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event is an ideal venue to solidify your brand identity. And to make an event spectacular, it does not (necessarily) have to be outrageously expensive. It simply has to be meticulously planned with the brand in mind at every step and expertly executed.

To be clear, customer events do cost money. However, the face-to-face connection achieved at events is invaluable. If you calculate the time and cost of travel to each of the clients, a cost savings can generally be realized by having a single event.

Hosting an event in conjunction with a trade show or other industry event can be an ideal solution. Note that while a trade show booth is an important cornerstone of any marketing and brand awareness program, a truly memorable event catapults the branding of your business to the next level.

The type of event can run the gamut customer cocktail receptions, investor meetings, business forecasting seminars, sporting events, conferences, workshops, forums, product demonstrations, and the like all are excellent forums for personal communication with customers. The key is to keep the brand identity in sharp focus at all times.

When planning your event, first, consider the target audience and their interests. Whether you are targeting a business or consumer audience, consider the interests of the people who will be your customers. Sports, healthcare, consumer products talk to your sales staff and get to the root of what they talk to customers about when they are not talking business. Then, take it a step further. Instead of simply taking them to a sporting event, have your customers golf with a professional athlete, or, for very special clients, perhaps offer a racecar driving school outing. Remember, however, to always keep the brand tone, look and feel and the nature of your business in focus when planning your event.

Note that it is also crucial to consider the sales and marketing angle for events. Coming on too strong with a sales pitch or simply bringing a stack of annual reports to an event can usurp the bank of goodwill created by the event. The key is to make it memorable, and to solidify the relationship. You may want to have a celebrity or political figure meet with your customers, and a professional photographer available to take photographs providing the opportunity to deliver the photos, preferably in person, after the event. A word of caution, however: some celebrities are not good with the public. Be sure that whoever is representing your company will be

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