Running an event on a shoestring

Whether you’re looking to show off your expertise, launch a new product or build your connections, a well-organized event is a great way to reinforce or convey your brand message. And it doesn’t have to cost the earth.

First things first

Whatever your budget, your priority has to be making your attendees happy. This means getting to the core of why they’re coming, and what you can do to help them get the most out of the event. On a smaller budget, you might only be able to do one thing really well, but if you’ve taken the time to understand your audience, you’ll be in a great position to give them just what they want.

Alongside booking your venue, arranging refreshments, and lining up speakers, you need to get the word about your event out there. Although you might not be able to do lots on a tighter budget, it’s all about maximizing impact. If you know what is and isn’t working, you can save yourself plenty of money and plan much more effectively for the future.

Let’s get digital

Digital marketing can be measured every step of the way. Not only that, it’s relatively cheap and can give you much greater exposure than some of the more traditional channels.

We’d recommend social media as a great outreach tool, blogging to help build authority and thought leadership, and email to communicate regularly with those who’ve confirmed their attendance. Services like Eventbrite can make it easier for people to find and register for your events on mobile and online, as well as helping you manage the process.

Going live

Depending on the nature of your business and the tightness of your budget, you might call on family, friends or other volunteers on the day. College students looking for some valuable work experience can also be a good bet. Always try to negotiate the best possible deal with your venue, and consider finding a sponsor to increase your budget.

Think about things you can do for yourself rather than paying suppliers to do them, but do consider the impact on your time – is it worth it? Remember that it’s better to do fewer things well than too many things not quite so well, so concentrate on the basics (the essential facilities, working technology and so on) and those reasons for coming that you identified early on. It might be tempting to cut corners when you’re on a limited budget, but it could be more damaging financially in the long run.

What’s next?

There are lots of great, and cost-effective, ways to follow up with your attendees – essential for building event loyalty. Why not encourage them to share photos and key moments using the event’s hashtag, or bring out your highlights in a post-event blog? A ‘thanks for joining us’ email is a good way of staying in touch, and a post-event survey shows your attendees that you’re interested to hear about – and learn from – their experiences. And why not use your post-event comms to build interest in next year’s event – you have a readymade audience, after all!

Eventbrite is an online ticketing company that makes it easier for people to create events of any size and budget.

Written on:

12 Aug 2014

Categories:

Networking