Hosting a networking event provides a heap of possibilities. It presents the chance for you to connect with like-minded people and drive your business forward. That doesn’t mean that pulling off a successful event is easy.
Before you start planning, there are lots of things to consider. Here are some things you should know.
What Is Your Purpose?
In order to plan the perfect networking event, you need to think about why you’re doing it. What are your ultimate goals? Perhaps you’re planning an event for different people in your industry to get together and talk about industry innovations.
Maybe you’re hosting something for the local businesses in your area for everyone to get to know each other. This is a great way to build bonds with business owners and help all businesses in the area to flourish.
Format Your Event
Thanks to the wonder that is virtual hosting, your event format has many options. For instance, you can host an event online, in-person, or a mixture of both.
Thinking about what you want to achieve will help here.
If you’re thinking about getting local business owners together, meeting face-to-face may be more preferable. However, if you’re going industry wide and you have attendees from across the country, going online may suit your event better. This will help you to decide how to run your event because what’s suitable for face-to-face events will not always be suitable for online events.
Create a Budget
When it comes to running events, your costs can go as sky high as you let them. You need to think about how you will pay for the event. For example, will you charge for tickets?
Running an event will always be costly, no matter how well you budget. You may need to hire a venue, pay a keynote speaker, and don’t forget to factor in the costs of marketing, like custom stickers or business cards. If you know exactly what you’re spending, nothing will come as a surprise.
Pick A Venue
Now you know your budget, it’s time to start visiting venues. It’s important to visit these venues in person if you’re holding an in-person event. Think about the size of the venue you need and the facilities you’ll require for the event.
For instance, you may need a stage for your keynote speaker or perhaps you want a venue with a bar. If you’re looking to keep the costs low, look at local community halls or non-profit venues that could work. Once you’ve built up a solid community, you may be able to use buildings owned by attendees for future events.
Finalize A Date
It’s not always easy to find the right date. If you’re hoping to find a date that works for everyone, you’re likely to be disappointed. Try and find a date that works for the majority but it’s important to know that you have alternative options.
If there are people who can’t attend your event and want to be there, give them the option of joining virtually. You can also record the event and make it available to anyone who wasn’t able to attend.
Promote Your Event
As your event is coming together, it’s time to start promoting it. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to do this for free. Social media offers the perfect platform for creating groups and content dedicated to making your event successful.
You can even use sites like LinkedIn to reach your audience and extend invitations. If you’re targeting local businesses, you may need to go the extra mile and invest in traditional methods of marketing, like leaflets. You can keep your audience informed with emails or social media posts.
Follow-Up
The work isn’t finished when the networking event is over. In fact, the event is just the beginning. If you want to create a strong group that stands the test of time and benefits your business, you’ll need to make sure you follow up. Send an email to thank your attendees for coming to the event.
Create a group for those who attended and anyone else who is interested to stay connected with each other, making future events easier to organize. Ask for feedback and welcome any suggestions for next time. You may even find that some people offer to co-host.
Running a networking event takes time and effort but it’s worth it for the future of your business. If you’ve found this article helpful, why not take a look at the others?