The prospect of planning a business event can trigger a lot of anxiety in an event planner. After all, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the many different types of events you can choose from. And yet, each event type plays an important role in a company’s event marketing strategy.Fortunately, you don’t have to make that choice alone. We’ve compiled a list of eight types of events to make sure you start off in the right direction. No matter your business goals, there’s a strong probability that one of these choices will send you, your sponsors, and your attendees home happy.

Trade Shows:

A trade show invites many different companies of a specific industry to showcase their products and services to the general public. The focus of a trade show is to exhibit the latest products to your target audience and generate brand interest. By allowing your target audience to interact with your brand, you have the chance to create memorable experiences and leave a lasting impression.This event type can be a small, simple event with just a few vendors, or it can include thousands of businesses exhibiting in the same venue. Either way, trade shows are a great way to increase brand awareness, build contact lists, and generate sales pipeline.

Networking Events:

When a person attends an event, one of their biggest objectives is to make connections. That’s exactly what a networking event aims to facilitate. Simply put, a networking event is an organized opportunity for attendees to meet new people and build their contact lists. This particular type of event is especially useful for sowing the seeds of future partnerships and business relationships. For instance, networking can help you recruit new talent to your brand or even lay the groundwork for a sponsorship at a future event.

Workshops:

Workshops offer a “hands-on” alternative to sitting in an event space listening to a guest speaker or participating in a roundtable. They’re a great way to liven up the festivities and give people a chance to learn a new skill. A workshop can be an independent event in and of itself, or it can be a complimentary event to a conference or trade show. These highly interactive sessions offer attendees an educational experience. But at the same time, they can network with fellow participants and foster an interest in the skill, topic, or theme in question.