101 Client and Referral Event Ideas

March 22, 2011 12:00 AM

101 Client and Referral Event Ideas

Embrace Education

Events that allow you to share knowledge with your clients and prospects help establish your credibility. Consider these ideas for educational events that can be alternated with or interspersed among your purely social parties.

99. Lunch n learns

100. Health fair

101. Special guest speaker

Event marketing should be one of the primary ways you build visibility and create good relationships with current and prospective clients. Pick several types of events and slate them now for the coming year. Then work backwards from the event date to ensure you meet key dates for communications and logistics. Not only will your clients and prospects enjoy seeing you as participant and/or host, but your staff will enjoy the fun and purpose-driven activity.

Kirk Hulett is a senior vice president at Securities America and co-host of the Advisorpod.com podcast series.

101 Client and Referral Event Ideas

Build Community

Your events dont always have to stand on their own. Activities and events already taking place in your community can be a great opportunity to gather clients and prospects to get involved, or create a special gathering of your own in conjunction with the big event.

94. Charity fundraiser

95. Town festival party

96. Ethnic festival party: Italian festival, Greek festival, Czech festival

97. Virtual event gift certificates

98. Special client night at an existing event, followed by an after-party

101 Client and Referral Event Ideas

Use Themes and Holidays

Holidays, from the well-known to the obscure, provide a great excuse to get clients and prospects together. Or think outside the calendar and create a fun, festive theme night of your own.

72.tCasino night

73.tKentucky Derby party

74.tCinco de Mayo

75.tFourth of July

76. New Years party

77. St. Patricks Day party

78. Valentines Day party

79. Chinese New Year party

80. Arabian Nights party

81. Masquerade party

82. Halloween party

83. Ghost story tour

84. Carnivale in Rio party

85. Mardi Gras party

86. Murder Mystery party

87. Game Show night

88. Trivia night

89. Pirate party

90. Decade Theme Party

91. Oscar/Emmy/Grammy party

92. Oktoberfest

93. Night in Paris

101 Client and Referral Event Ideas

Include the Clan

Involving kids of all ages can be a great way to form bonds with parents and grandparents. Some of these ideas can also be adapted for adults-only events.

60. Family fun night

61. Caroling

62. Grandparent/child event

63. Movie night

64. Single family, multigenerational event

65. Zoo outing

66. Ice Cream Social

67. Pet parade

68. Laser tag

101 Client and Referral Event Ideas

Create a Cultural Affair

Treat your clients to a professional performance like a concert or play, or arrange a demonstration by an artisan, with a party before or after. You can also hold your event surrounded by art or history.

43. Art museum

44. Historical museum or home

45. Renaissance faire or historical reenactment

46. Theater/play

47. Artisan demonstration: pottery, glass blowing, candle making, etc.

48. Blues night with a live band

49. Concert or musical performance

50. Historic homes tour

51. Air/Space Museum

52. Railroad museum

53. Book signing with a local author