How to Throw a Client Party That Doesn't Suck

When you're planning any kind of party or event for your clients, keep one overriding imperative at the top of your priority list: Make sure it doesn't suck.

The stated purpose of throwing a client party might be to celebrate a holiday, recognize a milestone together, or simply say thank you for their business. But there's also a bottom-line business reason for spending the time and resources that go into a client party: retaining or gaining business. Given this, the stakes for planning and hosting client events are high, and mistakes can be costly.

"The last thing you want to do is spend a lot of time and money on an event and end up not impressing your clients -- or worse, leaving them with a bad impression," says Lisa Morris, the president of Road Concierge, a New York-based provider of customized travel and concierge services.

Hosting a "wow!" client party

Hosting a party or event to wow your clients requires meticulous planning and organization, and careful attention to detail. "Depending on the event's size, planning should start anywhere from three to six months out," says Mike Sprouse, the chief marketing officer for Epic Media Group and founder of Entertainment by Epic in Chicago.

The first step is to form your event team. Sprouse suggests small teams of four or five people, including a project leader who will assign specific planning responsibilities to each member. "The event team should meet about every other week during the months leading up to the event, and then as often as necessary during the last couple of weeks before the big day," Sprouse says.

Morris stresses the importance of determining your goals for the event in the early planning stages. "A major client party or event will represent a significant investment of resources, in terms of both time and money," she says. "So be sure you know exactly what you want to accomplish."

Do you want to introduce clients to new products and services, for example, or tell them about a change of direction at your company? Gain exposure to new prospects? Announce a merger or tweak your company's image or brand? Celebrate a significant company milestone with customers who helped you achieve it? Or simply say thank you to your customers in a big way?

Given what's at stake, and depending on the size and complexity of your event and your budget, hiring a professional event planner to help you may be a wise move. Planners can handle the entire event or help out in specific individual areas (such as facilities, caterers, entertainers, decorators, lighting, and sound).

Event planners charge a flat fee or mark up the services they arrange for you, which is most common if the planner is handling the entire event. Sprouse notes that most planners specialize in events of a particular size. "It takes a certain amount of skill and background to plan a large event with 500 or more guests," he says, "so be sure to choose a planner who specializes in the size event you're planning."

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Details and responsibilities before throwing a client party

Gather your committee for their first meeting months in advance of the event. "The first meeting should be a brainstorming session where every idea is written down, no matter how crazy it seems," Sprouse says. "The leader should then summarize the actionable items in a succinct document and route it to the team for everyone's feedback and finalization."

Key details such as the goals and theme for the client party, event budget, event date, and an initial guest list should be finalized quickly -- no longer than a week or two after the initial brainstorming meeting. The leader can then assign specific responsibilities to each team member and set deadlines for accomplishment of key tasks. These typically include the following:

Handling internal and external communications: If employees will be a part of the event, make sure they understand their role. Should they mingle with clients as fellow guests or serve as hosts? Hold a companywide meeting before the event to clearly explain their role and follow it up with detailed instructions in writing, via a companywide email or memorandum.

External communication, meanwhile, primarily involves sending out invitations and promoting the event. One way to promote the party is via a custom-built website that includes all of the details and a mechanism for guests to RSVP online. Your salespeople and account reps can then share this website with invitees. "This helps build some buzz and excitement around the event prior to the actual invitations going out," Sprouse says.

Invitations can be sent electronically, via postal mail, or both. Sprouse recommends following up emailed invitations with more formal printed invitations about six to eight weeks out. "Then about two to three weeks out, you should reach out to invitees who haven't replied yet as a friendly reminder to RSVP as soon as they can," he says.

Lining up entertainment: This should tie directly back to your goals and theme. A few years ago, McMurry, a content-marketing firm based in Phoenix, planned and hosted Rick 'n Roll, a big client party that featured a concert by pop star and actor Rick Springfield.

"Our goal was to expose our clients and prospects to McMurry's culture and our employees," says Chad Rose, McMurry's executive vice president. "We knew that most of the attendees would be middle-aged women, so we thought Rick Springfield would be a popular draw, and he definitely was!" Around 1,000 clients and prospects attended Rick 'n Roll, according to Rose.

To snag a big-name entertainment like a pop star or other celebrity, work through the entertainer's booking agent, whom you can usually find via the entertainer's website or Facebook page. To find local entertainers such as DJs, bands, or comics, do a city-specific Web search (for example, "party DJs in Atlanta") or ask friends and colleagues who have hosted parties for recommendations.

Choosing a venue: Depending on the event's size, you might be able to host it on your company's premises, or you may need to locate an outside facility. The type of facility you choose will depend on your budget, size of the event, desired location, and your party's theme.

McMurry's Rick 'n Roll, for example, was hosted on McMurry's newly renovated campus so guests could tour the new facilities and meet employees. This tied directly back to the goal of sharing the company's culture with clients, and it also served as a kind of grand opening for the new campus.

Good sources of assistance in finding the right outside venue include party rental companies, your local chamber of commerce, and your employees, who may know of great spots for a party that you're not aware of.

Planning food and beverage (F&B): Your goals, budget, and theme for the party are the main determining factors behind your F&B. A Caribbean-themed party, for example, might include a self-serve buffet with jerk chicken, ribs with guava barbecue sauce, and coconut shrimp. "But if you want to convey class and elegance, you might opt for chandeliers, caviar and champagne, and a nice sit-down dinner," Morris says.

Some venues, such as hotels and conference centers, country clubs, nightclubs, theaters, and restaurants, provide F&B as part of their services. If your chosen site doesn't, or if you'd like more options than it offers, your venue should be able to provide recommendations for an outside catering company. Or do your own search of local catering companies that specialize in the fare you plan to offer when you throw a client party. (Note that some venues allow only their own F&B.)

Arranging for transportation and planning the arrival: Morris says this is an often-neglected but critical detail when it comes to client parties and events, especially if out-of-town clients are attending. "Are these guests responsible for their own transport, or will you provide group transportation via limos, a car service, or motor coaches? Either way, be sure to clearly communicate this to your guests," she says.

Morris recalls one very elegant and expensive client event for which transportation was not arranged ahead of time, and clients trudged to the party in the freezing rain wearing formal attire. "Many guests wanted to leave almost as soon as they arrived since they were soaked and uncomfortable."

If out-of-town guests are staying at a nearby hotel, check to see if the hotel provides a shuttle service. Otherwise, contract with a limousine or car service to transport guests to and from the party. Also, be prepared to provide free taxi service to any local guests who might have had more to drink than they should have before driving home.

Don't neglect to plan for guest arrival and greeting. "Carefully plan out how the arrival process will work," Morris says. "You don't want a long line stretching out the door while guests wait to register or check their coats. There should be enough greeting staff on hand to make the entry seamless so your guests can walk in, get a drink or refreshments, and start having fun right away."

Gauging return on investment

McMurry's Rose says that while the goal of Rick 'n Roll wasn't necessarily to "make sales," the company did track new business that it was able to tie back to those who attended. "Our return on investment for the event was 15-to-1," he says. "In other words, we generated $15 in sales for every $1 we spent on the event. And our clients raved about it for months."

His main advice to other companies planning a big client party or event? Start planning early. "We started planning for Rick 'n Roll more than a year in advance of the event."

Rose also recommends a "divide and conquer" strategy when you throw a client party: Six different committees were involved in the planning of Rick 'n Roll, and every employee who attended had a job -- from helping guests check in to giving tours and simply making sure everyone was well taken care of. Or as Rose puts it, "All hands were on deck."

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