When, how and where to schedule seminars and networking events can be tough. Here are some areas to remember when you are scheduling your own events.
Do
1. For business events, use a professional on-line scheduler, like Eventbrite. Make certain your scheduling site gives you a professional landing page and the social links your audience are likely to use. (Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn at a minimum.)
2. Consider time of day carefully. When is your audience most likely to have time to attend. Morning? Lunch? Evening? Schedule accordingly.
3. Give yourself plenty to time to plan and market your event. Make sure you have at least three weeks to market most events. Seminars can require more time, 4-6 weeks at least.
Don’t
1. Schedule too close to holiday weekends or the “back to school” time. People are generally too distracted during those times to remember to register or attend. The exception, of course, is if your event is holiday-related.
2. Charge your guest speakers an attendance fee. Even if your budget is tight, it’s just not done.
3. Use a cheap venue. Free is always good, but sometimes you really do get what you pay for. Remember that people need to be able to hear themselves and a speaker, if any. I recently attended a seminar in a bar. It was impossible to hear the people I tried to network with, and the seating for the seminar part of the evening was too cramped. Oh, yeah, and the sound system didn’t work, so we couldn’t hear most of the panelists.
Anyone else have any suggestions from your own experience, whether as speaker, attendee or organizer?
Tags: Networking Events