Business activity can slow down in the run-up to the summer holiday season, which makes it a good time to host a summer party for clients and suppliers or maybe more importantly your staff.
There are some considerations when hosting a business party.
Obviously, the first is the budget. It is not necessary to break the bank. For example, are there local small businesses that specialise in catering and would welcome the opportunity and exposure that comes from supplying snacks, finger food, canapes and drinks for the event? Another advantage of this approach is that it frees the hosts to interact with guests.
Are your business premises able to cope with an influx of visitors? One particularly well-known company with a large office in Suffolk is fortunate to have not only an award-winning building in Ipswich, but a roof garden there for hosting its summer party. But with a bit of ingenuity smaller businesses may be able to create a welcoming space outdoors for catering around its entrance from which you can take guests on tours around the building or factory.
The business summer party – a chance to say thank you
Hosting a summer party at the business premises can be a great way to say thank you, but a business summer party has other benefits.
A successful event can raise your business profile. For example, the party can also be used as an occasion to raise money for a local charity via raffles, tombolas, or perhaps a chance to win a particular product or service.
If, for example, the business has added new services or products, or has upgraded its equipment, the summer party can be useful for informing guests of new possibilities that may benefit them. It is an excellent way of marketing the business and demonstrating that it is both agile, innovative and more importantly has confidence in its future.
It is also an opportunity for people to network and make new connections. New clients or suppliers may not have met each other and the relaxed, but focused, setting of a business summer party is a great way for them to make connections and perhaps inspire synergies and collaborations that they might not otherwise have come across.
Despite any reservations about clients meeting other clients or them meeting suppliers, they will see you as key in any relationships they form.
If the business premises cannot accommodate a party, you might be more adventurous than a meal or buffet at a local venue, consider a barbecue in the park, drinks at a local beer or music festival, or perhaps an activity day such as a game of cricket or paintballing.
You are only limited by your imagination and your guests will appreciate the effort you put in.