3 ways to make your virtual client events a success
3 ways to make your virtual client events a success
BoomPop Team · 3/11/2022
While much of the conversation around remote work has focused on keeping employees engaged, what about customers and clients? With business travel down over 80% and in-person gatherings continuing to stall out, we’ve been helping companies entertain and connect with customers through customized virtual events.
Here’s what we’ve learned from working with top sales teams and B2B companies to plan unforgettable events for their customers:
Think beyond basic food, drink, and entertainment
One of the biggest challenges of virtual events is that you have to throw out the old playbook of what you know works. It turns out that it’s also one of the biggest advantages.
This is your chance to think beyond dinner and drinks or tickets to a show and provide an experience that elevates the senses, sparks curiosity, and helps you connect on a new level.
A cooking class where kids and partners are welcome, a morning pour-over coffee class, trivia night with customized topics – the possibilities are endless.
Organize more intimate gatherings, more often
Most companies are spending a lot less on client entertainment and business travel. Put some of those savings towards more regularly scheduled virtual events for clients. Rather than wait around for holiday party season or a quarterly review cycle, start surprising and delighting your customers with bespoke experiences throughout the year.
Use virtual events to kickoff with a new client, celebrate a milestone, welcome a new team member, or just because. These events are easy to attend and will keep you top of mind all year round. (And you can get great discounts when you book 3+ events at a time!)
We recommend limiting gatherings to 25 people or less – smaller groups lead to much higher interactivity.
Plan ahead and ship something special
Virtual events are great. Virtual events plus gifts are super great. Including a tangible element in your event, like a thoughtful gift or high-quality supplies they’ll need for the event, makes the experience so much more impactful.
For events that include shippable supplies, plan at least 16 days in advance to ensure smooth and on time delivery.
If your event doesn’t require supplies or you want to add a special touch to the shipment they’ll receive, include a gift! From unique goods from small businesses to premium swag, making a meaningful impression with a gift is easier than ever before.
If you’re planning a VIP event or holiday party, consider ways to make the invite itself feel unique. Gift boxes that include a special invitation are great for building buzz and anticipation, especially if you have at least 3 weeks before the event.
It’s a new frontier in customer relationship building. While embracing a virtual setting for customer appreciation events can feel strange at first, we’re excited about all the new opportunities it brings. It makes it possible for teams to spend more time with more customers more often, get to know them on a totally new dimension, and create experiences that drive real ROI.
