Valet Coffee attends a bunch of events each year, providing our mobile coffee and smoothie bar to appreciative guests, so we know a good event from a bad one! We have found that a successful small business event that is well attended and memorable needs to be successful in 5 areas. The event needs to have basic event planning fundamentals in place, enough funding, a good marketing plan, a great team, and great management the day of the event. Use the following tips to put on a successful event for your business…
Fundamentals
- Know Your Business Purpose – Why are you having the event? What do you want out of the event? Every decision made going forward should support this purpose.
- Decided On Your Target Audience – This will help you focus on specific goals and offerings that will attract the right people to your event.
- Find the Right Date – Make sure your event doesn’t compete with another event attracting the same target audience.
- List Out The Details – Who will light the event? How will people get to the event? What content will be used during the event? What refreshments or food will be serviced at the event?
- Create SMART goals – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound goals.
Funding
- Create a Financing Plan – How are you going to pay for the event? Sponsorships? Ticket Sales? Marketing Budget? Or a Combination?
- Create an Expense Budget – Make a full list of all your event expenses.
Marketing
- Create a Marketing Plan
- Implement the Parking Plan
- Define the Reason That Attendees Will Want to Attend – Entertainment? Demos? Education? Speakers?
- List The Benefits – Show potential attendees the benefits on all your marketing materials.
- Use the Media – Use the traditional media and social media to spread the word. Get bloggers who write for your target audience to promote your event.
- Make Registration Easy – Make the registration easy and online. Make sure the registration page looks good on a website and on a smartphone or tablet. All marketing roads should lead to one registration page. Give early bird registration rates.
Teamwork
- Delegate Responsibilities – For all major areas, you will need one back to pat or one throat to choke! 🙂
- Follow up / Check-in – Make a point to check in with those that you’ve delegated responsibilities.
- Use Your Vendors to Your Benefit – Find vendors who want to help and get them involved.
- Take Care of Your Sponsors – Treat them like royalty and always underestimate the turnout.
Day of the Event
- Social Media/Publicity – Have a team of people taking pictures and getting them to the person who can post them to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more with captions, etc. Get you sponsors and vendors involved with attendees and in the posts.
- Have a Great Attitude – Lead by example and don’t let them see you sweat!
- Read the Attendees – Ask attendees who they are doing and make changes if necessary.
- Have Contingency Plans in Place – What happens if the presentation equipment doesn’t work? Be ready for whatever can happen!
Please keep Valet Coffee in mind when you are planning your next Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky event!
Contact us (859-409-1628) for a Free Consultation!
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About Valet Coffee
Valet Coffee is a full service, mobile espresso and smoothie bar. It’s a unique way to impress customers, appreciate employees and kick up any special event to the next level. Our professional baristas will bring the taste and feel of an authentic European coffee house. We do all the work, all you have to do is entertain. Valet Coffee’s mobile espresso and smoothie bars are one of Greater Cincinnati’s best marketing tools.
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