How to Make Your Event Memorable

Crystal was looking forward to this weekend. Her company had given her the task of organizing this year's big corporate meeting and the event was nearing. Many of Crystal's colleagues had sarcastically commented on "How lucky she was to be stuck with the enviable job of organizing this year's corporate drudgery", but Crystal was excited. She was determined to make this year's meeting a bit different and memorable; an event, she felt, would change the attitude and atmosphere where she worked.

People are...People

If you are taking the time to read this, you are probably much like Crystal. The people you work around are no different than any other workplace; they dread going to organizational gatherings. Your fellow employees (or those who work for your clients) can't stand the idea of being stuck in meeting rooms all day then forced to mingle and network with people they don't know while knowing they will eventually be forced to listen to that same old speech that has been given for the past 5 years. Blah, Blah, Blah! In all fairness, who does want to go to a boring corporate event? Nobody! (well, maybe there are a few we know)

What makes an event Memorable?

Back a few years ago I worked for a company as a marketing director, while I was there, the company experienced a tough financial run. As the holidays neared, it was obvious there would be no bonuses for anyone; the money just wasn't there. The small holiday gathering, which was initially planned to take place at a local hotel, had to be cancelled. The CEO of the company walked around the building like the Grinch himself telling all the employees "There won't be a Christmas this year. We don't have any money so there is no party" I immediately called a meeting of all employees and put together an in office gathering which each person contributed some sort of food dish to. What occurred that day is memorable, the uplifting, internal and external human emotion of the people that gathered in spite of the grumpy CEO. What makes an event memorable? The feeling of good will and excitement!

How To Make Your Events Memorable

How will you make your next sales retreat, association meeting or corporate function an event your guests will always remember? The answer is quite simple...make it unique, fun and exciting, offer outstanding and interesting forms of entertainment!

This is why Crystal was so excited about the corporate event she planned. For years her company had a dinner and then a DJ that hung around and played music for a few hours. Some of her co-workers would sit at their tables talking business and having cocktails while most would just leave, go to the bar or retire for the night to their hotel rooms. Crystal wanted to "keep the group together" while still being able to craftily offer up her boss's corporate message. She had something really different and special planned...

Initially, Crystal worried, (like many planners) concerned about hiring entertainment for their functions. She was justifiably concerned that the material covered by the act she hired would not be corporate friendly and appropriate.

She had the considered a magician and worried that he would be pulling quarters from behind the guests ears and making bad jokes. Juggling would be cool, but how long would that keep the attention of the guests and is a flame throwing baton act really completely safe? Since it was an indoor event she felt that would not work. Crystal had been to boring events and had previous experiences with an unprofessional performer as well as horror stories from colleagues.

However, she knew it was important to keep in mind that the right entertainment would add tremendous value to her event and make it a fun, memorable positive function.

The right entertainment gets your group involved, working together as a cohesive team. It will get them laughing and feeling good about the event you carefully planned. Quite possibly, the most important thing that providing the right entertainment will do for you is allow you to creatively relay your events message to your group.

When creating a positive event with entertainment, it is important to remember the following:

1. The entertainment should be corporate friendly. The performance should be clean and free of inappropriate comments.

2. Your guests should not be humiliated in any way, shape or form.

3. The act should have good intent. Getting your audience laughing together is a wonderful thing, but the laughter should not be at the expense of others.

4. The entertainment you hire should be novel and creative. No one wants to see the same thing they have seen before! You want to bring your audience something that is new, something which to hold their interest.

Keeping these four things in mind, as Crystal did, you can make your next event a memorable function that not only succeeds in entertaining your audience, but if you decide, can also support your events message and objectives! What s great return on your investment!

Russ Clarke is President of RLO Productions LLC. RLO Productions provides outstanding entertainment for corporate events with the Russ Clarke Comedy Hypnosis Show. Russ can be contacted at 866-570-3544.