Events - The 3 W's

Running a successful event will depend not entirely but really rather quite substantially on the 3 W’s. They are key to creating a buzz around your event, achieving your aims and providing valuable interaction with your customers.

1.       WHO

Who needs to attend your event to make it a success? Friends and family for support? Existing customers or new ones? Business contacts or even dare I say it rival businesses? Can you even get the press involved, even if it is just local press it is still great coverage. Who attends is up to you but make sure you invite the right audience for your event. Send appropriate invites, that get your message across and include key details - location and time of your event etc. Explain what the benefits of attending your event will be and remember to end with a call to action! If your event is trying to attract a new audience for your business remember to advertise widely and target your businesses tribe (your key consumer segment) Promote in places they go or in the media they are most likely to follow.

Think about what your audiences will expect as standard at your event, and then create a WOW factor that will get them talking about your event and embed your brand in their memory.

2.       WHEN

Decide on the key factors first – how long will your event take to plan? And when will it fit cohesively with the rest of your marketing strategy? For example if it is a product launch you need to make sure your product is finished, top quality and ready to sell! The time of day, week, month you choose to host your event should fit with your target market, for example working mums aren’t going to attend a mid-week event in the middle of the day. Remember to balance opportunities for increased footfall with the potential costs involved. And consider carefully how long your event should last, all day is a long time to fill!

3.       WHERE

Does your venue fit with the image of your business? Will it help create a theme or particular atmosphere, do you want guests relaxed or buzzing? Is your venue the right size? Forecast carefully the number of attendees, they won’t stay long if they feel like sardines ,but vast swathes of space don’t always feel that inviting either. Are you going to rely on your own advertising or can you attract a lot of people passing by. Remember to keep costs tightly under control as venue will most likely be your biggest expense. Make sure the venue is suitable for everything you have planned and design a floor plan to check everything will fit!

WWW is key to designing events that will be successful and engage your audience. Let me know what your three W's would be. Next time I'll be giving you great tips on promoting and marketing your business during the event