7 effective strategies that work for event management business
Event management is a lot of work and without proper planning, it can exhaust any sane person. But that doesn’t mean you can’t succeed at it.
Memorable events do not just happen. It takes a lot of planning to organize and arrange everything. Planning is required on each stage starting from finances, announcements, ticketing, to picking the venue, and catering, etc. Whether it is a seminar, conference on trader online, or just an appreciation day, the success depends on how well you plan it.
As an event manager, you need to work smart. You must be wondering how event managers go through all of it without losing their cool. There are some event managing strategies that they abide by. Get your hands on 7 most popular ones:
#1: Set goals and objectives
You cannot begin without goals and objectives. Each event has a purpose. And that purpose is not just limited to attracting a big crowd. It is better you ask your client what they intend to achieve from the particular event. Once you are clear about their objectives, you can plan your strategy by focusing on those goals.
As soon as you get a gig for an event, start planning. Even if you don’t have the dates or other information like the speaker and venue, you must still get started. As you plan early, you will get enough time to do your research and homework.
This way, you get to do things your way. It will also buy you time to reach out to more participants, and sponsors. With the kind of response you get, you can then adjust your market strategy accordingly.
#3: Create a budget
Another crucial part of organizing an event is to outline your budget. The sooner you start, the better. For that, you will have to define what your client wants to achieve from the event. Since you have already defined the purpose, this will be easier.
To make things simpler, jot down how much a client is worth you and then plan out your budget. For instance, if he is bringing $1,000 to your business, pick clients accordingly to cover the cost of the event. Once the budget is settled in the beginning, you can easily identify what you can afford.
#4: Understand your resources
This can affect your business big time. Your resources make up everything that will help you in accomplishing your goals. You must know what resources you are working with. It is very unreasonable to arrange events of 500 people with just a staff of 2 people only. If you don’t have the manpower and the right technology, it’s going to be challenging to manage the daily operations. Here is a list of resources you must review:
- Money
- Time
- Staff
- Support services
- Event management technology
#5: Find sponsors
When you are on a tight budget, there is no better way to save money than finding sponsors. Before you look for sponsors, make sure you are well-averse with the event topic and audience. You will have to get creative to find businesses that are actually interested. Look for local business to sponsor gift bags for your guests. You will find a bunch of companies interested in having their names displayed on the tickets, emails, and event signs.
#6: Spread the word with social media
Social media is one powerful platform to create a buzz about your event. If you leverage it well, you can increase attendee engagement. Among all social media platforms, Facebook is great for marketing events. You can also run Facebook ads to reach out to people within the set radius. It allows you to target the right people by maximizing your chances of converting the viewers into leads.
If it’s a business event, you can promote it on LinkedIn by either posting on groups, updating your status or publishing a post promoting that event. Likewise, you can use Instagram and Twitter for attendee engagement. You can also share photos of your precious events for promotion purposes later on.
With the help of social media, your guests will receive all the updates about the event beforehand. You can also create an event hashtag to spread the word.
#7: Get yourself a business card
Even in digital times like today, you can’t underestimate the importance of a business card. They are small enough to fit in one’s purse or wallet. If you want to follow the digital trends, maybe, then you can give away brochures instead of business cards. You will have more room to display extra information like client testimonials.
Make sure you have a logo, name of your business, and contact information on your card or brochure. You must carry a bunch of extra cards with you all the time. You never know when you bump into a potential client. You can also ask some of your vendors such as caterers or florists if you can leave your business cards at their place.
Final words
As you stick to the strategies mentioned above, you will be on your way to plan a low-cost yet successful event in no time. You might have to adjust to the changing situations just like in the case of CFD stock trading, but everything will work out in the end.