Using Events to Catapult Your Business (feat. Sherrie Sokolowski)

<p>Event planning can be a daunting task and knowing how to pull off a successful event can be even more difficult. What does someone need to start their own event to showcase their product or service and how do you start an event planning service? </p><p> </p><p>Essential questions are who are you going to target? What is going to be your startup cost? Who is going to run the operations and financials for the event? Lastly, you will need to know the marketing and resources available to get your event promoted. </p><p> </p><p>For many people, event planning is often left to the professionals. It takes a lot of work and can be overwhelming at times. An inexperienced planner will have all kinds of questions about the type of event, what kind of people are we targeting, and what are we going to talk about. Speakers, educators, promoters, sponsors, oh my! This can be exhausting just listing them; however, it isn’t an impossible task for you. With the right planning and research, you can pull this off yourself and showcase your successful product or service. </p><p> </p><p>Target The Right Market</p><p> </p><p>Why is targeting so important? The target is important because it allows you to hone in on what might be the most prolific. You wouldn’t invite techies to an event with no tech equipment. Decide whether or not it's going to be a corporate or social event. Knowing the type of event will keep people who might be interested in your product or service engaged and interested. </p><p><br>Know Your Startup Cost</p><p> </p><p>Knowing your startup cost is important because it gives you some insight into how successful your event was and prepares you for some unexpected situations. Some things to consider are the venue rent, the equipment you will need, inventory of your product, licenses or taxes, communication, advertising and promotion, attorneys, and insurance. </p><p> </p><p>Operations</p><p> </p><p>Research is the best way to mitigate risk. It is important to do your homework. Consider the time you have to