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Do you ever get the idea to throw a wonderful party, but worry that no one will actually come? The sentiment is just the same for work events as it is for your social life. Local business people need to network and get to know each other in an effort to build up the community, and yet, those very same business people are terrified to send out the invitations. Planning a networking event doesn’t have to be scary.<\/p>\n
Last night, a lot of hard work came to fruition at the\u00a0Crystal Coast Bridal Alliance’s<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0first member networking event, and it was a huge success. The Crystal Coast Bridal Alliance is a local organization dedicated to promoting the best wedding professionals to brides who dream of getting married on the Crystal Coast. After a wildly successful first four months, it was time for the members to get to know each other. Our marketing experts planned a night to remember, and you can steal some of our secrets.<\/p>\n 1. Define your goals.<\/strong>\u00a0The\u00a0Crystal Coast Bridal Alliance<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0was surprised to know that many local wedding vendors weren’t familiar with each other. Most had close relationships with a few other wedding professionals, sometimes even putting packages together for brides to get discounts when they used preferred vendors. What a mutually beneficial relationship! Doesn’t everyone deserve that? The goal of the networking event was to get these industry experts in the same room, creating more of these great relationships that benefit the business and the brides just the same.<\/p>\n 2. Know what success is to you.<\/strong>\u00a0For some, a networking event should be a full blown affair, and the party isn’t a success without 100 RSVPs. But for others, an intimate gathering is more appropriate. You’ll never be satisfied with your results if you set your metrics out of your reach. Define your guest list, then decide how many you would expect to come out and support. Whether it’s 20 or 200, you define your event’s success.<\/p>\n 3. Reach out for RSVPs.<\/strong>\u00a0There is no perfect formula for getting people to RSVP in a timely fashion, but here’s how it worked for the\u00a0Bridal Alliance<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n For some, this might be overkill. For others, it isn’t enough. But again, you define your own success. If you’re getting a lot of “maybe’s,” you may require another call or two. But the most important part is a reminder the morning of. After all, we are all human, and we sometimes forget.<\/p>\n 4.\u00a0Embrace trades and sponsorships.<\/strong>\u00a0Depending on the size of your event, you may be able to organize a trade agreement with vendors who provide a service for your event. The Crystal Coast Bridal Alliance Member Networking Event was held in the Morehead City Train Depot, a property owned by approved alliance member, Morehead City Parks and Recreation. The Train Depot is a gorgeous, revitalized historic property that can be rented out for weddings and other events, and this proposed the perfect opportunity to showcase how the space could be transformed.<\/p>\n 5. Step away from the Power Point.<\/strong>\u00a0There’s nothing wrong with having important information to convey to your audience. After all, you invited everyone for a reason. But if you want people to remember your event, you should err on the side of “party” rather than “meeting”. Cue the delicious hors d’oeuvres from\u00a0Bistro By-The-Sea<\/a><\/strong>, wine from\u00a0Promise’ Land Market<\/strong><\/a>, and decor from\u00a0Charming & Quaint<\/strong><\/a>. These amazing local vendors and alliance members created a warm, welcoming atmosphere that encouraged great conversation and a lot of fun.<\/p>\n 6. Get social.<\/strong>\u00a0If you have enough people running your event that you can dedicate one person to\u00a0live tweeting<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/strong><\/a>, that’s great! But if not, it’s ‘more important to get involved with one-on-one conversations rather than running around with your nose in a phone. Get a few pictures of the set up, the crowd, and some nice photos of your attendees, then post afterwards to thank everyone for coming out. People love to see the pictures the next day, and it will show others how much fun your events are if they want to attend in the future.<\/p>\n To learn more about event marketing, check out these other great articles:<\/p>\n 9 Reasons You Need Event Marketing<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Event Marketing for the Adventure Industry\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nHow to Plan a Successful Networking\u00a0Event<\/h2>\n
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