By David Meltzer

One of the best ways that entrepreneurs, startups, corporations, small-business owners, brands and individuals can position themselves in the market they serve, is to be significantly creative.

A unique, creative online and offline presence yields the attention that’s immensely important for any marketing you do. There are good examples of branding and offline presence everywhere, from Amazon Prime taping and branded boxes to Uber and Lyft drivers with stickers on their windshields and windows.

And when it comes to offline marketing, events are where the money’s at! Special events are a big part of my business, from my speaking engagements to the AMP Up networking events that my company throws. And I always do something out of the ordinary to provide added value for attendees and sponsors. Whether it’s inviting a magician to perform at a perception-themed event or creating custom video recaps for our sponsors to share, events that provide extra value will attract the right people.

Eventful marketing

Accordingly to a Forrester study, CMOs invest 24 percent of their marketing budget in live event experiences. This represents a direct impact of more $500 billion being spent in this industry worldwide.

For those without event planning experience, putting one on can elicit anxiety or even panic. In order to host the event of your dreams, there are two obstacles that most novice event planners have to deal with:

1. Visualizing, sharing and executing the vision for your event.
2. Finding the right vendors, at an affordable price, and in a timely fashion.

If you learn how to address these issues, you’re ensured to be in a better position to attract the right sponsors, sell enough tickets to attendees and create the awareness needed to earn brand credibility.

Related: 3 Tips for Hosting a Marketing Industry Event That Doesn’t Suck

Visualizing, sharing and executing the vision of your event

These three components of event planning are essential. You cannot put on a great event without all three. First, you need to have a clear vision of the event you want to plan. Second, be able to effectively share that with potential attendees and event sponsors. And third, you must follow through on that plan. If you fail to address any of these, your event will not live up to its potential to provide maximum value.

Visualization is probably the most difficult of these tasks, especially if you do not have previous experience throwing events similar to the one you are planning. Fortunately, there are technologies available to assist you with visualizing your event space.

One of my favorite examples of “event tech” provides you the ability to create an event in the VR environment, in a specific or generic venue, complete with everything your event needs: furniture, TVs, stage, lighting, catering, entertainment, branding, etc.

Here’s the best part: You don’t need headsets to use it! You can visualize the event with your laptop, desktop, tablet or even your phone.

This visualization also provides you with an opportunity to identify possible problems with the layout before you ever get to the venue. And it prepares you to share this vision with potential attendees, who are the most vital component of any event.

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In Start Your Own Event Planning Business, the staff of Entrepreneur Media Inc. and writer Cheryl Kimball explain how you can get started in the event planning industry, whether you want to work part- or full-time planning anything from a first-birthday party, bar mitzvah or wedding to political fundraisers and product launches. In this edited excerpt, the authors discusses eight different ways you can promote your event planning business to the right audiences.

As you develop your event planning business, it’s impor­tant to market in order to grow your client base. Following are eight ideas for advertising and promoting your event planning business:

Networking. For most planners, networking is at the top of the list in terms of developing a strong client base. Networking can help your business in two ways. If people have met you and know what services you offer, they may refer business to you or use your service themselves. Furthermore, networking with hotels, caterers and so on will give you a chance to meet some of the people whose services you may need as you plan events.

Advertising. Print advertising covers a broad range, from a free—or inexpensive—Yellow Pages advertisement to an ad in a glossy national publication costing tens of thousands of dollars. Most planners agree that an ad in the Yellow Pages makes good business sense. A line advertisement, simply listing your business name, is often provided free of charge when you connect your phone (if you have a landline). You can also opt for a display advertisement — the bigger, bordered ads in the Yellow Pages — but there’s a charge for these.

You may also want to consider advertising in your local newspaper or in a regional magazine, if you plan both corporate and social occasions. Because the market area for this kind of event planner can extend throughout a given county, a magazine focusing on that county can be an excellent one in which to advertise. These magazines can be geared to topics related to your service (e.g., gourmet food, floral design) or aimed at readers in a certain region. An ad in a regional magazine might be a good tool for reaching upscale consumers. A regional business magazine ad would also reach prospective corporate clients.

Business card. Don’t underestimate the power of this small but mighty marketing tool. Even in the computer age, a succinct, professionally printed business card is still critical. Consider it a diminutive brochure, especially if you opt for a tri-fold business card. Many planners opt for this business-card format because more information can be included than on a traditional business card, while the card remains small enough to be tucked inside a wallet or purse.

Include the name of your business, contact information (e-mail, phone and website address, for instance), your name, specialization, your logo, and some testimonials from past clients. Always carry business cards. You never know when you’ll run into a potential client. Ask vendors with whom you work (florists, caterers and photographers, for instance) if you can leave a stack of business cards in their places of business.

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In Start Your Own Event Planning Business, the staff at Entrepreneur Media Inc. and writer Cheryl Kimball explain how you can get started in the event planning industry, whether you want to work part- or full-time planning anything from a first-birthday party, bar mitzvah or wedding to political fundraisers and product launches. In this edited excerpt, the authors talk about the things that will help you succeed — and those that will make you fail — in the event planning industry.

Here are some of the pitfalls specific to the event planning industry:

Misunderstanding your client’s require­ments. If your client wants a con­servative business meeting and you deliver a Roaring Twenties theme party, you’re in trouble. Although this is an extreme example, remember that you need to know all your client’s requirements in detail before you can arrange a successful event.

Poor choice of vendors or site. Do your homework. Contract with reliable, repu­table vendors who can meet your clients’ needs exactly. If your caterer serves a terrible meal, it’s the caterer’s fault that he or she can’t cook. However, you’re the one who made the hiring decision, so you’ll take the blame. Be sure you can count on your vendors. Vet vendors carefully.

Lack of coordination between you and your team. Make sure you have a cooperative, “well-oiled” team (employees, vendors and temporary staff) around you and that everyone understands their respective roles in the pro­duction of the event. You know the adage—you’re only as good as your weakest link. Avoid weak links!

Inaccurate estimates. Your estimates should be as accurate as possible. If events go far over budget, your clients may end up having to pay more money than they can afford. Clients may feel “taken to the cleaners” if you come in substantially higher than you originally estimated. If, on the other hand, you consistently come in at or below your estimates, you’ll be eating expenses because you inaccurately estimated costs and can’t pass them along to your client, and that’s a quick way to stop your business in its tracks.

Inadequate control of costs. Take every reasonable opportunity to save. Pay atten­tion to where money goes. Compare costs and choose wisely.

Poor cash flow. One of the most effective ways to counter this is to require client deposits.

Inadequate insurance. Make sure you carry enough insurance to protect yourself in case anything goes wrong at an event. Most planners carry about $1 million of liability insurance. If you don’t have enough of the proper insurance, and if you’re involved in a lawsuit, you could end up in bankruptcy.

Poor customer service. The golden rule in the event planning industry is to make the event right. Nancy Lavin, a regional vice president of an asset management firm, has hired event planners for hundreds of events. “I understand if prob­lems arise at big events,” she says. “However, the complete deal breaker is poor service.”

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