Perhaps you want to treat your business associates, employees, or customers to an event to celebrate your company or mark a special occasion. In that case, you should start planning right away. Not sure what you need to do or even where to begin? Read on for some tips and tricks to plan and host a successful business event in New York.
Set a Budget
Your first step is to set a budget. Be realistic here. You might want to throw a grand party, but you might not be able to afford it. Do some initial research about costs for a venue, food, promotion, and other necessities, and determine what you can reasonably spend in each area. Then make a commitment to stick to that budget even if it means cutting back a bit on your event.
Make a Guest List
Next, make your guest list. You’ve probably already determined the scope of your event. Now you must decide precisely whom to invite. You’ll have to consider your budget here, of course, but also take into account potential rivalries, personality clashes, and other such issues that could create problems. Alternatively, you could open up your event to everyone associated with your business but ask for RSVPs to smooth out your planning process.
Take Care of the Details
Now it’s time to take care of the details. You have picked a date for your event, know how much you can spend and how big your event will be, so concentrate on booking a venue, hiring entertainment, and setting a menu. Look for a venue that fits the theme and scope of your event as well as your budget — an event center, perhaps, or a reserved room in a restaurant. For a larger party, you may want to hire entertainment, such as a band or speaker, but for something smaller, recruit some employees to put on a program of your own. Your menu could range from fun appetizers and snacks to a several-course meal.
Promote Your Event
If you’ve decided on an open event, you’re going to have to promote it, and you have a wide variety of choices here. You might write press releases, create promotional videos, or send out email blasts.
Facebook advertisements are another good promotional option. Facebook offers an ad maker that allows you to design your own ads with your text, logo, and branding, as well as your favorite fonts and colors. Add a special event page to your website as well with a prominent link on your home page.
Get Some Help
Finally, if all this is feeling a little overwhelming, consider getting some help. Hire freelancers to assist in promoting your event, for instance. Work with a recruiting agency to find talented folks who can help with design, marketing, and technology. The agency can send you a list of professionals in just a couple of days. You can also undertake to hire freelancers yourself, but this, compared to a staffing agency, can be time-consuming and costly.
Enjoy Your Event
A business event involves a lot of work. But when you’ve set your budget, made your guest list, set a date, taken care of the details, promoted the event, and hired some freelancers to help, you can sit back and enjoy your successful event. If all of it seems too overwhelming to plan it yourself, visit the Naif Productions website for more information on how we can help you plan your big event.
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This article was written by Gloria Martinez.
WE’D LOVE FOR YOU TO SHARE THIS IN YOUR NEWSLETTER OR WEBSITE BUT PLEASE INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING COMPLETE INFORMATION: Event Producer Strategist, Entrepreneur, Speaker, and Coach, Annette Naif, CEO & Creative Director of Naif Productions
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About Naif Productions:
Naif Productions is a strategic event planning, design and production firm specializing in corporate, live coaching sales events, social, non-profit, and weddings. Based in New York City, we produce events worldwide from Fortune 500 clients and coaches to families and charities. Naif Productions specializes in helping clients attain their goals, realize return on investment, and achieve the most unique, creative experiences.
About Annette Naif:
Since 1986 Annette Naif has been designing and producing custom events, helping clients create their unique style that translates into a memorable and profitable experience. Annette spent 17 years producing events in the motion picture industry where she helped coordinate numerous productions for film and episodic television programs. Since then Annette’s been running her own event production company, coaching other event planners, teaching an event operations and production course at NYU, and now is the CEO & Creative Director of Naif Productions.