Growing Your Business Through Successful Events

As female entrepreneurs, events play an important role in expanding our businesses. But event planning can seem daunting, especially if you've never done it before. In this blog, we'll break down key insights from our podcast with Female Fusion member Sally Porteous - founder of Red Lanyard and the Event Planners Workshop. Sally shares her expertise on using events strategically and overcoming common challenges.

Start with Defining Your Audience

Many make the mistake of choosing a venue or date first. But Sally emphasizes starting with who you want to serve and what you want to share. She recommends answering questions like: who is your audience and what do they need to know? This helps define the right environment, whether that's 10 people or 200. Quality of attendees matters more than quantity.

Cater for All Personality and Dietary Needs

When planning food, programming, and activities - think about accommodating introverts, extroverts, and those who prefer to observe. Vary between networking periods, presentations, and interactive elements to engage different personalities. And don't forget dietary restrictions like being gluten-free or vegan. People don't want to feel excluded.

Small Events Can Be Highly Impactful

Contrary to thinking big is best, Sally says a 20-person event done well can grow your business just as much as a larger conference. Focus on the experience through thoughtful touches like name tags or gift bags that become collector's items. Make every attendee feel special and immersed from the moment they arrive.

Facilitate Networking Through Matchmaking

While including networking is important, don't assume an activity like speed networking works for everyone. Sally recommends personally introducing shy newcomers to others. As host, look for those standing alone and connect them to an extrovert who can introduce them around. This eases the process.

Problem-Solving and Resilience Are Key

No matter the planning, issues will arise. Be ready to pivot plans or let technical difficulties go with grace. As long as you're present for your audience, the event can still succeed. And don't forget the debrief - use lessons learned to continuously improve your events. With the right mindset, any challenge can be overcome.

By following Sally's guidance, you'll be well-equipped to grow your business through successful, memorable events. Focus on your audience experience from start to finish to boost engagement and results.