Marketing your business: How to organise a great event

One of the first activities I carried out when I set up Eden Marketing was to hold a free marketing seminar. It provided me with the chance to get in front of an audience who wanted to listen to what I had to say.

The seminars gave me the opportunity to showcase my expertise and show my target audience what was different about Eden Marketing. I did this on a monthly basis for 18 months alongside a marketing surgery.

This is where the majority of my marketing budget went – and boy did it work! Without this approach I wouldn’t have entered the market as quickly as I did. Word spread and I started to get invited to speak at local business events, then industry events and so on. Holding your own events, whether it is a seminar, networking event, open day or private exhibition, can be an extremely effective marketing tool; especially if you are delivering a service.

You can host product demonstrations in a hotel suite or hold seminars in a meeting room. You can devise a roadshow or hold an open house at your premises. In short, you can create an event that exactly matches your needs and the needs of your target market. Holding your own event enables to you to reach prospective customers direct. This can be useful if your products are usually sold through a network of distributors.

As well as showing off your wares, customers can meet the person behind the product, whether you are an artist, an inventor or an entrepreneur. Tailor-made events are useful to demonstrate expertise. Law firms, accountancy firms and financial advisors, for example, can attract potential clients by holding seminars that explain issues and offer solutions.

My top tips for hosting an event

• It’s a good idea to host your own event if your customer base is predominantly local – they may not travel to established events that are further afield.
• Set the tone of the event in advance. Some customers prefer an appointment-based event, giving them a chance to get a hands-on product demonstration and personal attention. Others prefer the buzz of a well-attended event where there are opportunities for networking.
• Ensuring a good turn-out is one of the biggest challenges. Customers need a good reason to attend. One option is to take your event to them. If your audience are horse-race goers, take your event to the racecourse on race day.

Planning your own event Planning your own event isn’t easy and requires time and effort. It’s vital to decide what you want to achieve and who you want to attend. Be realistic about your objectives and set a budget – costs can quickly escalate. You may be able to borrow good ideas from established exhibitions for your own event. It can be hard to attract visitors to a small event.

You could run a joint event with a complementary partner to make a bigger impact and bring in more visitors. Alternatively, you may decide that it would be more effective to take your products to your customers rather than expecting them to come to you. The success of your event certainly depends on getting the right people to attend. You need to make your event attractive and convenient for your target audience.

Send personal invites and customise direct mail with compelling reasons to come along. Exclusivity is a good incentive and holding a private sales event or an invitation-only launch can be a good strategy. Sending invitations should be part of your promotional strategy even if your event is open to all.

You should send special invitations to key decision makers and local VIPs as well as loyal customers, new prospects and the media. Distribute a press release in advance to get coverage of the event. 

Managing the event The logistical challenges of running an event are considerable. You have to find the right venue and organise catering. Other important issues are signage, seating, audio visual facilities, lighting, display stands and promotional literature.

You must establish whether you and your staff are capable of producing a successful event or whether it would be better to use an events company. On the day, you need to be visible and make time to meet and greet. People often come to these events specifically to make contact with the person behind the product or service so you need to ensure you speak to all the key guests.

Brief your staff so they can answer queries and be ambassadors for your business. Goodwill gestures are often appropriate. You could give guests a free sample or a branded promotional item. Offering deals and discounts can be a good way to attract customers and make sales on the day. So go on, what are you waiting for? Take your first steps into hosting an event.

Jean Atkinson is the founder of Marketing Minds Academy which was established to bring hands-on practical training to marketing professionals and help business owners increase their profit through the use of effective marketing.