Why Should Your Company Offer Corporate Entertainment At Events? Corporate Event Entertainment Inspiration!

Why should your company offer corporate entertainment for your customers, clients and suppliers? Simple; loyalty.

Or more accurately, cost-effective retention rates. Research reported by business giant Forbes suggests that

"A 5% increase in customer retention can increase a company's profitability by 75%".

Add to this the fact that,

"80% of your company's future revenue will come from just 20% of your existing customers"

...You can see why it's so important to keep your existing customers happy.

So, why not delight them with something special above the norm of discounts, newsletters and Christmas cards, and give them a day (or night) to remember! And it's not just customers who benefit. Enjoyable corporate events help also reinforce brand values with your employees, and reward them for a job well done in trying times.

What Makes A Great Corporate Event?

What makes a great corporate event? Is it the venue, the food, the open bar - or the entertainment? Chances are, long after your event has passed, the one element most attendees will remember is… the entertainment. Here's a few hints from the experienced team here at Alive Network on how to make that entertainment memorable for all the right reasons!

Promote Your Business Or Reward Your Customers

Start with a goal for your corporate event, and why you want your customers to attend. If it's to highlight new products or services, or launch your new gizmo, it's business first. Any corporate entertainment should support and enhance your brand message. If it's for pleasure, to reward and to build better relationships, the emphasis should be on innovative, fun ways to delight your customers. Branding can take a back seat for the evening.

Show Them You Know Them

You already probably know a lot about your customers in terms of their position in their company, and what and how they buy. Your sales team should be able to flesh that out to include their age, their demographics and their interests. Then, tailor your entertainment to those you are inviting. Young guns will probably prefer more high octane entertainment such as top DJs or fusion/funk bands, while senior CEOs might appreciate an internationally experienced soul bands or Rat Pack act instead. However, don't be drawn into stereotypes; CEOs can be aged 26, and start up entrepreneurs 60+!

Practice Lateral Thinking

Think outside the box to make sure your venue fits your event style. Is the venue famous, or unusual, or just plain wacky? Is it elegant, sophisticated, exclusive? Then your entertainment should match. Equally, the space should be suitable; if you want a full dancing after dinner, there must be space for the tables, the dance floor and - the band. If you want aerial artists, they will have specific height requirements. And if you want an innovative magic act to amaze, don't stick them on a stage at the end of a large banqueting space where nobody can see their hands!

Practice Controlling Budgets

You don't need a huge budget to make a big impact with corporate entertainment, and you certainly don't need to book well-known acts. There are superb close-up magicians who are not Dynamo, great singers who are not Adele, and plenty of top UK function bands that you've never even heard of. Yes, the more experienced artists at Alive Network will charge more, but every band and every singer has to start somewhere. Book a less-established artists and you might just get tomorrow's Big Thing - feel free to ring the team at Alive Network to discuss the best acts for your budget.

Is Less More?

Yes - and no. If you have a diverse group of customers to entertain for a whole event, day or night, offering a variety of activities ensures there is quite literally something for everyone. For formal dinners, offer some entertainment for those who might not want to dance after dinner in a side room - a James Bond themed casino, arcade games or simulators, or a 'quiet' zone with beanbags, sofas, cocktail bar and a chillout set from a DJ or electric string quartet. On eh other hand, don’t feel you need wall-to-wall music or entertainment 24/7 – a break to talk and network is important too.

Create On Target & On Message Events

Just because your company event is about fun, it doesn't mean you can't include subtle references to your brand or business. Introduce celebrity lookalikes to hand out branded items, or commission a bespoke version of a well-know song for your function band that includes fun references to customers and staff. Whatever you do, ensure every aspect of your event is on message to your company ethics and image.

For all your corporate entertainment needs, call Alive Network first. With over 4000 acts on our books, and new ones added every week, we have the expertise and experience to create stunning corporate entertainment packages to your exact requirements.

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