In this world where many of our modes of communication are so impersonal, it’s becoming increasingly important to find ways to connect with people face-to-face. There’s something different about talking to someone in person and having actual, real-time conversations with them that aren’t happening through Facebook or limited to a scant 140 characters. That’s why you might want to consider hosting an event for your business. You need face time to help you build lasting relationships with people.

But there’s more to hosting an event than simply buying a couple of bags of Doritos and saying “Hey!  We’re cookin’ some burgers, come on down!”  You’ve got to plan something that your guests will remember—something that will increase brand loyalty and generate new interest by adding to your customer base.

The key to hosting such an event is planning. A great event takes so. much. planning. Every year, GLAD WORKS hosts a Spooktacular, maybe you’ve heard of it, and we invite our clients and friends to attend. And it’s more than just a Halloween party. It’s the Awesomest Party Ever because we work really hard to make it that way. We have clear goals to help us meet our business objectives. This is not to say that it’s not about having fun, because it totally IS about everyone getting together and enjoying one another, but at the end of the day, it’s also about business and creating strong connections with current and prospective clients.

So, if you want to host an amazing event for fun and business, you have to sit down and ask yourself why you’re hosting the event in the first place. Do you want to create a buzz about a new product?  Do you want to get your name out there and show off your super cool store/office/studio?  Create an event that will help you meet those goals, whatever they may be.

Your goals, as always, will help you through your planning process. Just be sure to keep them in mind and don’t get carried away in the wrong direction. We get away with having a super fantastic Halloween bash because we’re a creative agency. People expect wild and creative things from us, but if you own something like a mortuary, perhaps Halloween isn’t the most appropriate thing for you. Try having…a garden party? Whatever you choose to do, make sure it’s going to resonate in a good way with your clients.

Keep in mind that a one-time only event won’t always achieve your goal. Sometimes you have to make it a long-term thing like our annual Halloween party. We do it every year because we’re always meeting and trying to meet new people. We have a large influx of people who haven’t been to our studio or met all the members of our team, so we love to have everyone in the same place at the same time to do a little networking. Plus, the party is more and more popular every year as the word gets out about how much fun it is!  It’s getting to the point now where clients look forward to attending every year and they invite their friends. Clearly, our goal here is to establish relationships and that has happened over time.

Once you’ve gotten your objectives all worked out, and you know what kind of an event you’re going to have, make sure you give people a reason to show up, because just being cool and excellent won’t make them want to come. You have to motivate people. We lure them in with prizes of wine and candy, but you can use whatever works for your demographic.

Keep in mind that even though events are a lot of work and planning and strategizing and whatnot, they’re also a ton of fun! And to demonstrate how much fun hosting an event can be, here’s the part where we share with you some pictures of our party highlights!

There were creepy crawly spiders scampering across the walls...

Potions were prizes for the best costumes.

Who let these fiends in? They gave us the creeps!

Occupy GLAD WORKS! The world needs more Gina and more coffee!