As a small business owner, there is a good chance that you will be doing a lot of traveling and you’ll be attending corporate events. These events will allow you to learn more about the industry you are in and they will allow you to connect with other business owners and patrons alike. However, what happens when it is your turn to hold an event?
When it comes to holding an event for your small business, you have to keep a number of things in mind. One of the most important things is entertainment. How are you going to keep your event exciting and fun? Here are five corporate event entertainment tips for small business owners.
- Know your demographic. Knowing your demographic is incredibly important when you are planning the entertainment part of your event. If your demographic is young and hip, you probably don’t want to have a lounge singer serenading your guests at a golf course – you probably want something a little more energetic. If you don’t consider your demo, it will be hard to entertain your guests. If you need a little extra help, you can contactResource Entertainment Group – a corporate entertainment booking company – to help create a lineup.
- Have all your ducks lined up. If you don’t have all your ducks lined up in a row, it will be hard to impress your guests. For instance, if your caterer fumbles or if the lights go out, it could be a fiasco. In order to avoid this, you want to make sure the location you booked is airtight and that there won’t be any unforeseen problems. You also want to make sure that all the other elements – from the lighting to the food – are all secured and confirmed.
- Understand the purpose of the event. If you are organizing the event to raise money, you want to target investors. If you are throwing a party for clients, you want to create the event for them. The same goes if you are having a launch or release for a new product and are trying to gain some publicity. If you don’t have a purpose for the event in mind, it will be difficult to organize and it won’t have a targeted direction.
- Get sponsored. If you want to save money on your event, you may want to think of finding a sponsor. There are a lot of companies that would be interested in piggy backing on your event. While you don’t want to have your sponsor be a direct competitor – especially if you are targeting patrons – you can hire a liquor or food sponsor that can cover some of your expenses and help you save money.
- Create exclusivity. Creating a sense that not everyone is invited will make more people want to attend your event. If you want to fill the dance floor – you want to create a sense of exclusivity. You can start by creating an invite list and then have a form where you can keep track of RSVPs. In the end, you want people to be excited to attend your corporate event.