Thinking About Hosting an Educational Seminar or Event? Read This First

Are you looking for something to set your company apart from the competition? Of course you are! Something worth considering is hosting educational seminars for existing clients, potential clients, or even other professionals in your area.

The trick is to figure out what your company is the leading authority on. Are you really good with social media? Host a social media management lecture.

Do you specialize in leadership development? Have an interactive event focused on getting the most out of every employee. No matter what it is that you do best, consider sharing your knowledge in a way that will benefit others. But why should you do all of this?  

There are serious benefits to hosting your own educational events, but there are also risks. Check out some of each below and decide for yourself which is best for you and your business. 

Naturally, hosting an event like this is going to take more of your already valuable time and money, especially if you want to provide this class for free. With that in mind, you should not plan to host more than one per month. Budget your time in advance and prepare your presentation so you walk in knowing exactly what you want to say.

If you need visual aids, handouts, or other physical items, prepare those in advance, as well. If you spend time planning ahead, you can focus on providing value in the seminar. With that being said, you have to be sure that you are providing something completely unique. If your competitors are offering the same information already, there’s no point in you jumping in, too.

Instead, find a way to communicate something of value that’s new and necessary to those around you. Unfortunately, your information may be too good and you run the risk of people stealing your secrets and not giving you credit. This is often the biggest fear that business owners have, because this problem is hard to combat. That is why it’s important to establish yourself or your business as the leading expert on this topic in your area.

People will always trust your word above the competition. And if you give an impressive, but surface-level, introductory explanation of what your company does, potential clients will probably be inclined to give you their business, should they want to find out more.

That brings us to the most important potential benefit of hosting events like these, profits. Surely, if you’re bringing people in to hear your presentation, they probably have a reason to be interested in working with you. Lecturing on what sets your business apart not only gets your name out there, but also builds brand recognition and trust.

Attendees will perceive you as a trustworthy source, especially if your advice works for them. Thus, they might just be interested in working with you more in the future. Finally, these seminars are a great way to network with other professionals and even your competition.

Everyone wants to know what everyone else is doing right in order to achieve success. Showing that you have this knowledge can ensure that others view you as a reliable resource and can lead to potential partnerships.

Elizabeth Macke is a digital marketing intern at Catapult Creative Media. She is a master’s student in the college of mass communication at LSU. She enjoys cooking, reading, watching television, and obsessing over Beyoncé.

Work with Catapult Creative Media Inc. Catapult Creative Media Inc. is a digital marketing and design agency serving south Louisiana and headquartered in Baton Rouge. Founded in 2007, Catapult provides digital, social and mobile marketing solutions backed by relevant strategy and measurable results. Catapult works the web to their clients’ advantage, launching them to their next level of success.