Hosting an event? 5 lessons learned …
Hosting your own event can be a very effective way to raise your visibility and grow your business. It’s often easier for people to get to know and trust you when they see you in action.
Many years ago I started by running little workshops from my home and then over time graduated to hiring venues for my own breakfast seminars and business programmes.
Events have proved to be the most rewarding way to work with other business owners, develop long term relationships and showcase my programmes.
For the attendees it’s a fantastic opportunity to meet new people, receive information, resources and ideas and be inspired by the energy of the group.
However, I know that sometimes anxiety can come up at the mere thought of organising your own show. I’ve certainly had my fair share of sleepless nights wondering if anyone will sign up!
And it does take a certain amount of investment in terms of time, money and effort.
But if you’ve ready to step into the limelight then here are my top five lessons for running a successful event…
1. Choose a venue that reflects you and your brand. I’ve found that an interesting or stylish location within easy reach can help attract attention. Or perhaps you prefer to organise an online event using teleseminars or webinars which means that people can attend from anywhere in the world. The latter is a less risky and low cost way to reach more potential clients.
2. Name your event with an interesting title that is positive and results focused. We’re all hungry for ideas that will make life easier. If you can provide a solution to a pressing problem people are more likely to make the effort to book and turn up.
3. Be creative in promoting your event. There is a lot more competition out there which means getting noticed and being client attractive can be more challenging. A well thought through marketing plan which includes a variety of approaches such as interesting visual advertising, videos, preview calls, personal invitations and referrals can make you stand out.
4. Offer an incentive. I admit that I sometimes book networking events at the very last moment! To help others make a decision, as soon as possible, it’s worth including an incentive, for example an early bird ticket and/or additional limited bonuses for booking in advance. And do send out reminders as it’s easy for busy people to forget or miss deadlines.
5. Get support. It really helps to have someone to work alongside you, as it can alleviate some of the fear. Asking a friend to be there at the event, having a co presenter or enrolling administrative support, not only takes some of the pressure off but will give you a greater level of confidence that you don’t have to worry about everything yourself.
Most importantly set the intention that your event will be a success and that those who attend will walk away feeling excited and inspired having spent time with you and a fabulous group of people.
