Professional event planning: Why details matter

Whether your business is looking to host a dinner, seminar, conference or other event, it’s essential to do it well. An event is not only about sharing information and experiences; it’s an excellent marketing tool. A well-organised event will reflect well on your business, and has the potential to build and enhance business relationships. While venue and catering are important considerations, they are certainly not the only ones. Giving short shrift to invitations, promotional material and even name badges and lanyards, will reflect when it comes to the actual event.

Where to start

If you are new to event planning, the best advice is to do your research and be methodical. Create a checklist of everything that needs doing, give everything a time frame and completion date, and be sure to include even the most minor of details. Always determine a budget, and be sure to stick to it at all stages of the planning.

Help please?

There are plenty of online resources that can help take the hard work out of organising your event. The Brisbane Meeting Planners’ Guide 2011-13 for instance, is a free download full of ideas, information and tips for event organisers, no matter the location. Search for a convention bureau in your area, and there’s a good chance they’ll also have information, advice and publications on hand. The Melbourne Convention Bureau and Business Events Sydney are other examples.

Bigger is not always better

Don’t be daunted if your event is quite small. While organising a low-key seminar and international conference may seem like chalk and cheese, there are elements that overlap. In essence, it’s about finding the right ‘content’ and presenting it in the best available venue, and using the event to help your business shine.

You may not have the budget for instance to present your seminar in a five star hotel, but there are plenty of interesting, and even quirky venues available to rent for affordable prices. Remember too that the venue is just one aspect of any successful event.

Detail, detail, detail

Many successful conferences and seminars have been successful not because of where they were held, or the food that was served, but because of the engaging speakers, quality materials provided, and positive interaction that was had with the host company and other attendees. Hosting an event is an incredible opportunity to market your organisation and build engagement with your business.

One of the key ways to market your business, and engage attendees, is with name badges. Name badges can facilitate networking, and can be branded with your business colour scheme or logo.

If you don’t have a huge budget, it just means you need to start thinking creatively. Want to provide a show bag for attendees? Then perhaps look for local business sponsors who will provide free contents in exchange for logo placement on the official publications and/or banners.

Looking to get your business name out there? Then include it on all materials. Even the lanyards (www.signaladvantage.com/badge-lanyards.html) that hold the name badges can be imprinted with your company name or logo.

Make sure all employees who are working at the event are also wearing name badges. They are easy to put together with a lanyard, and ensure that attendees find it easy to locate staff members if they need help, or have questions. Branded name badges also have the added effect of marketing your business, and showing off how well you do customer service.