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TTENDING KNOWLEDGE-            the details. For example, you may need                                                                                                                      your company’s executives,
                  building sessions like seminars,   to reserve your venue, catering, and                                                                                                                    other business leaders and
                  conferences, and webinars is   vendors a few months to maybe even a                                                                                                                        execs, authors, and motivational
          an excellent way to network, increase   year in advance. It all depends on your                                                                                                                    speakers, and a trade show will
          your business acumen, and advance your   location and event size and whether you                                                                                                                   require vendors and room for
          career. But have you considered hosting   want to invite speakers or other well-                                                                                                                   trade-show booths.
          one yourself? Holding an event can     known personalities.
          help you boost your exposure, position                                                                                                                                                             The format you pick can also
          yourself as an authority, and reach a   Settle on specifics                                                                                                                                        inform whether you would
          larger audience, much in the way that                                                                                                                                                              want to settle on a virtual or
          powerhouse events like the National    It’s crucial that you pick a target                                                                                                                         in-person event; each has its
          Association of REALTORS® Conference &   audience for your event, whether it’s                                                                                                                      pluses and minuses. In-person
          Expo, Inman Connect, and the biannual   clients, business leaders in your industry,                                                                                                                events allow for face-to-face
          National Association of Personal Financial   or leaders across industries. If your                                                                                                                 networking and may facilitate
          Advisors National Conferences do for their   target audience or demographic is too                                                                                                                 more interactions between
          industries. If you were to develop an event   generalized, you might have difficulty                                                                                                               participants, but they may
          of your own that can instruct and provide   generating interest and your event may                                                                                                                 be hindered by COVID-19
          value to its attendees, you could use it   fall flat. Once you know your target                                                                                                                    restrictions and require more
          to create exposure for your brand and   audience, you can customize your event                                                                                                                     time and money to account
          expand your influence.                 for their needs and interests and get                                                                                                                       for travel, lodging, and food.
                                                 additional information you can use to                                                                                                                       A virtual event could provide
          Should you decide to plan an event of your   market your event.                                                                                                                                    flexibility and savings for both
          own, one caveat is not to aim too big when                                                                                                                                                         you and attendees and may
          starting out since its planning will involve   Pick your format                                                                                                                                    reduce the possibility of COVID-
          multiple variables and you could face a                                                                                                                                                            related delays or cancellations,
          learning curve. To ensure success, you   You will also need to set your event’s                                                                                                                    but it could limit participants’
          could first plan a gathering for a limited   format, such as a webinar, trade show,                                                                                                                interaction and engagement.
          group of participants and host a bigger   or conference, since each has its
          one next time. For instance, you could offer   benefits. Webinars and conferences are                                                                                                              Other details you’ll need to
          a webinar to gauge demand and follow up   useful for sharing information and can                                                                                                                   determine include where
          with a poll of your database to see what   help you establish yourself as a thought                                                                                                                and when to host your event,
          type of event would most interest them.  leader in your industry, while a trade                                                                                                                    the platform you will use if
                                                 show can help develop sales leads.                                                                                                                          hosting virtually, how many
          If there is enough interest and you decide   Each type of event will have its own                                                                                                                  attendees to invite or accept,
          to move ahead and start planning, give   requirements. For example, a webinar                                                                                                                      your event schedule, any food
          yourself plenty of time to set and finalize   may benefit from skilled speakers like                                                                                                               and drinks you will be serving,





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