Events can be a powerful tool for increasing your brand awareness and connecting with your publics. Most people assume that the success of an event depends mostly on guests' attendance_ a rather fluctuant and external factor. The truth is that you can ensure the success of an event from the early stages of concept, focusing not only on your goals but most importantly, on people's expectations and needs. We tell you how in 5 easy steps.

In today's digital world, we rather tend to prioritize mailing, social media and the internet to keep in touch with our public. Even though we apply highly interactive communication strategies online, nothing can replace human contact.

In Public Relations, organizing an event can serve different purposes:
 

-> Getting closer to your clients/partners/stakeholders/employees;
-> Promoting a friendly and trustworthy image of your company or institution;
-> Increasing public awareness towards your products or services;
-> Evaluating people perception of your offer;
-> Finding new contacts;
-> Reinforcing your role and influence in the local community.
 

Despite the fact that organizing an event requires a lot of time and energy, it is up to you to turn it into a fruitful investment for your brand and future activities. 

Here are our 5 tips to make sure that your event will be rewarding for your business:

1. Be clear about your Goals

"Planning without action is futile, action without planning is fatal."

_ Cornelius Fichtner

Reflecting on the main objectives of your event is crucial. Without defining concrete goals for your event, you will not be able to evaluate the success of your event based on relevant KPI (Key Performance Indicators). Even though your event gathered a satisfying amount of people, this does not mean that your message has been heard. Be sure about what you are expecting from that event and why you organize it in the first place. Remember that an event is successful when it fits your overall business strategy.

2. Know your target group

"To me, a good event is governed by the audience."

_ Jodi Picoult

Now that you know WHY you want to organize an event, you should define precisely your target group. Who do you want to reach with your event? If your public is quite diverse in terms of age, gender, social and professional status, create Buyer Personas for each group of people sharing the same traits. Creating "typical profiles" of your audience will help you understand their behaviors and needs. This way, it will be easier for you to find the perfect type of event for your participants as well as creative ideas to get them engaged before, during and after your event.

3. Plan communication ahead

The success of an event relies also a lot on your communication plan or event marketing campaign. The main difficulty here is to keep your potential participants in suspense until the D-Day. Your communication strategy should take into account the specificities of your target group, especially when it comes to the use of communication channels (mailing, paper invitations, social media, event platforms, etc.). Also, bear in mind that your event promotion does not end on the D-Day! Communicating with your audience (participants and public) during and after the event will considerably increase its reach.

4. Be sure your budget makes sense

Knowing how much an event will cost may be tricky. If you are not familiar with event planning and with the average costs on the market for catering, venue renting, room decoration, and technical services, we highly recommend you to hire a professional event planner who knows well the local market. In some cases, it might be better to opt for another type of event than organizing one that might look cheap or not polished and thus could damage the image of your business. Also, always plan 20% more than your initial budget for eventual problems or last-minute needs.

5. Be creative! An event is about sharing and good vibes!

"Creativity is Intelligence having Fun."

_ Albert Einstein

Tons of events are happening every day and if you want people to join you, you have to be creative and ideally propose something that stands out from what already exists. Another key to a successful event is your capacity to create a comfortable and friendly atmosphere for your audience. If participants feel good, they will be more likely to exchange and interact with you. Remember that when you are organizing an event, you are THE HOST and the way you welcome people will have a huge impact on how they see your business and your activities.
 

• Are you now ready to organize an event?
• Do you have problems answering the 5 points mentioned above?

No worries! At ID DROP we help our clients from A to Z!

Check out our professional services in event planning
and rely on a true partner for your next event: HERE. 
Also, do not miss our all-in-one event package at a special price! : HERE.