How to use corporate events to boost your brand

Increasingly, companies are waking up to the fact that organizing and hosting corporate events has the potential to benefit them greatly. Gone are the days when they were mainly hosted by international or national businesses.

Today, many SMEs are tapping into the power of event planning software to run their own events. These packages make it far easier to organize everything from large conferences to branch or store openings and product launches. 

The main reason smaller firms are hosting these events is that they realize that they are a powerful way to strengthen their branding. Here are just a few examples of how you can do the same.

Make brand enhancement one of your event goals

When you sit down to organize your event, work out what your goals are. It could be that you want to introduce your new product to a certain kind of person or create buzz and footfall for a new branch. You will likely end up with a list that includes several goals. Boosting your brand should always be at the top.

Consider broadcasting your event live

Not everyone is going to want to, or be able to, travel to attend. So, it is worthwhile learning how to broadcast your event live. Doing this gives you the potential to reach far more people. 

But, you need to be careful. Things can go wrong at any event. Occasionally, when that happens you can end up damaging rather than enhancing your brand. So, it is wise to put someone you trust in charge of monitoring the feed. As well as consider introducing a delay that is long enough for them to drop the connection if necessary.

Record your event

Even if you decide not to Livestream your event, make sure that you record the speeches and presentations, if there are any. Later, with the right permissions, you will be able to upload this material and use it to boost visitors to your website and social media platforms. 

If you have never done live streaming before, this video quickly goes over the kind of gear you need. With a few tips to help you to set it all up.

It is also a good idea to encourage your team to film what is going on. You will be surprised by how many ways you can use this type of footage to promote your business.

Use your visible branding

Your physical branding should be on display. So, spend a little money on banners, posters and maybe items like pens and paper that you can give away. Just be careful not to go over the top. You don’t want things to look too gaudy. Plus, of course, you will not want people to feel that you don’t care about the environment. You can still create gift packs for people to take away with them. But, think carefully about what you put in them.

Prepare your team

It is particularly important that you have enough of your team on hand to speak to attendees. Take the time to prepare the people you choose and explain what you expect of them. Many of them will not be used to being in a semi-sales position. Reiterate the dress code and the fact that their grooming has to be impeccable. 

Chung Nguyen
 

Chung is a seasoned business journalist with a focus on sustainability and corporate social responsibility. With over 15 years of experience covering the world of finance and economics, Rachel has established herself as a respected authority on responsible business practices. Throughout her career, Chung has interviewed some of the most influential leaders in the corporate world and has covered major business events such as the World Economic Forum and the United Nations Climate Change Conference. She is also a regular contributor to leading business publications and has won several awards for her work. Chung's passion for promoting sustainable business practices has also led her to author a book on the topic.