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H olding an event is not something just for the big mega firms. It is a great opportunity for smaller companies to gain exposure, especially to local potential clients, and to sell itself without the pressure of an interview. Here are a few ways to make it a sure success. RSVP in the A/E/P If you are planning an event, pay attention to the details so that your firm can reap the full benefits of publicity, business development, and old-fashioned fun.
Christina Zweig
Planning an event takes time. Zweig Group holds a yearly event, the Hot Firm and A/E Industry Awards Conference. Planning for this event starts more than a year in advance (prior to the previous year’s conference even happening). Your firm’s event doesn’t need to be elaborate and overly time consuming, but be sure to give yourself enough time. We know that every marketing dollar counts. Make your firm’s event pay off – it should “Make your firm’s event pay off – it should eventually translate into new clients and better jobs. Open houses with bad Sam’s Club appetizers and cheap wine/beer do not usually do that.”
eventually translate into new clients and better jobs. Open houses with bad Sam’s Club appetizers and cheap wine/beer do not usually do that. Get specific with a targeted audience. Decide who you want to come and why they should come. Hosting a new product demo, holding a seminar or educational event, or bringing in some kind of entertainment can get people together. Friendly competition such as a chili cook-off, sports teams, or a 5K run is also a powerful incentive. A local firm we work with hosts an event called Catfish, Corndogs, & Cornhole. In addition to the event’s catchy name, it has plenty of good food and attending businesses form teams to compete in Cornhole, which is similar to horseshoes except players throw corn bags into wooden boxes. The event benefits the Boys and Girls Club, giving it
See CHRISTINA ZWEIG, page 10
THE ZWEIG LETTER April 18, 2016, ISSUE 1148
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