Hosting events is a great way for your business to engage your clients, connect with prospects, and generate press for your company. Hosting internal and external events is vital to your business’s existence and culture. Here are 10 different types of events your business can host.
1. Business dinners—can be held for a range of reasons—from celebrating milestones to concluding fiscal years to having no reason at all other than getting together with employees and clients. Business dinners are a long-standing corporate tradition and are typically more formal than other events.
2. VIP Events—are used to increase customer loyalty. Professional planners organize VIP events with the goal remaining to ultimately increase revenue and retain their customers.
3. Networking events—these events are ideal for making new contacts, and often lead to new clients, partners, and vendors. Reach out to other companies and professionals in your industry and invite them to chat over drinks to trade information and get familiar with others in your field. You’ll be surprised at what you learn.
4. Customer appreciation parties—customer retention should always be a focus for your business. Show your customers how much you appreciate their business by hosting an event just for them. Invite customers, professionals, or anyone who consistently looks out for the good of your business, whether that be sharing information and contacts, or bringing you business through revenue. It doesn’t have to be large-scale, just a nice set up with drinks and dinner will remind them why they continue to work with you in the first place.
5. Seminars—no matter what industry your company is in, positioning your business and the employees that make it as experts in your field not only makes your customers take you more seriously, but other businesses as well. Hosting seminars is a great way to create buzz and get people talking and excited about your line of work. Book a single speaker or several that can educate managers, employees, and others in your industry.
6. Charity functions—charity events highlight your brand in a positive way and allow you to give something back to an important cause.
7. Product Launches—create a buzz around the release of your new product by holding a launch party. The party will generate media coverage and will get customers excited. Even if your company doesn’t sell products particularly, you can still host launch parties about new innovations in the company like the launch of new management or the launching of a new system within the company.
8. Trade Shows—trade shows are exhibitions where companies can present and demonstrate their latest products. A professional and fresh presentation is crucial because fellow businesses will get a peak into your company. Hosting a trade show is a great way to position your brand as an industry leader and to generate new leads.
9. Incentive Events—can be hosted to motivate employees or close the ties to customers. Incentive events can help give the customer the push they need to book with you and can enhance customer loyalty.
10. Press Conference—use press conferences to get the media talking about new products, important business issues, or to launch new marketing campaigns. You can even use press conferences to inform the shareholders and public about financial issues or successes.