Events can be a great way to boost your business. They can improve company culture, strengthen relationships with clients and between colleagues, and enhance your marketing strategy. Events can even boost revenue, for example, if you use an event to sell sponsorships or ad space. All that said, organizing a business event requires careful planning. You don’t want to risk the event going wrong and causing public embarrassment, especially if clients are invited. Here’s how to make sure you get it right.

Consider working with a pro

Before you get to work planning an entire party yourself, consider whether you have the bandwidth to take on this task. Planning a business event is a major undertaking that requires you to think about everything from food to music, location, and more. If you don’t have the time, outsourcing to a professional like Any Event Production may be the best option. They can handle the details while you focus on running your business.

Set a budget upfront

If your party goes over budget, you’ll be stuck with added costs that will have to come out of your business budget. To avoid this worst-case scenario, make sure to set a budget upfront. Guidebook provides a step-by-step tutorial for creating a budget for an event. Start by identifying your event strategy. For example, maybe the goal is to attract customers. Then, make a list of the components you’ll need to pay for, like catering, entertainment, and location. You can then get estimates and come up with a rough budget.

Choose a fitting location

The location will likely be the biggest cost, so it’s a good idea to get this done first. When choosing an event venue, don’t just think about aesthetics. While a cool-looking venue is nice, it’s also important to consider practicalities like capacity, parking availability, and connectivity via public transportation. You also want to consider contract details. For example, some event locations require you to use their in-house catering.

Think about appropriate entertainment

Entertainment can be another major expense for your event. Even if it’s a business-related party, you want it to be fun. However, it should also be appropriately professional. Bizzabo has a list of
creative ideas for corporate entertainment that can inspire you. Examples include a live band, augmented or virtual reality booths, a puppy playpen, an escape room, and a visual artist.
Interactive components like a cooking tutorial are also a great idea.

Don’t skimp on the catering

Food can make or break an event. Make sure that you leave enough time to find a caterer. Before you start comparison shopping, make sure you know what you’re looking for. Paying for a seated dinner is very different from paying for tray-passing at a stand-up cocktail event, for example. Here are some more tips for finding a great caterer, like scheduling a tasting, checking references and reviews, and asking about their familiarity with your venue.

Make sure to promote your event 

If you’re going to go to the trouble of planning and setting up an event, you want people to come. Marketing is the answer. You can promote your event in many budget-friendly ways, for example, via social media, email campaigns, press releases, promotional videos, and more. You can also pass out flyers in person. Use a PDF editor to create an invite: Upload the file you want to use, add drawings and text, download it, and print it out.

Hosting a business event can be beneficial in many ways, from creating a sense of team unity to generating revenue. However, if you want your event to be a success, you have to put in the work. The above guide covers the essential steps to consider.

For more information on hosting amazing events, visit the blog.