Throwing a business event can seem daunting. 50% of people throwing events think the hardest part is getting people to respond to invites and even when they do, now there’s a whole host of other things to consider.
If you’ve never planned an event before — or just want to do better — there are a lot of things you’ll have to think about to make it a success.
Here’s how to host a business event successfully.
Make a Checklist
The first thing you should do is sit down and make a checklist. Event hosting means a lot of things to consider, and you’re bound to forget about some of them.
This checklist can be vague, but might include things like:
- Choose location
- Choose date
- Food
- Schedule ideas
By having some basic points, you can then expand on them and know what questions you need to answer.
Pick a Great Venue
There are so many things to consider when picking a trade show venue. Consider the number of people you’re inviting, how close they live to the event (if not, are there hotels nearby?), and the typical weather.
For example, if you’re holding it in winter, you may not want an outdoor event! for a business event venue
Schedule Carefully
When scheduling a business event, you’ll want to make sure it doesn’t clash with anything. If people are coming from other businesses, you may want to ensure it’s on a weekend so they don’t have to deal with trying to get time off work.
You should also ensure it doesn’t clash with any holidays, as this might mean that people have other plans — or simply don’t want to spend their holiday at a trade show.
Ask For Feedback
Before scheduling the event, you can ask for feedback! Send out a survey with a number of dates and ideas for events, run polls, and find people willing to hold talks and events.
By doing this, you’ll get a much clearer idea of what works for the event. Many people don’t ask for feedback until after, but you can always do it before too.
Follow Up
You should follow up with people in two ways after the event:
- To ask for (more) feedback and find out what went well and what didn’t
- To thank them for coming
By doing these things, it adds a personal touch and shows you really care. That makes it much more likely that they’ll come to your next event, which could be important in the future.
Now You Can Host a Business Event With Confidence
It can be intimidating to host a business event. There’s a lot of things to consider, and it can seem like an impossible list to get through.
If you make a checklist, work through one item at a time, and ask for feedback when you need it, you’ll have a successful business event in the works. Try not to stress too much!
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