Event management may seem like one simple function, but it’s more than that. It’s actually an umbrella term for various functions that ensure an event is planned well, runs smoothly, and achieves its goals. These functions involve concept planning, coordination with various partners, logistics management, talent management, tech support, and much more. In a way, an event management company works like a project management team since it can handle the end-to-end planning, execution, and evaluation of an event. If you’re in the Chicago area, a melting pot of history and culture, including improve comedy, music, architecture, excellent food, and whatnot, you’ll know how important events are in engaging your target audience and tapping into their passions.
Why Hold an Event in the First Place?
Events are a great way to get your brand name out there and get to know your customers a bit more. Here are some more specific benefits that throwing an event can do for your business:
Generate Brand Awareness
Events can help you create buzz for your new business or launch a new product you’ve been working on. Throwing an event that is in line with your business or what you’re trying to launch is a great way to build excitement and get coverage.
Build Your Brand Equity
When you hold events, make sure that they stay consistent with who you are as a brand or a company. This consistency across all events and all platforms (e.g., social media, retail merchandising, etc.) helps solidify your brand equity in the public’s minds.
Engage with Customers
Whether it’s a virtual, offline, or a hybrid one, an event is a great channel for you to directly engage with your customers. You’ll be able to get their instant feedback on your brand and event. This way, you’ll gain both qualitative and quantitative feedback to fine-tune your next event’s execution. Additionally, you can even have attendees sign up for newsletters or updates about future events on the spot.
Create Content and Strengthen Your Online Presence
There are a few ways you can create content using your event. Your event management company can have a team to document the event and create snippets that can be easily shared on social media both in real-time (examples: Instagram stories or Facebook Live) and after the event. You can even create an official hashtag for your event that the attendees can use so they themselves can post on their social media accounts, generating more organic buzz for you and your event.
Widen Your Reach
Thanks to technology, businesses are not limited to throwing just an offline event. They can also hold virtual events, which is a great way to widen your reach. Why? Because those attending virtual events don’t need to be in the same city or even in the same state to be able to participate in your festivities. All you need to make sure of is that these attendees feel engaged all throughout and that there are some prizes or perks in-store for them as a carrot for participating. To make sure you’re throwing an event that’s inclusive for both online and offline attendees, you’ll want to work with an event management company that knows how to build a connection between these two audiences.
The buzz that you generate from your event is not limited to just those who attended your event. When done well, you’ll be able to make ambassadors out of your attendees. Think good ol’ word-of-mouth marketing amplified by social media. You can reap benefits from your event well after it’s done, assuming that it was executed well.
Bring Attention to Important Causes
Consumers these days are not just about getting the lowest-priced products. They’re more discerning in the brands that they support. And their loyalty can waver if they see that a company’s values are not aligned with theirs. Having a good corporate social responsibility program is essential not just because of the big impact businesses can have on such causes, but also because it helps them connect with their audience at a different level. Make sure to choose a cause that is truly important to you and that can resonate with people in your community. You can even involve your audience to make an even bigger impact. For example, you can hold a fundraising event for underprivileged kids where customers can also bring books, toys, and other supplies as an “entrance fee” to enjoy the day’s activities. Events like these make it more meaningful by achieving multiple objectives at once, including sustainability (instead of items going to waste, they’re being repurposed) and, of course, supporting a meaningful cause.
Generate More Revenue
Every business will expect some return on investment on any marketing spending. So it’s only natural to be curious about how marketing activities, including events, can affect your bottom line. Events can help generate revenue in a couple of ways. The more straightforward way is through the revenue you generate from tickets (if applicable) and on-site sales of your merch or products. Second, and perhaps what most companies tend to overlook, is how it affects customer engagement and loyalty. Those who have an affinity for or attachment to your brand will most likely be repeat customers. And if you have a good post-event communications strategy, that will not only widen your reach but keep customers engaged well after the completion of the event. Building brand equity and customer loyalty is a long game, but a totally worthwhile one.
Event Management Companies in Chicago
Planning, executing, and evaluating an event can take up a lot of your time and effort. You might even end up spending more money than needed if you go at it unprepared. To add, it might not go as smoothly as you want it to if you don’t have an experienced event management team working with you. One overlooked element can throw off your whole timeline and can negatively affect your event’s performance if not addressed well. In order to take some of the stress and legwork off your shoulders, it’s best to leave it to the experts. There are plenty of event management companies out there, and there’s no shortage of them in the Chicago area. So if you’re a business in Chicago looking for an event management company to partner with, then you’ve come to the right place/page! We’ve shortlisted our event management companies in the area along with some brief information about them to help you decide which one will be your partner-of-choice.
AV Chicago
With over three decades of event management experience, AV Chicago promises a killer production that will make clients come back for more. They offer scalable event solutions for every type of event requirement. This company boasts of a team that has various background but one mindset: whatever it takes. Whether you’re thinking a marketer planning a product launch or a non-profit organization trying to go for a virtual event, then AV Chicago may just be the partner you need.
Website: https://avchicago.com/
Contact Details:
Phone: 312-229-4100
Toll Free: 888-709-9599
NEXT/NOW
Are you looking to up your events game with the next-level tech solutions? Consider working with NEXT/NOW. They’re an award-winning agency that specializes in multimedia and digital exhibition design. Just like what their name suggests, they’re not your traditional event management partner. They offer industry-leading “next” level technology including Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Extended Reality (XR), and generative art. They’ve helped well-known brands from various industries (Hershey’s, Nissan, and LF to name a few) to make their events and installations more interactive.
Website: https://nextnowagency.com/
Contact Details:
Phone: 312-945-6222
Email: collaborate@nextnowagency.com
StarEvents
You can’t go wrong with an award-winning full-service company that has over two decades of experience. StarEvents has put up more than a thousand events including festivals, corporate functions, and charitable events. StarEvent’s team offers end-to-end, fully scalable services from consulting to staffing and logistics. This event management company has worked with both big corporations like Mcdonald’s and non-profit organizations like The Anti-Cruelty Society.
Website: https://www.starevents.com/
Contact Details:
Office: 773-665-4682
Email: info@StarEvents.com
Heron Agency
Heron Agency’s portfolio makes it a one-stop shop for your marketing and PR needs. They offer a wide variety of services, from influencer relations to advertising and, yes, event planning. Heron Agency is an award-winning team of dynamic and creative experts specializing in lifestyle industries such as hotels (Hyatt, IHG Hotels, Hilton, and many more) and restaurants, as well as entertainment and nonprofit organizations.
Website: https://heronagency.com/
Contact Details:
Office: 773-969-5200
Email: info@heronagency.com
AllTerain
AllTerain can help you bring your big marketing ideas to life. They’re industry leaders when it comes to experiential marketing, which can help engage and captivate your target consumers. The company boasts of over two decades of experience helping well-loved brands such as Quaker Oats and Pop-Tarts make impactful activations. AllTerain is also certified by (Women’s Business Enterprise National Council) WBENC and is proud to share that its the first women founded and owned experiential agency in the United states.
Website: https://allterrain.net/
Contact Details:
Office: 312-588-3701
Email: newbusiness@allterrain.net
3rd Coast PR
If you’re looking for a partner to create dynamic programs for your product launch, then 3rd Coast PR may be the one you’re looking for. They’re an award-winning public relations agency that specializes in product launch PR campaigns and creative executions. The company’s team of seasoned professionals has developed quality programs for businesses across various industries including: Food & Beverage, Housewares, Pet Care, B2B, Hardware, and Safety.
Website: https://3rdcoastpr.com/
Contact Details:
Office: 312-257-3030
Email: info@3rdcoastpr.com
Agency EA
Agency EA is a full-service brand experience company that can help you mount just about any type of event you need: from offline, virtual, to hybrid events. Not only that, their team of industry experts offer services such as marketing campaign development and experiential activations. Founded in 1999, this MBE-certified agency has worked with well-known clients over the course of two decades. These include: Google, Samsung, and even the Obama Administration.
Website: https://agencyea.com
Contact Details:
Office: 312-879-0186
Email: general@thisiseacollective.com
BCD Meetings & Events
BCD Meetings & Events promises “next level experiences” that are tailored for your company’s business needs. The company can help you elevate just about any type of event: from corporate virtual meetings to full-scale events and even corporate sports hospitality. BCD Meetings & Events is passionate about creating meaningful connections for their clients.
Website: https://bcdme.com/
Contact Details:
Office: 312-396-2000
Email: marketing@bcdme.com
eshots, Inc.
Eshots, Inc. promises to be your one-stop event intelligence solution provider to help you achieve your business objectives and drive ROI. Eshots offer data-driven insights and set measurable KPIs to help companies create better business decisions. They’ve been trusted by well-known brands, including those on the Fortune 500 list, to conceptualize, execute, and evaluate or measure the success of their events.
Website: https://www.eshots.com/
Contact Details:
Office: 312-253-1500
Email: info@eshots.com
Czarnowski
The Czarnowski Collective has seventy (70) years of experience under their belt. And even though things have been modernized and digitized, the team has always kept their core values (customer service and family) in all their projects. Czarnowski aims to help brands fine-tune and tell their story through various platforms, including experiential activations and event management. Czarnowski’s experience, talent for storytelling, and seamless execution have attracted a host of clients of every size and industry, including Amazon and Boeing.
Website: https://www.czarnowski.com/
Contact Details:
Office: 800-247-4302
Email: info@czarnowski.com
If you’re still on the fence about which event management company you want to work with, then don’t fret! We’ve included their website and contact details, so you can reach out to your shortlisted companies for a briefing. You’re doing you and your business a huge favor by going on exploratory discussions with a couple of agencies or even holding a bid based on your event brief. You can decide which agency pitch (and offer) is most relevant to your business needs. All these event management companies are great in their own right, but holding a bid for a couple of agencies can help you find which one is the best fit for you and your campaign objectives.
Sophia Young
Disclaimer: Information presented in this article is intended for informational purposes only and is not meant to be taken as financial advice. Any action you take upon the information you find on this article, is strictly at your own risk.