How to Begin Arranging a Corporate Hospitality Event

Great corporate hospitality is about providing a unique experience for your clients. A corporate hospitality event, if approached and planned properly, can enable you to build trust and rapport, which is the cornerstone of all business success.

But it doesn't happen by magic. Corporate Hospitality does not provide some miracle cure that guarantees clients will re-new a contract or invest in a new product. For it to deliver great results, you need to avoid the mistakes that most many companies make when looking to arrange a corporate hospitality event. You must begin by defining exactly what you want, both for your clients and the event itself.

Having the 'idea' to give clients a good day out is the easy part, after all the benefits are obvious:

• Quality Time - you can get to know your clients away from a business environment and share memorable and exciting experiences with them. Through this experience, you have the opportunity to discover things in common and see what they are like 'off-duty'.


• Create Loyalty - you are demonstrating that you value them highly. Your willingness to invest in a high profile hospitality event reflects your gratitude for the business they do with you and a desire to thank them.


• Networking - you have the chance to meet other members of the team and widen your circle of influence. The occasion may also give you and your clients the chance to network with other like-minded individuals and companies.


• Competitor Differentiation - you are demonstrating that you think differently about your customers compared to some of your competitors. This is especially true if you have the right attitude and approach.

But these benefits are, in themselves, not enough. You want a tangible outcome as result of your investment. And you are only going to get that if you apply the rules and approach it with the right mindset.

It's important, for example, to gain an understanding of your clients and their interests. Find out what their hobbies are, and then have a think about the types of events or sports packages which might interest them the most. If you can, try and find out the specifics of what they enjoy. For example, you may find you have a client who is interested in football; ideally you could also find out which teams (and even players) they are most enthused about. This will give you a greater understanding of your clients, and enable you to choose a corporate hospitality package or event best suited to them.

Finding out what interests your clients is a crucial first step in arranging a corporate hospitality event. By determining what interests them the most, you are on your way to arranging a corporate hospitality event which will be a resounding success in improving your business networking and relationships.