Ready To Host Your First Brand Event?

Hosting a brand event can be an exciting endeavour, so long as you plan it carefully. A brand event puts you and your business in the spotlight, and you should want your audience to come away understanding who you are and what you do – if they didn’t already. 

A business event has many of the same aspects as a networking event, but usually on a larger scale and with more moving parts. 

The work starts from the moment you decide to take to the stage and show off your brand. 

It would be helpful if you had a team to help you, but you’ll need to be extra organized if you don’t. 

If You Build It

Then they still might not show up. It is uncommon for marketing not to be as thorough as it should be to impact and get people through the door. 

Your event itself is a form of marketing, but you’re going to need to pull out all the stops. There are usually two primary audiences that will turn up for a ticketed event: those who already know your brand and want to participate and those who want to learn more. 

When you are planning your marketing, you need to factor these things in. 

Assuming that you already have a big-enough audience to run the event means you already have access to your demographics. 

With those metrics, you can set the ticket price for the right audience. You have access to how much they spend, what technology they use, and what they are interested in. Catering the event to their needs is essential. 

While your email list will be one of the most valuable and likely highest converting promotion methods, you can discount social media. Social media has an incredibly high reach and a low price in terms of marketing. 

The key to doing social media marketing work is taking the time to tailor your message and the demographics – so you only pay for what you need. 

It seems simple, but often in a rush to maximize impressions, we forget that conversions are the real goal. 

Traditional media advertisements can also work for local events. You might see more people enquire about what you do – certainly if you have never advertised on traditional media before. 

Flyers, banners and posters are not only valuable for your marketing strategy – but you will use them in the event too. 

Use every trick in the book: Top 7 Most Popular Video Marketing Tools of 2021 You Must Try To See The Magic.

Speakers

Is it just you talking for the entire event? Or is it more exciting for attendees to hear from others in the same field? Experts and published authors make for a fascinating panel. 

When it comes to your panel, while looking for qualified speakers, make sure that you are diverse. It’s not good enough to have a homogeneous group of speakers. 

Be prepared to pay for the work of speakers – factor it into your budget. 

One of the essential things when discussing the plans with speakers is that you have an agreement drawn up to know they will show up and what their requirements are. 

Account for multiple different types of speakers. Some of the more exciting speakers might need time for a Q&A, while others will need interactive options. 

Engagement

Gone are the days where your attendees will want to sit in a single seat and be talked at for hours. Instead, you can take the opportunity to let them play with the software, introduce them to new concepts via video, and let the road test what you are showing them. Hire a company offering event technology rentals so you can have iPads, screens and more. 

We live in a tech-based world, and you are missing the opportunity for a highly engaged audience. 

In between talks, panels and Q&As, there should be some entertainment too. You can choose something that will resonate with your audience. 

It might be games; it might be puzzles, getting hands-on with products or some live music. 

Entertainment isn’t just for the sake of entertainment either; you give people the chance to share on social media, take photos and chat between themselves. All of this increases the happiness levels – which adds to the final success of your event. 

Follow up

You have the chance to make some interesting connections, increase conversions and cement loyalty – if you follow up. 

Aside from giving attendees something to come away with, you also need to keep them engaged after leaving the room. While the event is fresh in their mind, send them a thank you for attending and include a discount or information on a new product. 

Use the excitement to upsell and keep your audience engaged.