Every company has certain clients, customers, business associates, marketers, or employees, who are valued highly and considered critical to the success of the business. These important personnel are considered as VIPs, and VIPs should be appreciated accordingly.
The best way to show your gratitude and appreciation for your company’s VIPs is to organize a memorable and special event for the entertainment of your esteemed guests.
Wondering how to create a VIP event that will be remembered by your guests for a very long time? Here is a quick guide to hosting a memorable VIP event:
The 5 Perfect VIP Events
VIP corporate events can take on many different forms. You can simply host a private party, organize an entertaining show, or even plan a sporting event where your VIPs are exclusively invited. Whatever it is, you want to make sure it’s anything but ordinary. You’ve determined that these guests are vital to your business; it’s no time to cut corners.
1. Private, Invitation-Only Parties
The best way to entertain your VIPs and to make them feel special is to host a private party that can only be attended by invitation. This makes the entire event seem exclusive and allows you to focus on a smaller group of important people rather than catering to the needs of a larger social gathering. *Take it up a notch: hire a cool band or have it at an exclusive venue or event such as the Kentucky Derby or Sundance Film Festival.
2. Award Ceremonies
Invite your company’s VIP guests to an award ceremony where their achievements and contributions to the enterprise are appreciated by presenting them with awards for their dedication, loyalty, and hard work. This one is especially effective if the VIPs are your company’s top employees. *Take it up a notch: make your award prizes out of this world. Think $500 spa gift certificates or other things they wouldn’t normally spend their own money on.
3. Formal Dinner Events
Organize a formal dinner event with only the VIPs being invited to it. Elaborate dinner and decorative arrangements can be made at such an event, to create an elegant and formal ambiance, where you can get in touch with your business associates with a touch of class. *Take it up a notch: have a celebrity presence at the dinner. Invite a local sports hero or television personality so your guests can rub elbows with the elite.
4. VIP Trips
Some companies also prefer to host their VIP event as an excursion or a fun filled trip. It could be a stay at an exotic location or a resort, or even exclusive passes to a sporting event. Playing golf at a course is also one way of entertaining your VIP guests. *Take it up a notch: don’t just pay for the flight and hotel, make sure all activities and meals are covered without nit picking expenses.
5. Five Star Hotels Nearby
Don’t have the means to plan a trip afar? It’s always nice for VIPs to have a little staycation locally. Hit up one of the nicest hotels in the area. For example, if your VIPs live on Long Island, give them and their family a trip to the big city to stay in a fancy hotel. Your VIP can attend your dinner while their family plays in the pool and enjoys the luxuries of the hotel. *Take it up a notch: Work with hotel staff to help them understand that these are VIPs. Knowing their stature, they will want to treat them as royalty with the prospect of future business.
Considerations for Hosting a VIP Event
Before hosting a corporate event for your company’s VIPs, there are a number of things that you need to keep in mind.
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Evaluate your budget and finances, and determine how much you are willing to spend for your VIP event. This will help you decide how many VIPs you can host and what type of event you can afford.
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Plan the date of the event according to the availability of the guest of honor, to ensure their presence at the occasion. Confirm availability and preferences of traveling from your VIPs before organizing any excursions or trips.
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Discover the interest of your VIPs in order to plan events accordingly. If none of them golf, your VIP golf event will be a dud.
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Make arrangements for food and beverages after giving due consideration to the preferences of your VIP guests.
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Determine whether your VIPs prefer publicity before arranging media or press presence at the event.
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Try to make the event an experience in itself that will be memorable for your guests.
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Organize the VIP event based on the work ethics and target industry that your company caters to.
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Plan the event beforehand so that last-minute complications can be avoided.
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Conduct a survey after the event to analyze the results and gain views and opinions about your VIP event. This will help with next year’s planning.
Some VIP Event Examples
Here are some hypothetical examples to help drum up your creativity!
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VIP access to the Jimmy Fallon Show with a private tour of Radio City Music Hall
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Elegant dinner with an appearance by NFL quarterback Eli Manning
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A private concert featuring The Band Perry
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Helicoptor tour with a landing on a famous building followed by dinner
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A weekend stay at The Montage Hotel in Laguna Beach, CA
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A trip to Sundance Film Festival for opening weekend
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Private lift access at a favorite ski resort
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Take any normally crowded event and have a VIP booth with all the conveniences (i.e. an air conditioned hospitality suite at the hot Kentucky Derby)
To Sum It All Up…
In order to host a memorable VIP event, you need to host a party with a purpose, where only your exclusive guests are invited. Plan your party immaculately, make your VIPs feel special, entertain them during the event, stay in contact with them even after the event, and lastly, when they are leaving the party, give them some sort of high quality token of their event to make the memories last.
Creating amazing VIP events is simple if you can host them in a well-organized manner. Alternatively, you can hire an event planning company to help you in planning a VIP event that your guests will always remember!