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6 Different Types of Corporate Events

Jacob Brain

Author

There are many different types of corporate events. But depending on your goals and how much corporate event marketing experience you have, not all of them will be right for you. For example, if it’s your first event, I wouldn’t suggest hosting a panel of five guests with a live webinar. However, I would suggest hosting a small roundtable or seminar.

In this blog, we’re going to walk through six different types of events so you can see which ones would be right for you.

Roundtable

A roundtable is typically a smaller event of under 20 participants who participate in a group discussion on a topic. At New North, our Events at the Assembly series is made up of roundtables and seminars. Typically, our roundtables have one or two subject experts from the local community. A roundtable is a good starter event if you’re comfortable with group discussions and guiding the conversation of a group of people.

The corporate event marketing process for roundtables is a little more tailored than it would be for larger events. Because the discussion usually only lasts an hour or two, attendees most likely won’t be willing to travel from far away. Your marketing should be targeted to your local community. Personal invitations are a great way to make sure that all of your attendees will get something useful out of the discussion.

Seminar

A seminar is what I think of as your “classic event.” It’s what people usually think of when they hear the word, “corporate event.” You have one speaker who gives a presentation to group of 20 people or more. Seminars tend to be larger than roundtables (at least, they should be if you want to avoid the uncomfortable moments that occur when a presenter only has two people to present to).

There are a few different ways to go about having a seminar. If you’re comfortable speaking in front of an audience and also have expertise in a desirable topic, you can be the featured speaker in the presentation. However, corporate event marketing for an event where you’re the speaker will be slightly more difficult. When you co-host or host another speaker, you have a partner who can also promote your event to their own audience. You’ll have double the channels the event is going out on and double the personal network to reach out to.

Demonstration

A demonstration is when a company demonstrates a product at an event. Events like these are great for converting contacts to leads and can be a great way to make more money off of a product. Demonstration events pull in an audience who is already interested in a product to start with and typically has done some research ahead of time.

Corporate event marketing for a demo is targeted toward decision-makers. Whereas other event marketing tactics would focus on the value of the information that is imparted to the audience, marketing a demo focuses more on making product research available to an audience, so they can see the product in action at the event.

Panel

A panel is typically a larger event with a longer format. Whereas a seminar or roundtable would only last an hour or two, a panel could be an all-day event with several speakers. Besides a roundtable, a panel has one of the highest rates of engagement. The format is perfect for a question-and-answer with the audience.

When marketing a panel, it helps to highlight the achievements of each individual panel member. Why would someone want to hear them speak? It’s also a good tactic to have a variety of opinions at a panel. Having some back-and-forth between speakers allows the audience to see multiple points of view and enjoy some healthy debate.

Corporate event marketing for a panel is easier, as you have multiple people reaching out to their own networks and broadcasting the event. However, you also have more seats to fill and more organizations involved.

Webinar

A webinar is great for when you’re trying to reach a broad audience nation-wide. You can also host a webinar in tandem with another event if you’d like to increase the audience of a seminar for example. New North will actually begin to broadcast our Events at the Assembly seminars via webinar over the next few months.

Webinars can be a great way to spread the word about an established event and reach a broader audience if you’re geographically limited.

Workshop

A workshop is another way to monetize an event, give out expertise, convert customers, and grow your audience. Workshops can be made up of a presentation followed by a short activity or can be solely activity focused. They are typically at least two hours long to allow for activities, presentations, and Q&A.

Whereas most other events can be completed with either a too large or too small audience, workshops need a precise number of participants. Too many and the activity can’t be completed in the time allotted, and audience members won’t receive the attention they paid for. Too few and the event is no longer profitable, and speakers could even take a pay cut.

Choose the Right Event for You

No matter what type of event you choose, you’ll need excellent corporate event marketing to pull it off. If you’re looking to enter into the event space, New North can help you choose the right type of event for your company and help you pull it off. We specialize in data-driven multi-channel event marketing that reaches a broad audience and helps you get the attendees you need.

Ready to choose the right event for your company? Get in touch with us today.

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