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