Guide to Effective Corporate Events

Preparing the business case

Participating / hosting events is a costly exercise. It is therefore important to carefully consider the rationale behind attending. You should be clear in your own mind that the event is the right activity.

Does it meet your objectives, and more importantly, the objectives of your organisation. Do you have the internal resources to carry through the project or will you need to use external suppliers? Do you have sufficient funds, or could you utilise the budget more effectively on other PR activities? It is therefore advisable to draw up a plan, and in doing so consider the following questions:

• what are the objectives?
• what are the cost implications - is there a budget?
• who is your target audience?
• where is your client base?
• is there a theme, if so, what? (remember, this is one of KDL's specialities, so ask - we've got so much creativity you could wrap it in fur and call it a ferret.)
• do you need an internal sponsor?
• what is the format?
• do you require entertainment?
• what are the time scales - are they achievable?
• can you manage the event yourself, or do you need extra resource? (KDL's event management services can certainly take the strain here)
• what information can the organisers / suppliers provide to demonstrate previous success?
• what level of response / exposure do you expect to achieve?
• is the event sponsored by a reputable or known organisation?
• who else is planning to attend - reputable companies, respected competition etc.?

Finally consider whether you could achieve similar or better results, at less cost, by undertaking other PR activities, such as:

• focused direct mail campaigns,
• running a targeted seminar, or
• assisting sales people to focus on the appropriate audience.