Are you doing enough to engage your guests at your corporate event?
If you’re regularly called on to plan and host corporate events, you’ll certainly know that it’s a very time-consuming challenge. Ensuring that everything comes together at the right time, with a carefully thought out agenda, relevant content, appropriate promotional material and inspiring speakers takes a tremendous amount of time, effort, thought and resources.However, one aspect of planning your corporate event which can easily be overlooked is being able to engage your guests. Events by Knight work hard to make sure corporate events achieve their intended commercial purpose, but also realise that all that hard work can easily go to waste if audiences fail to engage. Event engagement is crucial. It’s about continuing to produce innovative events and building a reputation for providing memorable experiences.Are you doing enough to engage guests at your corporate event? Our award winning team here at Events by Knight have put together their before, during and after tips for engaging guests at your corporate event. We believe it’s a guaranteed recipe for success.
Before the event
Advances in technology means that most people have easy access to smartphones, tablets and multimedia devices. As a corporate event planner you need to make the most effective use of technology at your corporate event and incorporate a strategy to build online awareness of your event.You could create a Twitter hashtag, provide sharing features and bright eye-catching graphics. These will automatically promote themselves, providing instant attention to your event, but make sure you continue to keep all your followers informed with regular updates on relevant information – guest speakers’ biographies, live demonstrations and promotions, for example. Also set up links to your Twitter feed on your website or company Facebook pages.Brief your event staff of their duties before the event and ensure everyone is fully aware of their responsibilities and are able to answer any questions your guests may have on the day. Event staff must understand the importance of being professional and courteous at all times, remembering that they are representative of your brand and must therefore portray a positive image.
During the event
To engage with your guests at your corporate event and leave them with a long lasting memorable impression you need to hire industry specific speakers who have a real passion for their subject, product or cause and can instantly motivate and inspire your audience. The best speakers find themselves in great demand, so you must carry out thorough research and devote as much time as you possibly can to this.Ideally, their presentations should be interactive, encouraging your guests to participate and become involved. You could hold a question and answer session or a soapbox presentation where your guests can put ideas forward, share knowledge and enter into debates.Remember, that your aim is to capture and maintain your audience’s attention. To be successful at this, you must stand out from the crowd. Conferences do tend to follow a set format – one which guests can often become bored with. Lively, bright, interactive visuals, bite sized chunks of information and guest participation will help to inspire an audience and keep them engaged at your corporate event.Again, do ensure you make the most of technology available to you. If you can take photos and videos during your event, these can be used for future promotional literature, brochures and online marketing and serve as a visual reminder of your successful corporate event.
After the event
Keeping your corporate event alive in your audience’s minds is important, so take the time to follow up with personal emails thanking them for participating. Again you could use relevant photos, podcasts or videos as part of a takeaway package. Remember to ask your guests for feedback as this will play an important part in preparing for any future corporate event. Provide surveys or questionnaires asking them what they thought went well, what didn’t go as anticipated and whether they have any suggestions for improvements. People do like to feel that their issues have been taken note of and this is a great opportunity to address feedback and keep your brand and company in their mind. You could use positive quotes from attendees as testimonials on your website and social media platforms.Events by Knight believe that to engage guests successfully at your corporate event you need to provide interesting content, inspiring speakers and encourage networking and participation. However, we also believe there’s more to it than that. First impressions count and a professional image is vital. As corporate event planners we know that to create a lasting impression you’ll need the best products and services. We have a reputable database of established suppliers and can easily source seating, tables, easels, etc for you. Letting Events by Knight take full control of your corporate event keeps your company brand at the forefront of your target market. We ensure your event will be planned to precision and implemented with style to create long lasting impressions.
GET IN CONTACT
Need some help with planning your corporate event? Not sure where to start? Get in touch with our dedicated team who will be able to chat things over with you.
Email: info@eventsbyknight.co.uk or call +44(0)20 130 4040