Effective Business Events Blog   •   16th October, 2018

At Effective Business Events we pride ourselves in creating events and occasions that people remember for the right reasons. We always include hundreds of extra little touches, things that are not necessarily essential, but little thins are noticed and make a huge difference to an event. Over the years we have found that this has resulted in creating the most memorable occasions, with feedback including ‘even the car park exit tokens were taken care of…’ (UPS logistics) and if it saves a little cost, well that always goes down very well too.

There are a lot of obvious things to consider when planning and event, wet weather contingency, special diets being catered for and invitation detail. But it’s the little touches that make an event really special and truly memorable for the guests.

Did you advise them to bring flat soled shoes for the walk across the cobbled streets in the city tour, or perhaps the tie required for gentlemen at the evening dinner. Who has the spare phone chargers and travel adaptors?

It is the Little Things Make The Biggest Difference…

Here are just 50 of our top tips to make the perfect event which your guests will remember forever.

• Always provide a basket of toiletries in the cloakrooms including plasters for blisters, hairbrush & hair clips, deodorant and sanitary
• If it’s likely to be hot at your event, have several bottles of sun lotion available from low to high Also vary the brands as guests may be allergic to some.
• Mosquito repellent is always great to have handy in locations that may have them.
• If you are holding an event where ladies will be dancing possibly in heels, why not provide a basket of flip-flops or roll-up ballet shoes, that they can change into when their feet get tired later in the evening
• Always take a couple of spare pairs of cuff-links and shirt studs to black tie events – there are often gentlemen that forget them with their dinner
• The same applies to bow ties for black tie events and ties in general which may be required at some golf clubs and dining venues throughout the
• We have a general needlework kit that has been used on many a Gala evening. It contains buttons, safety pins, different coloured cottons, needles and pins for emergency repairs.
• “Please don’t take my drink I’m dancing!” printed bespoke coasters are a fun way of making sure drinks are not cleared from the tables while your guests are enjoying themselves on the dance
• When you have a large group staying in a hotel, try and brand the bedroom keycards or the card holders with the company name for that personal touch. It’s amazing how often guests look at their bedroom key and it costs very little.
• Remember Hotels the world over are governed by Computers. It’s worth ensuring that all your instructions for your whole event are listed – from early bedroom check-in’s to late bedroom check-outs, billing instructions, master accounts and access times for sub-contractors and suppliers.
• Keep a selection of plug adaptors from around the world to assist any guests who have forgotten theirs, there’s always at least one and concierge may not have
• Take 4-6 gang extension leads with USB ports to all events especially when abroad as this reduces the number of travel adaptors you require and also assists people to charge their mobile phones and tablets quickly and easily without a USB plug.
• Purchase a multi-phone charger to assist guests who need to charge their phone but have left their own charge at home. Remember that not everyone has an
• Everyone thinks of bringing an Umbrella in case it rains. But poncho’s may be more relevant depending on the nature of the event and are much cheaper and able to be
• Don’t forget about wind. Everyone remembers rain contingency and temperature, but you really don’t want to try and set up a beautiful outdoor space and have decorative candles and possible fireworks in the wind. It’s as big a factor as
• Supply name badges with pins as well as clips so as not to ruin dress fabrics. If using lanyards, have the names in large clear letters so people can easily read without squinting at other guest’s chests!
• When someone arrives unannounced or with a different name spelling a portable printer is your life line and so much better than tape or a felt
• Don’t forget the blank and spare name cards and places for this purpose.
• If you are providing a welcome drink of white wine or Champagne for example in a hotel bedroom, make sure the hotel can chill the wine and provide, wine buckets and bottle openers in advance. If not, order some in the client’s colours or logo as an additional souvenir of the trip
• Does the room have a fridge or ice machine nearby? You’re probably not expecting the guests to drink a whole bottle at one sitting?!
• Room drop letters and daily room gifts are a nice touch at a multi-day event, re-confirming the next day’s schedule with a gift to take home or eat/drink. Even if you have an event app, people always appreciate a letter! Generalise them ‘Dear Colleague’ will reduce any mis room placements by hotel
• Always familiarise yourself with the local area – banks, cash points, souvenirs, newsagents, post office, Irish pub, pharmacy so guests can get cash, buy painkillers and any other medicines or requirements they might need during their Tourist maps cost nothing and are always a useful thing to have in your pocket or handbag.
• Have a spare selection of IT leads and lap top accessories, including HDMI
• Provide cold bottles of water for transfers and event trips. You can get these branded, again at low cost if
• The British enjoy a cup of tea and everyone seems to like having tea and coffee making facilities in their room, so take tea bags to events abroad – and check this requirement especially for British
• Hotels also want to charge you for housekeeping, we have organised very successful ‘ironing rooms’ in the past, saving guests great expense in destinations such as Monaco and
• People love gifts, even small ones. A souvenir of the destination will be well-received, even consumables such as local pastries, sweets or cake – a Viennese torte for example, or a Provence wine. More tangible gifts include coffee table books and
• Try and ensure that gifts are of a reasonable quality and appropriate, it says a lot about your brand and Some decent binoculars on a safari are a great idea, a chic shopping bag in Monaco has worked well in the past. Flip flops for the beach in Barbados with your logo on the sole is a fun and practical gift, at low cost.
• In this digital age, people really enjoy receiving information in the post. For a travel incentive trip, send a travel wallet with passport holders, luggage tags, an itinerary and guide book which can be used again and
• Pay attention to menu’s and choice. Guests don’t want chicken every night and where possible offer a choice, Buffets are a good way of achieving this, but make sure there are several stations to avoid
• Guests and delegates always feel more special provided with own transport. Coaches and minibuses are good but your own luxury saloon from an airport to a hotel is always
• Ever thought of having VIP guests own cars cleaned during an event? Imagine the impact and surprise when the get back into their gleaming vehicle. It will have much greater value than the £25.00
• During Conference planning always build in hidden time buffers, presentations almost always overrun and if they don’t it’s easy to extend a coffee break or lunch. Perhaps finish early and give delegates time for emails and personal time. No-one is going to
• Hard wire your internet connection, why take the risk if it’s needed for important
• Give your presenters and A/V crew plenty of time to rehearse, change slide decks and rehearse again. This always takes longer than expected, so be ready the day or evening before if
• Explore all branding opportunities if it’s We’ve mentioned bedroom keys and gifts, don’t forget pictures on walls, footprints (which also act as creative signage) on the floor and the lifts. Branding opportunities are almost limitless in hotels and venues.
• Contingency meeting planning rooms, just for when your CEO needs to hold an unannounced board meeting or Have a couple of small rooms on hold complimentary from the hotel.
• Expect the unexpected we’ve had issues in the past with mattresses being too hard and too soft (we swapped them over) and a weak TV signal for World Cup football, resulting a cable being dropped from a room two storey’s There’s always a solution.
• Don’t forget Stugeron, it’s a magic tablet for sea sick Take the guidelines and details, but your guests will love you forever if you remember to have these on request pre cruise, for anyone who has forgotten their own.
• Try and apply as many ‘What if’ scenario’s as you can…what if the flight is cancelled, what if there’s a power cut, what if the main speaker is ill and so on….then plan a
• Never just do tea, coffee and biscuits breaks, there’s a whole world of more interesting energy inducing, items out there. Chocolate brownies and fruit, energy bars and ice cream, branded cup cakes and punch bowls full of soft drinks for delegates to help themselves to when they
• Remembered mints and water on the table, great, now add some ‘Celebrations’ and ‘Heroes’ to the tables as well. They probably enhance the Conference theme and everyone loves them
• Change the feel of a Hotel Conference room really quickly and easily by changing the shape of the walls – use drapes to create a huge tent type feel, Olive trees and flowers to add an outdoor vibe, scent boxes at Christmas and effective Appeal to as many different senses as you can.
• Nothing worse, well there are a lot of things worse, but it’s frustrating leaving a car park with the token or the code, same as a golf day with a Provide these for your guests it takes a lot of trouble away.
• Hospitality and reception desks are another great place to provide a bowl of sweets, a phone charging station, some water, spare pens, newspapers and a telephone. Consider your role as a personal concierge an the venue as Business class lounge at an
• Check your CEO’s allergies and preferences, it’s always a If they love Rioja, good idea to have it on the Gala dinner night.
• Problem – Your client wants a seated dinner with no table plan and yet you have several dietary requirements. Solution provide special diets with their own place card when they walk into the room to place in front of them for the waiters benefit during The waiting staff all have a dietary list in advance. Problem solved.
• Very few people smoke these days, but for those who do and assuming it is aligned with company policy having a couple of packs of cigarettes and cigars is a good idea
• It is very important that you have some local culture knowledge, for example in Dubai, Morocco and other Islamic states alcohol may be an issue. In China the colour Red is considered Language may be an issue across the world and especially in Japan, where there is a whole raft of cultural issues.
• How do you manage Jet lag? We’ve had masseurs around the pool and in the Spa on incentive group arrivals in the past, a large Marguerita cocktail on arrival also seems to work! In general, if anyone has flown over a 5-hour time difference, give them at least half a day to recoverSometimes the little things make the biggest difference and although possibly not noticed directly, will all add up to make an event fantastic!Now read our golden rules for client relationship building for more ideas for Event Management.