionally if it’s mainly a standing event. Think about the atmosphere you want to create and how to provide a comfortable environment for all people. You might even want to consider some break-out spaces for people who want to get away and take a break from everything.
Update Your Promotional Gifts
Giving away goodie bags and gifts is a great way to ensure your guests take something away from your event. They’ll have not just memories, but something physical to take home with them. But if you want to make your event special, you need to avoid the typical promotional items that your guests will get at all events. Instead, look for a company that can do all kinds of promotional gifts for you. As well as the usual items, try finding more up-to-date promotional gifts, like wireless device chargers or USB flash drives. Try items that make sense for your brand or your guests too. For example, give out pet accessories and water bottles at a fitness event.
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Do Something Different with the Food on Offer
Food is often at the centre of an event. People will remember either really good food or really bad food. If your food and drink are just average, they won’t displease people but they won’t be particularly memorable either. Of course, you want to be remembered because you offered something amazing, not something terrible. Try to do something a little different by presenting your food in a different way or perhaps choosing some unique flavours.
Make It Interactive
Events are more fun when your guests can participate in some way, instead of just sitting and watching or listening. While talking to each other is one way for people to stay occupied, there are always other ways to get people joining in. Think of some interactive games or activities that your guests can enjoy, whether it’s riding a mechanical bull or entering a silent auction. You can also encourage them to share what they’re doing on social media.
Create the Perfect Mood
Set the scene for your event by thinking about what sort of mood you want to create. Consider the lighting, music choices and, of course, your choice of venue. Perhaps you’re thinking about how you can create that wow factor that will make your event impossible to forget. You want to set the scene for the purpose of your event, and make sure that everyone is at ease and having fun.
Be Eco-friendly
One of the rising trends in business is making green, eco-friendly choices. People appreciate brands that go the extra mile to be responsible and carry out sustainable practices. There are several things you can do to make your event greener, from using responsible suppliers to choosing sustainable materials. For example, you can make sure your guests can get water from the bar whenever they need to, but avoid handing out plastic bottles of water. You can ensure that any promotional items you give out are environmentally-friendly too. Avoid plastic gift bags and give out reusable canvas bags instead.
Get In Touch After the Event
Remember that the event doesn’t finish when everyone goes home. You can carry on the excitement afterwards and ensure that it sticks in everyone’s memory. You could email your guests to thank them for coming, get in touch via social media or even send a card. Make sure that you share photos and footage from the event so that those who came can relive it and those who didn’t can see what they missed. It’s also a good time to wrap up any loose ends from the event, such as competition winners.
If you want your business event to be memorable, start thinking outside of the box. Don’t forget to think about your guests and what they’ll enjoy.
Image credit: Pixabay.com
Hi, I'm Kelly O'Donnell.