The secret of success of any event: Let your guests have a good time

Very often, we get so caught up with planning a great event that we forget the what the guests are looking for in an event: a good time.

For sure, event objectives such as generating brand awareness, driving through a specific message about the company or a service are essential but giving the guests a good time at your event can help transcends these key objectives. Ask "What do you want the takeaway feeling of your event to be?"

Your guests may have attended many events over time: from meetings to product launches, gala dinners to an outdoor sports event. It is important to let them have good time at your event, to let the pleasure of being in your event lingers on as an unforgettable souvenir.

The idea that people want to have a good time at events may not seem like surprising news. Perhaps what really matters is what planners and guests consider to be a good time. Instead admiring the impressive decorations and the latest audiovisual equipment, the razzmatazzÂ…, they’re more likely to be interacting among themselves, sharing a joke or two or even having a cigarette together.

Some food for thoughts
People have been well pampered during events, have had enough of over-the-top hors d’oeuvres. They want an interesting environment with interesting people and great music, and to walk away feeling like they had a great time.

That doesn’t mean good food isn’t a priority. Standards are still high as far as the menu goes. A certain level of quality in food is still expected.

An event still needs to have all the elements. It doesn’t have to be caviar and foie gras, but it can’t be just a few slices of cheese on a platter. Be creative and practical, for example, spiced finger-foods served on coloured or uniquely shaped trays, healthy vegetable sticks (such as carrot, cucumber, celery) with an exquisite sauce. People know that at an open bar, there is still a limitation to the types of drinks being served, try getting a special concoction to give the bar a special touch.

A complete package
People just want the overall feeling that they are having a good time at the event; and it’s good enough to make them want to stay there. That includes providing a program that will do just that: activities, entertainment, food, the overall event setting. Sometimes in the package, the organiser may think more in the food or the entertainment than in the overall ambience of the event.

Build a good ambience by providing activities for "networking" such as organising group activites, games or puzzles. Welcome the attendees warmly and ensure that they interact among themselves. The contact between the attendees are also a key component to ensure that they have a good time.

The sense of humor
Absolutely essential, humor is without doubt, the most effective way to give a memorable and entertaining experience. They are many ways to provide humor: a comedy show (can adapt its theme to the event or the company,3), a false waiter, a comedian that mingles with the crowd, etcÂ… If you don’t want a performance, you can consider the option of having an emcee that has a good sense of humor while bringing the guests through the program of the event. This person will set the flow of the event and can give pleasant moments through the event. However, humor has a sense of risk since humor varies differently among people. A comedian who does not manage to get the audience to laugh can be an embarrasing scene. Do some trials before hiring the show to ensure that it is the best option to provide some light moments in the event.

Creativity in event concept
Today, guests know what makes a great event-after all, they’ve seen what the event industry can offer, every event tries to be original and gives a lasting impression. Each detail has to be original, funky and creative. Creativity covers all the elements of the event: from the site selection to the decoration, the program, the food to the general ambience of the event.

Invitations
Invitations need to give a reason for guests to want to attend an event. People are looking for some sort of entertainment. They also need a clear reason about the event and why attend it-events-for-the-sake-of events are not constructive for neither the companies who organise it nor for the time-conscious guests. An invitation can be designed with a teaser or an interesting artwork related to the theme of the event. Make it attractive or sometimes, even humorous to get people’s attention.

Music
Music is one of the important element to set the tone and mood for an event with minimal budget. Planners are using a wide selection of music, from pipe-in music, live performance and the sound-scaping to set the right tone, vary the flow and the intensity of event.

Settings with surprises
Even the small details can affect the mood of an event: Unique shapes and sizes for plates, flatware and glassware can add to an event’s ambience. People are expecting to see novelties that are far from the usual event rental equipment. Even waiters and service personnel are dressed according to the event theme: uniforms, tuxedos and fun costumes.

The next time you start planning for your next event, apart from thinking how you can achieve the key objectives, make "give the guests a good time" part of these objectives too.