How to plan a business event

Tips for producing a memorable small business updated: jan 20, ble events don’t just happen. Whether it’s a conference, seminar or a customer appreciation day, and whether you have three weeks to plan or an entire year, your event’s success is in the details. We’ve collected 42 small business event planning tips from the experts, including some of the organizers of the annual small business influencer business event planning: what to do first. Before you can begin planning a successful event, be clear on why you are doing it in the first place, because every decision after that should support your main goal. Make sure you don’t schedule your event on or too close to holidays or popular vacation times. It’s just as important to check for other events that your target attendees might be going to. As you get into the event planning process, you may find that your event changes in size, location, and many other ways than you originally envisioned. If you decide to throw a live event in a week’s time, plan for a more intimate affair. Just like building any business, great events start with a strong, thoughtful and measurable strategy. Live events are an amazing way to share your brand, connect with your target market, get feedback on your product (and more! Then make sure that you proceed in line with reaching these : how to pay for your event. Most events are funded by sponsorships, ticket sales, internal marketing budgets — or a combination of all three. When you create your budget for the event, you’ll need to estimate how much money you can realistically raise from each area. Events tend to cost more than the average small business owner thinks — primarily in regards to the venue and food and beverage. The more you work with other brands and partners to host your events, the more you can save. If this is your first time running events, use crowdfunding platforms to ease the risk. By publishing your events on these platforms attendees will need to pledge for tickets for the event to take place. If the minimum number of attendees required is not met the event does not take ing: getting people to attend. If you don’t want to be at your event alone … then market, market, market, market … and market some more. You need to define what you’re doing at the event that will bring those target attendees in the door. For a business crowd it might be educational content or an exciting, well-known expert speaker. When promoting an event be sure to tell your target market what they will learn, who they will meet and why they should be there. If you are using speakers, give them advertising copy so that they can promote the event to their audiences.

Planning a business event

Twitter is terrific for promoting events and for creating a sense of online community around an event. Put the hashtag right on the event website, and if you use the tweet button for sharing on the site, work the hashtag right into the premade verbiage. To build interest in your event, trying holding a google hangout or a twitter chat a few weeks before the main event. Give a preview of what’s to come at the main event, by doing some discussion of what speakers will cover, or highlight the activities. Uploading videos from our previous events or interviews with our speakers/performers is a great way to convince prospective attendees to click on buy. With events we always feel the risk of not knowing what will happen, video eases that tension. Here’s a good video example, that did just that on a shoestring budget, to promote a small business event. Involving local bloggers to participate at the event is usually a great strategy to gain audience before, during and after the event. Though no one wants to be micromanaged, make sure that employees and vendors are on track with their event duties. They fund your event and enable you to do it (if that’s your business model). If you think you can get 100 attendees, base your sponsorship pitch on a lower estimate — especially if this is your first event. While not imperative for every event or industry, more and more events are focusing on harnessing the viral power of their audience. The best vendors you can work with are those who are familiar with small business culture. Look for vendors who work with small businesses frequently or who would get involved on a bigger level than their day:  pulling it off. Your guests in large part will play off your attitude and dynamics during the event. The audience must walk away with tangible tactics to improve their business and career … and they must feel the speaker’s energy. Speaking about your business and what you do — without offering the audience what they need — is a waste of time and money for all. You know your business, but do not assume that you know how to put on a presentation. People remember how comfortable you are in your own gency plan: what to do when things go wrong. Imagine the event, step by step, and make a 2-column list: what could go wrong in one column, and your contingency plan in the second. Big thanks to the experts contributing to the above small business event planning tips:— matt telfer, marketing manager for heart internet and blogger at marketing nerd  tips 1, 24, 25, 26, 27. Anita campbell, founder and ceo of small business trends tips 16, 17, rstock:  plan, budget, empty,  banquet, team,  importance of relationships between influencers and 15 tips will help your email conversion your small business can learn from the 50 most engaged ingoogle ah warner (ms. A poet with a passion for business, is a georgia-based writer and speaker and the marketing coordinator at nobuko solutions.

Too bad, really, as the whole idea of an event is to get as much exposure as possible to the topics and brands…. And you’re so right, it’s a shame to have an event with low turn out…but 3, 2013 at 7:31 for this post — loved the opportunity “crowdsource” some tips, ah warner (msj). I want to advice you using free mobile application for creating events and inviting friends – hophop for android and ios. It’s really usefull tool for event :// 3, 2013 at 4:09 planning festive soccer games in rustenburg,for a week and im brand new in this field. 2, 2013 at 1:57 g tips :))) and very a longega er 28, 2013 at 3:14 y as an event planner it is not easy because you have yo follow different steps and have a lot of things to be done and to be considered but if you really have the courage to do your best and if you really have the potential in making it then develop and just do your best specially as a business planner it is really a great business nothing is impossible just believe in your you want more information just visit our a longega er 29, 2013 at 1:49 y as an event planner it is not easy because you have yo follow different steps and have a lot of things to be done and to be considered but if you really have the courage to do your best and if you really have the potential in making it then develop and just do your best specially as a business planner it is really a great business nothing is impossible just believe in your y 28, 2014 at 8:41 you for such invaluable information! I find the above information incredibly awesome and relevant to my business which i hope to register soon. So many people forget that these events require just as much planning, oversight, and followup as the corporation itself. When things go wrong many event management organizations even dont’t know what the next step should be done. Just launched 3 memorable events back to back and i’ve definitely missed out on your tip #r 27, 2014 at 11:54 42 tips sound great! This i hope will trigger their thoughts and remind them i am still here to look after their ongoing financial needs and /or anyone they know looking for finance, as my business is pretty much word of i hold this at home/office or outside/ movies drinks? Looks like you are in australia, and i’m not sure if the concept of an open house event is well known there, like it is in the united states. That way you open it up to new types of events are casual enough that you can invite some close friends and neighbors, if you like. Thanks, i am planning to start an event planning business so i’m glad i found this post.. Name is happie/enjipai from tanzania im planning to have an event the middle of january fashion show for clothes,And my biggest target is our guests norwegian people whom they will be arriving the whole month of until now still i have not started yet though i will need some entertainment also in between the event anyone to help me what to add so that it will look awesome and of course it will be awful for me as er 30, 2016 at 3:04 are working on planning our work christmas party and it has definitely been a challenge! I think that we are going to be renting out an event center so that we have a lot of space. This way, you already have some people that will eventually attract more people into your y 13, 2017 at 8:46 you for putting this extensive list together – some amazing food for thought for anyone working on organising a corporate conference. All the corporate events we hire our function rooms for will definitely benefit from this. Y 16, 2017 at 10:44 really helped me to rethink some things when it said you need to define what you’re doing at the event that will bring those target attendees in the door. We are planning a summer party for 3 months now for all our workplace but we aren’t experts on how to get people to attend. I really appreciated these tips to help me figure out my next steps in planning an upcoming event. I think it may also be a good idea to hire out a professional event management team to help take off some of the stress. Overall that seems like a great way to help increase 29, 2017 at 10:07 ng a business event is a bit different than other events in that it’s like one big marketing campaign. If you pull it off, your guests will remember your brand and your business will be remembered for years to come.

Have been event managing and charity event organising most of my life and these topics are all spot on. If i were to plan a large party, i’ll definitely try a great events place and budget well. 17, 2013 at 6:33 name is portia , and i am plaining to start an event business for kids party. I am working at the hotel and have the knowledge on how to plan things but i really need a start. I need to find myself a designer for tables and chairs, also a business cards. Great outline for planning an effective small business event - ems+ does ck: 42 tips for producing a memorable small busines... Great tips for planning an effective small business event - ems+ does ck: showcase your company during a promotional event | my bank 4 me | helpful financial articles and support for everyone! Event marketing survival tips for small businesses | affinity express ck: 42 tips for small business event planning | sma... Marketmesuite - ten blogs that can help your small business: part ck: 42 tips for small business event planning | bus... Event planning to increase college enrollment | vincent ck: 8 small business ideas for people who hate working behind a desk - onsmb | ck: 42 tips for producing a memorable small busines... Tip tuesday – planning an event [without stress] | l'atelier ck: events/ party organizing 101 | ck: memorable small business events | onpoint™, the protech ck: creating jobs for the african youth | ck: 42 tips for small business event planning | spe... Conference and meeting tips for tech-savvy event planners | ck: how to get relevant experience by special events consultant mark johnson | special events consultant ck: event management: it's the little things that ck: helpful tips for event planners | events according to ck: what is entrepreneurship? Three steps to business success | success center for ck: 42 tips for small business event planning | tip... Esp 058: 10 tatical tips for small biz ck: the missiontix blog | three signs that your event is going to be ck: 5 factors to consider when booking entertainment for a corporate event | lang ck: the 20 most fun self-employed jobs | the pipevine ck: how to start an event planning business ck: designing your next corporate event | tuft and ck: 42 tips for producing a memorable small busines... Toolkit tuesday: basecamp or podio for project organization - belle ck: five tips for planning your next event – rusty bear ck: producing a memorable small business event - aphrodite ck: taking the stress out of planning: mapping out corporate events with mobile - ck: how to make your business event a success | campbell, california japanese ck: 42 tips for small business event planning | moo... How to make your business event a success | kyoto ck: simple steps to a successful event | you chews ck: conferences and events: running your own event | international librarians ck: tips for small business event planning – collegian ck: the largest event resource list | thunderquote ck: wow clients with an amazing corporate event – a reply cancel email address will not be published. Ibe to our business ght: tenavox aims to help small businesses with commercial real @smallbiztrends. Small business trends" is a registered ibe to our ise 500 ss opportunities iption on the next to articles to add them to your to start an event planning your party experience to good use by planning, designing and throwing events for private and corporate shark tank is revolutionizing business 's note: this article was excerpted from start your own event planning business (entrepreneur press, 2015). Joe goldblatt, csep (certified special events professional), spending for special events worldwide is $500 billion annually. Goldblatt is the founder of international special events society (ises), the founding director of the event management program at george washington university, and co-author of the international dictionary of event management. If you're working in one special events area, there are many directions in which you can expand. If you're just entering the profession of special events, there's a lucrative market awaiting you on many fronts. What's insideintroductiontarget marketstartup costsoperationsincome and billingmarketing and resourcesmore articles on event planning »according to goldblatt's research, profits in this industry continue to rise.

Just a few years ago, goldblatt says, the average profit margin for an event planning entrepreneur was around 15 percent. He attributes the industry's good health to several factors, including the improved economy and the trend of corporate america to outsource their meeting-planning functions. Since you're not some tech startup bidding for programmers, you can get started without a lot of d: how to start a business with (almost) no moneywhat is event planning? Question actually breaks down into two questions: what kinds of events are we talking about? Generally speaking, special events occur for the following purposes:celebrations (fairs, parades, weddings, reunions, birthdays, anniversaries)education (conferences, meetings, graduations)promotions (product launches, political rallies, fashion shows)commemorations (memorials, civic events)this list isn't an exhaustive one, but as the examples illustrate, special events may be business related, purely social or somewhere in we move to the second question: what is event planning? Planners of an event may handle any or all of the following tasks related to that event:conducting researchcreating an event designfinding a sitearranging for food, decor and entertainmentplanning transportation to and from the eventsending invitations to attendeesarranging any necessary accommodations for attendeescoordinating the activities of event personnelsupervising at the siteconducting evaluations of the eventhow many of these activities your business engages in will depend on the size and type of a particular event, which will, in turn, depend on the specialization you do people hire event planners? Question has a simple answer: individuals often find they lack the expertise and time to plan events themselves. Independent planners can step in and give these special events the attention they becomes an event planner? Business owner martin van keken had a successful catering company before he decided to plan entire events. This explains why planners often not only coordinate entire events but may, in addition, provide one or more services for those planners may also have started out planning events for other companies before deciding to go into business for themselves. Joyce barnes-wolff planned in-house events for a retail chain for 11 years and then worked for another event planning company before striking out on her ng certifiedconsider getting a degree or certificate from a local university in event planning or management. Also consider working to become a csep (certified special events professional) or cmp (certified meeting planner). Many corporations, and some members of the general public, look for these designations when hiring planners. Because of the research and study it takes to become a csep or cmp, clients know that these planners are corporate marketbroadly speaking, there are two markets for event planning services: corporate and social. Charities and nonprofit organizations host gala fundraisers, receptions and athletic competitions, among other events, to expand their public support base and raise funds. Thousands of these events occur each year, and although the large ones require specialized event planning experience, you may find smaller local events to start out 's insideintroductiontarget marketstartup costsoperationsincome and billingmarketing and resourcesmore articles on event planning »companies host trade shows, conventions, company picnics, holiday parties, and meetings for staff members, board members, or stockholders. Social marketsocial events include weddings, birthdays, anniversary parties, bar and bat mitzvahs, sweet 16 parties, children's parties, reunions and so on. You may decide to handle all these events or just specialize in one or more of market for social events, especially birthdays and anniversaries, is expected to continue to increase over the next few years, as baby boomers mature. This group has children getting married, parents celebrating golden anniversaries, and their own silver wedding anniversaries to much money will you need to start your event planning business? That will depend on the cost of living in the area your business serves and whether you work from home or rent office space. It will also depend, to a lesser degree, on your own taste and lifestyle in mind that while working from home will keep your costs low, you can't start any but the smallest of event planning business on a 's insideintroductiontarget marketstartup costsoperationsincome and billingmarketing and resourcesmore articles on event planning »this chart lists the startup costs for two hypothetical event-planning services. The owner/manager of this business employs a full-time junior planner and a part-time bookkeeper, as well as temporary employees who handle clerical work and who may help prepare for various events. In the social events industry, planners typically receive a fee for their services, plus a percentage of some or all vendor fees.

In the corporate events industry, however, planners typically charge a fee for their services, plus a handling charge for each item they contract. For example, a planner buys flowers from a florist, marks them up (usually 15 percent) and charges that amount to the client. Another possibility is a flat fee, or "project fee," often used when the event is large and the corporation wants to be given a "not to exceed" phic location. In addition, areas of the country that have well-defined on- and off-seasons base their prices partly on which season they're ence and reputation of the event planner. If you're just starting out in the industry, it's reasonable to charge less for your planning services while you gain , you may ask, are the above-mentioned fees-for-service calculated? Event planners we interviewed price their fees-for-service (the total cost to the client) using a "cost-plus" method. They contract out the labor, supplies and materials involved in producing an event and charge their clients a service fee of about 10 to 20 percent of the total cost of the event, with 15 percent being a rough ing and advertising covers a broad range, from a free—or inexpensive—yellow pages advertisement to an ad in a glossy national publication costing tens of thousands of dollars. Even today in the online era, most planners agree that an ad in the yellow pages makes good business sense. A line advertisement, simply listing your business name, is often provided free of charge when you connect your phone (if you have a land line). These are good vehicles for promoting your event planning business if you plan to do any wedding 's insideintroductiontarget marketstartup costsoperationsincome and billingmarketing and resourcesmore articles on event planning »dallas planner david granger agrees. If people have met you and know what services you offer, they may refer business to you or use your service themselves. Furthermore, networking with hotels, caterers and so on will give you a chance to meet some of the people whose services you may need as you plan gh networking and word-of-mouth are the most common industry strategies for acquiring clients, traditional forms of advertising do have their uses. A distinctive card or brochure sent to a mailing list or to local businesses may attract new clients. A website on the internet may allow you to attract customers unresponsive to other forms of cesassociationsconvention industry councilinternational special events societymeeting professionals internationalnational association of catering executivesprofessional convention management associationmagazines and publicationscorporate meetings and incentivesthe meeting professionalspecial events magazinemeetings and conventionssuccessful meetingstrade show executive magazinetravel weeklybooksart of the event by james monroe and robert katesbecome an event planner: the three necessary steps to begin your event planning career by sirena evansthe business of event planning: behind-the-scenes secrets of successful special events by judy allenevent planning: the ultimate guide to successful meetings, corporate events, fundraising galas, conferences, conventions, incentives and other special events by judy allenthe complete idiot’s guide to meeting and event planning, second edition, by robin craven and lynn johnson golabowskipocket idiot’s guide to choosing a caterer by phyllis cambria and patty sachsspecial events: creating and sustaining a new world for celebration by dr. Joe goldblatteducational opportunitiesconvention industry councilgeorge washington university tourism and hospitality managementinternational special events societyevent planning softwarethere are hundreds of types of event planning software, ranging from inexpensive and basic packages to software developed for planning and managing large-scale conventions and trade shows. Check out capterra for a complete breakdown of top event management software products like eventbrite, regpack, grenadine events, simpletix, and many ad will close in 15 seconds... Login clicking "create account" i agree to the entrepreneur privacy policy and terms of ise 500 ss opportunities iption on the next to articles to add them to your to start an event planning your party experience to good use by planning, designing and throwing events for private and corporate shark tank is revolutionizing business 's note: this article was excerpted from start your own event planning business (entrepreneur press, 2015). Login clicking "create account" i agree to the entrepreneur privacy policy and terms of to main contentstart of menumy accountyou are under my account tabcard accountsexpand / collapseaccount homestatements & activityaccount servicescard benefitsbusiness accountsexpand / collapseopen small businessmerchant homeamerican express @ workother accountsexpand / collapsesavings accounts and cdsmembership rewards® point summarymembership rewards® point summarycreditsecurebluebird alternative to bankinginternational payments for businessespersonal loansmobile account managementcheck your balance, review recent transactions and pay your bill on the go. Go mobilecardsyou are under cards tabpersonal cardsexpand / collapsecharge & credit card offersview all personal charge & credit cardstravel rewards cardscash back credit cardsrewards points cardsno annual fee credit cardscharge & credit card offersview all personal charge & credit cardstravel rewards cardscash back credit cardsrewards points cardsno annual fee credit cardssmall business cardsexpand / collapsesmall business charge & credit cardscompare cards by benefitsview all small business cardscorporate cardsexpand / collapsecorporate cardscompare corporate cardsfind a custom corporate solutionprepaid cardsexpand / collapseprepaid debit cardsgift cardsgift cardsview all prepaid & gift cardstravelyou are under travel tabpersonal travelexpand / collapsebook a tripbook hotelsbook flights, cars, cruises, vacationsfine hotels & resortsbenefits of a travel specialistfind a destination expertbusiness travelexpand / collapsecorporate travel solutionsforeign exchange servicesother travel servicesexpand / collapsetravel insurancetravelers chequesfind a travel service officeglobal assist hotlinegreat escapes start heresave when you book your next trip online with american express travel. Book nowrewardsyou are under rewards tabmembership rewardsexpand / collapsemembership rewards® homemembership rewards® homeuse pointspoint summarycard rewards and benefitsexpand / collapseexplore your cards rewards programentertainment and eventsentertainment and eventsrefer a friendalways the right an american express® gift card. Order nowbusinessyou are under business tabopen small businessexpand / collapsesmall business homesmall business charge & credit cardsorder employee cardsopen forumcorporationsexpand / collapsecorporate cardssupplier payment solutionscorporate travel solutionsmeetings and eventsinternational payments for businessesdata-driven solutionsmerchantsexpand / collapsemerchant homefind payment solutionsget supportget a merchant accountget financing for your businessglobal networkexpand / collapseissuers and acquirersproviders and developerspowerful connectionsgrow your business network at open forum®. Learn moreunited states(change country)log inlog outsearch us websitesearchsearchsite faqcontact uschange countryclose er more in the small business saturday media strategy. Tips for throwing an amazing business are a smart way to help attract new customers and thank existing ones.

These quick pointers will help make yours a smash r it’s a holiday luncheon for your best customers, a workshop for business owners at your accounting firm, an in-store reading by a beloved local author at your children’s bookstore or just a way to thank customers on small business saturday®, hosting an event is a great way to help attract new customers, cement relationships with existing customers and build buzz about your the idea of hosting an event can intimidate many small-business owners. Yes, there can be lots of moving parts involved in pulling an event together, but don’t let that scare you 12 tips can help you plan and execute your next event with ease:1. Set a you want to attract local media, create awareness of your business, build a mailing list of potential customers or sell slow-moving products? If you’ve never held an event before, don’t start by trying to host a day-long business conference for hundreds of attendees in a hotel ballroom. Consider key dates, such as holidays or annual events in the community, that might compete with yours, or choose a theme to highlight. Also consider how much time attendees will need in order to plan ahead to attend, and how much time you'll need to prepare for the event. Think it down with your team and mentally walk through every step of the event. Also consider how much manpower you'll need at the event itself, what could possibly go wrong and what (and who) you’ll need to have on hand to handle those snafus. Set a you envision your event, you may find the costs are adding up to a price beyond your means. That’s when it’s time to either scale back your plan or find a way to bring in the additional money you need. Depending on the type of event, you might consider seeking a sponsor for the event (perhaps one of your vendors or suppliers), selling tickets in advance or partnering with a complementary business to share the costs. Depending on the type of event you're planning, your marketing plan could include email outreach, direct mail, in-store signage, and radio, print, online and cable advertising. Send local reporters and bloggers a press release about your upcoming event, invite them to cover the event and send them a follow-up press release after the event. The publicity can help spread the word about your business even to those who can’t attend. You can tease the event well in advance, post pictures of and news about your preparations and even invite customers to the event. Keep the social media energy high during the event by having an employee live tweet and post pictures and video from the event as it’s going on. Develop out how you’ll market to customers when they’re at your event, whether with business cards and brochures, discount coupons or gift cards, or product giveaways and contests. Be sure to capture attendees’ contact information—this can be as simple as having them write their email addresses on a form or put business cards in a fishbowl for a drawing to win a free prize. Be the day of the event, be prepared, but also be ready to accept that you probably haven’t planned for every eventuality. Follow work isn’t done when the event is over—in fact, that’s when it really starts. Follow up with customers who attended the event to thank them and offer them something special, such as a discount, free trial or invitation to your next event. Developing your own metrics and tracking them will help ensure your events pay off in more than just good feelings. A version of this story was originally published on september 13, : american expressinvestor relationscareerssite mapcontact usmobile & tablet appsproducts & servicescredit cardssmall business credit cardscorporate cardsprepaid cardssavings accounts and cdsgift cardslinks you may likemembership rewards®mobile & tablet appscreditsecure®serve®bluebird®accept amex cardsrefer a friendsupplier managementterms of serviceprivacy centeradchoicescard agreementssecurity centerfinancial educationservicemember benefitsall users of our online services subject to privacy statement and agree to be bound by terms of service.

Tips for throwing an amazing business r it’s a holiday luncheon for your best customers, a workshop for business owners at your accounting firm, an in-store reading by a beloved local author at your children’s bookstore or just a way to thank customers on small business saturday®, hosting an event is a great way to help attract new customers, cement relationships with existing customers and build buzz about your the idea of hosting an event can intimidate many small-business owners.