Your special guests - how will you treat them? Whether these VIP guests are CEOs, industry leaders, or (local or foreign) government representatives, you’ll have to set up a totally different experience for them.
This is usually necessary because of the goals the presence of these guests involves. For example, when it comes to big names in the industry, you’ll want to provide them with an exclusive experience because of their marketing outreach, or maybe, potentially, their interest in sponsoring future editions of the event.
This means you’ll have to provide your VIP guests with extra value that will strengthen the position of your event’s brand. On the other hand, whether you are planning a local or an international event, you must take care of the protocol and make sure that the high-ranking officials will be attended to correctly. By showing your commitment to respecting the protocol, you’ll improve your relationships with local or global institutions.
Regardless of the reasons why your VIP guests should be treated a bit more carefully, it’s important to sit down before the event and design a strategy on how to elevate their experience. To support you in overcoming this challenge, we’re sharing with you a series of tips on how you can do it:
Enable the contact between your VIP guests and event speakers
An important aspect to consider is ensuring your VIP attendees and keynote speakers get the chance to interact. This is a non-negotiable must-do. This simple step may lead to interesting collaborations and valuable business relationships for both sides.
To make this happen, provide an exclusive setting for the event speakers (like the green room), and also give your VIP guests access. You may also want to facilitate the interaction between these VIP attendees and the speakers. For example, you or someone from your team can introduce the VIP guest(s) to certain speakers to get the ball rolling.
Design a unique social program
Depending on the VIP guests and their needs, you may want to create a special program for social activities. For example, you could plan a cocktail dinner (such as in a museum, to make it more memorable).
Schedule meetings with the local authorities
If your VIP guests are international CEOs, it could be interesting to set up a series of meetings with the local government representatives. Again, this interaction can transform into fruitful business relationships and collaborations.
Run exclusive event dynamics for your VIP guests
To make your VIP attendees feel taken care of, you could set up a series of activities just for them. For example, you could run a series of masterminds with world-class moderators, working breakfasts, or even board assemblies where they could discuss private matters.
Provide remarkable incentive and deliver massive value
VIP attendee participation at your event should be as holistic and rewarding as possible. First, you must generate memorable experiences.
For example, you could invite your VIP attendees and high-profile speakers to a networking session while engaging in wine tasting. Or consider giving them handcrafted event merchandise, accompanied by a meaningful publication or book.
By combining value and incentive, you’ll make sure your VIP guests will remember your event, and they may decide to endorse future sessions or even attend next time.
Wrap-up
VIPs are usually goal-oriented and focused on maximizing their experiences. That’s why your number one responsibility is to respect their time and make sure the value your event meets or exceeds their expectations.
Guarantee them a meaningful networking environment, memorable settings, and most important, the possibility to experience something new, such as alternative spaces or even local gourmet food. Keep your VIP attendees happy and who knows, maybe they’ll come back for more.
