These days, having an impressive booth at a trade show is necessary, but shouldn’t be the only thing you plan for if you’re trying to nail new leads and impress customers. In an event full of competition, it’s important to give your loyal customers and potential leads the star treatment. VIP events are perfect for doing just that. Planning a special event will make it known that your customers mean a lot to you and that they’ll always be taken care of.

A great deal of time, effort and work must be put into everything from the planning, production, presentation, and post-show follow-up of throwing a VIP event at a trade show, but it’s worth it. Here is everything you need to consider when planning a successful event.

Start with the best of your best customers

If you run a business or own a brand, your VIP events should be targeted first and foremost to your most loyal customer base. Classify these customers by:

• How much money they spend
• Quantity of what they purchased
• If they’ve provided referrals to your business

It’s a win-win situation: these loyal customers get treated to a special event, while your brand becomes even more positive in their eyes.

How to get these loyal customers to attend the VIP event

Your most loyal customers probably follow your brand on social media. Creating a Facebook event page could be a great first step in getting the word out. These customers are also on your email and/or direct mailing lists. Send out email invitations and direct mail postcards to these people about your VIP event. It goes without saying that you have their first and last names, so take the time to personalize these invitations. (Example: Suppose one of your customer’s names is “Adam Jones.” Make it a point to address the email as “Dear Adam” or “Dear Mr. Jones.”) It’s a small but powerful hook to make each customer feel as though you are reaching out directly to them.

Stay organized

Make sure you build a landing page with a quick-and-easy RSVP form that links to all communication regarding the event. Additionally, send email “save-the-date” calendar invitations to those who RSVP’d with a “yes” so they know the exact date and place of the VIP event, along with how long it will run. They’ll also get reminder notifications the day of the event, which at a busy conference, is key. Those reminders will increase the chances of a good attendance turnout.  (Most successful events last between two-to-four hours.)

Consider partnering up

If you do business with certain vendors or know of another (non-competitive) brand that could benefit from the same kind of exposure you are seeking, consider inviting them in as partners to the VIP event. Businesses that go in on the same event would market it to their respective customers. Then, your core customer base sees the products and services of your partners – and vice versa. Your brand might attract customers you did not have before (and wind up with more names on the lead list), and a stronger foundation between the partnering businesses will be stronger.

Stand out from the other events

Check trade journals and websites to see when other VIP events are taking place. Schedule yours at an entirely different time, so that existing and potential customers won’t have to decide between two or more events to attend. Your VIP event will be the “only game in town,” and the one they will visit. Also, point out any special happenings at the event, such as a cocktail hour or dessert menu, to get increase attendee interest, excitement, and anticipation.

The VIP event is your party, you are the host, and the attendees are your guests

Now comes the part where a lot of energy and legwork is required. Make it a point to interact with your guests and be attentive to their needs. Remember, it’s not about the quantity of attendees at your event, but the quality. It’s imperative to be attentive and give a good impression. Assign one employee the task of gathering contact information from these attendees to monitor who attended versus who didn’t.

How the post-VIP event should even out

If you have done your homework and have monitored the attendees of your VIP event, they will most likely have had a great time and will become even stronger customers. And, if you decided to partner with another business for the event, you may gain leads who are interested in finding out more about your brand. Remember to follow up with “thank you” notes, either via email or traditional mail. You can ask them about their experience – what they thought of the event, the most memorable part, and even what can be improved upon. (This last one proves that you never settle, and are willing to take additional steps to make your customers happy.) To get them to take the survey, you can offer something as a reward, such as a special discount on your products or services.

Conclusion

As you can see, there is a lot to putting together a VIP event. But if you can invest the time, money, energy and effort, your brand will stand out in a very special way. (Trust us. We know from experience.)

If you want help in organizing a stand-out VIP event, contact us today!