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6 Tips to Make Your Next Small Business Event Memorable

Business events, whether it be an exhibition, conference or trade show, need to be memorable. Your business can be noticed, you may attract new clients and it’s a great way to connect with vendors. But leads won’t come by just attending – you need to do more.

You must
prepare for the event.

Before the
event, you must:

1. Research the
   event and who normally attends so that you can cater to their needs.
2. Identify your
   goals for the event (sales, vendors, contacts).
3. Plan your
   display to help you reach your goals.
4. Focus on the
   experience through product demonstration, graphics, videos, VR and anything
   else that can make your event stand out.
5. Market yourself
   prior to the event via email, online campaigns and even direct mail.
6. Prep your team
   to be ready for the event.

Every modern
event should have state-of-the-art event WiFi. You’ll want to leverage this
connectivity to your advantage.

How?

Live Streaming on Social Media

Your event
has a lot of marketing potential, and you can be in two places at once when
there’s sufficient Wi-Fi. Social media allows you to be at the event, and in
the homes and businesses of your target market.

Make sure
that one of your staff is live streaming the event on:

• Facebook Live
• Instagram
• YouTube

Live
streaming allows you to share your presentation and booths with the world. You
can also go around the event, sharing your thoughts about each vendor and
connecting with everyone on social media.

It’s a great
way to generate buzz, and it works very well with younger audiences.

Don’t forget
to take this time to post on social media accounts, too. Upload short videos to
your account, Tweet or post about your event.

Give a Presentation That Generates Buzz

It takes a
lot of strength and passion to give a presentation, but for others, giving a
presentation is second nature. Steve Jobs was great at presenting products, and
he is half the reason that Apple has become such a success.

You can make
your booth and product memorable with the right presentation.

But it will
take a lot of work.

Presentations can include:

• Slideshows
• Virtual-reality presentations
• Answer questions from the audience
• Provide state-of-the-art videos

You have to
have passion if you want to give a good presentation, and this means really
knowing your product and how it can impact the lives of your target
audience.

Market Post-Event

Marketing
should not stop once the event comes to a close. You’ve put a lot of resources
into the event, and you should continue your marketing by:

• Taking the time to make a blog post or social media
  update about the event
• Following up on leads and partnership possibilities
• Sending emails or handwritten letters to everyone you
  met at the event
• Scheduling any meetings that you may have discussed
  during the event
• Creating a plan to move forward to your next event

You’ve met a
lot of contacts at the event, so now it’s time to nurture these potential leads
and discuss future partnerships with vendors that you met.