Attending an annual corporate event is standard practice for many professionals. Year after year, the experience becomes familiar and predictable, taking place at the same time each year, in the same venue, with the same sponsors, content, and presenters. BORING! But it doesn’t have to be this way.

With a little innovation, great planning, and some attention dedicated toward the re-marketing of the event, these annual events can generate plenty of enthusiasm for attendees, and deliver added value for sponsors and stakeholders. Here are some suggestions to keep your repeat corporate events from getting stale, without increasing your budget:

Pursue the New

The process of recreating and redefining a recurring event, particularly a conference, requires energy, creativity, research, and above all, a commitment to delivering something better than the previous year.

• Even if the speakers are different from year to year, try altering the format of the day.
• There are always new and exciting entertainers, different approaches, and improved ways of doing things. At one event we planned at TCG Events, we literally turned drink service on its head by having an aerialist serve champagne upside down!
• Make sure you highlight what has changed to your guests or potential attendees in your invitation in bold print too.

Use Social Media

Be sure to use social media to promote (and if necessary, re-launch) your next annual corporate event.

• Create a presence for your annual event on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn – wherever your potential guests and attendees will be looking for information – it’s an easy way to publicize your event to the audience, that won’t break the bank.
• Encourage attendees to share the event with their contacts, and guests can comment about the event, creating even more exposure.

Ask for Feedback

One of your best sources for ideas on what to do, or what not to repeat, can come from the very audience you are hoping to reach.

• Follow up on feedback from previous years is a great way to start.
• Solicit new ideas from past or future participants. This keeps that momentum moving forward, and makes attendees feel more invested in the outcome.
• Consider creating a round-table made up of conference stakeholders and brainstorm the future of your event together.

Annual corporate events shouldn’t have to get stale, and no one should have to settle for a re-run of last year’s event. With a little ingenuity and budget-conscious planning, your next annual event will be a wow and have attendees eagerly anticipating what’s to come next year!