The Art of Getting Clients to your Corporate Event
The past couple of years since lockdowns have left a lasting impression on the Events business and we have been analysing what the impacts have been, specifically on returns on investment (ROI) for both In-Person Events and (possibly counterintuitively) Virtual Events.
The workspace landscape is still changing and accelerating back to a more office-based workforce but the impact of ‘Working from Home’ was and to some extent remains, pretty impactful on the good, old fashioned “get togethers”.
As an Events Business we are being asked once again, to look at Virtual Events, no longer through necessity, but as a truly efficient use of funds. More on that below…
Guest acceptance versus guest attendance has rarely been anywhere near 100% although the big exception that we engineered was in the days when we were hosting a series of dinners for a client and serving Château Latour, 1er Grand Cru Classé, Pauillac at Mosimann’s Belgravia.
Not surprisingly it was easy to get the A list to agree to come and having signed up, virtually no one, ‘got a better offer’!
Throwing money at the problem has always been one solution but we love the idea of finding innovative themes with wine related topics, which sufficiently pique the attendee’s consciousness to ensure that they accept and turn up.
One such event had an invitation which read:
“Please come and join us to taste the differences between Puligny Montrachet & Chassagne Montrachet”
It was no surprise to me and a huge pleasure for the host, that most of the A list accepted and turned up, translating into a profound ROI for the host’s company.
What are the three things that count here?
1. Finding a solution to match your budget
2. Creating an innovative invitation to a target audience who are selective about the invitations they accept
3. Ensuring a memorable experience such that if the guest was invited again, then they would accept!
In-Person Events Dissected
The Positives: It is often stated, when it comes to events and Shared Experiences, that there is no substitute, or better way to engage, than by squeezing people’s paws, looking them in the eye and in real time, sipping or munching the same ingredients whilst listening to an entertaining master of ceremonies and enjoying the ‘buzz of the room’.
The Caveat: Finding a location convenient to get to and from can be a major challenge especially since (thinking about London for example) very few people who work in the City or West End, live in either.
In addition, if the venue is the sort of place the guest could take themselves to, then the perceived extravagance and honour is diluted and frankly, they could go there at a time of their choosing.
The Negatives: It may just be me, but are venues still trying too hard to catch up on the years of lost revenue?
Suddenly 12.5% & 15% service charges are normal and there seem to have been some dramatically increased room hire charges which when added to increased food prices, all leave the cost per person far removed from when it all seemed easily affordable. Lastly, let’s not get started on wine list markups!
The Conclusion: We pretty universally agree that being together is optimal, but we can also be realistic about the practicalities of creating the ideal event with a high ROI. People are by nature, selective about both the number and the type of events they want to attend.
Somewhat rudely, it is not unknown for guests who are happy for you to part company with your cash to change their minds about the acceptance and simply not arrive.
So, be prepared to spend a chunk of cash in the knowledge that on the day, there may be someone from the B or even C list appearing, simply to put bums on seats for which the budget has already been assigned.
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The Return of the Virtual Event
After Covid’s lockdowns there was what felt like a universal ‘screen fatigue’ among the working population. Options were limited because keeping humans apart was the choice of many Governments, to try to keep people safe.
It is understandable that screen fatigue was in large part replated to the content of the engagements. Work can seem less of a chore when people are together because the smallest element of facial expression, under the breath comments, vibe of the room and the possibility of everyone speaking at once, sometimes makes the work element incidental to the engagement.
Then we evolved again into the people who realised that they could avoid a commute and ‘work from home’ and, since that was a choice, there is little point in complaining about any screen participation. Pure economics of making decisions on the balance between in-person versus virtual engagement.
The $1m question now is, how does this translate when it comes to Corporate Events?
At Lunzer Wine we are engaged in both In-person and Virtual events for different clients with widely varying budgets and goals but the recent findings have been steering us to an increasing number of Virtual engagements.
In the briefest of outlines, our Virtual events tend to involve sending to each participant, to arrive the day before the event, a hamper which typically contains 4 half bottles of wine as well as a seasonal selection of food elements such as Smoked Salmon, Charcuterie, terrines, Cheese, Desserts etc.
I am sure that I speak for many when I say that there is a childlike pleasure in unwrapping a hamper to discover the treats inside.
The association of this hamper with the need to tune in to a light-hearted presentation featuring the ingredients, is not too onerous a proposition and we can report that attendance levels rarely fall below 100%.
The Business Case for UK Virtual Events
Virtual events offer significant advantages for UK businesses:
• Cost Effectiveness: By eliminating travel, venue hire and accommodation costs, companies can save up to 75% compared to traditional in person events.
• Rich Engagement Insights: Virtual platforms provide detailed analytics — session attendance, dwell time, poll results, and post event actions — so you can measure ROI and refine your next event with precision.
• Flexibility & Inclusivity: Virtual formats allow colleagues in different regions, home based teams, and those with caring responsibilities to join in easily, boosting participation and ensuring nobody feels left out.
Virtual Events Dissected
The Positives: Using an overnight DHL service we have fine-tuned the way the system works. We all love receiving hampers and the concept of a shared experience is a major part of the enjoyment of such an occasion even if it is online. Additionally, whilst some event businesses send out labelled ‘medicine sample bottles’ with assorted wines, we have found that the pleasure of receiving proper wines in 37.5cl (half) bottles gives the guest the desired level of being pampered that the host is striving for.
The overriding positive is one mentioned above, which is that having received the hamper, almost no one has not logged in at the appointed hour and if the goal is 100% attendance then this is the answer.
The Caveat: It is quite telling that the only caveat I can think of is the risk of the courier company not delivering for whatever reason. This ties in with our policy that hampers always arrive a day or two in advance so that if any mishaps occur, a replacement can be sent.
The Negatives: Before the necessity of ‘screen time’ it may be fair to say that people were unfamiliar with the restrictions of online interaction, in that more than one person speaking at a time is not that viable. We are now adept at using ‘chat buttons’ and unmuting ourselves to add a time sensitive comment or question. At Lunzer Wine we have found that the whole experience really does feel inclusive and interactive which is echoed in received testimonials.
The Conclusion: As a way of engaging with clients who are known to be inaccessible, we have seen remarkable stats regarding the success achieved and our opinion is that now that people have the choice, to be in or to go out, it is remarkable how many are happy to be in, with some entertaining distractions online and in front of them.
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Our Conclusion to the Event Conundrum
In a world where increasingly, ROI is the main focus for our clients, we are pleasantly surprised by the open mindedness shown towards what could be perceived as a retro-step, back to Virtual events.
Aligning with our Client Objectives
Some of the occasions we have orchestrated since the UK lockdowns were consigned to history, have included a long list or ways in which hosts have wanted to engage with guest, whether they be clients or colleagues.
These events have often been based on specific challenges of how to mark an occasion and engage with guests and they have included:
Client Wine Appreciation Events
Team Celebrations & Rewards
Executive & Board Meetings
Virtual Conferences & Webinars with wine to close the day.
Kick-off Meetings & Strategy Sessions
Investor & Partner Networking
Product Launches & Brand Activations
Charity & Fundraising Events
Infinite Themes and Content
The case studies below and our testimonials speak volumes about just how adaptable our online events can be.
Curated wine selections that reflect your objectives, is a vast playing field - from elegant Burgundy to unexpected British sparklers, Tuscany unmasked, Spain’s diversity… the wine themes are inexhaustible.
We also offer alternatives to wine such as Beer, Whisky, Gin, Port & Madeira and can incorporate pretty much anything into an enjoyable journey with a myriad of appropriate stories.
Branding to Promote Your Business
Making your event truly yours is part of the joy of online presentations.
Customised branding, integrating your logo on digital backdrops and for example, providing branded tasting notes, are all part of making clients and colleagues feel treated.
Ripe for Sponsorship
The virtual event provides opportunities for sponsors to benefit from the shared experience. Partnering with like minded brands to co host tastings, amplifies the reach to participants and sharing the spotlight is ideal for all sorts of engagement strategies.
Subliminal exposure rather than a hard sell, is proven to be beneficial for companies to share their ideas and gain customer loyalty.
We have included elements that are interactive with live Q&As, pairing challenges, mini competitions etc. to ensure everyone stays involved and entertained. With technology at our fingertips it is possible to run competitions from which sponsors can send prizes.
It is a great way to follow up and continue the momentum of client engagement.
Next Steps:
For more information about where to start on your next virtual or in-person event, please contact us…
Now for some Testimonials 😊
What our clients say:
“Thank you, Peter, for the excellent online event last night! What I love about you and your events is that you do not trying to dictate us what to think. I appreciate your great respect for the individual taste.” GAVIN HASTINGS OBE
“Peter has given a series of fascinating online wine and food tasting experiences for our clients over the years. Everyone that has attended has loved the occasions and many have attended more than once. Peter is informative, entertaining and has an agreeable, relaxed style of delivery.
He always provides terrific wines and delicious food. The Partners at ISP can’t recommend him highly enough!” GUY BERESFORD, FOUNDING PARTNER, ISP Leadership Advisors
“It was genuinely the BEST wine tasting evening I have ever attended! The hosting team was excellent, and Peter Lunzer was an inspiration and added so much to the enjoyment of the evening with his tongue in cheek comments and great storytelling” S. MORLEY, SKY UK
“Peter, fresh as a daisy today and basking in the warm glow of lots of emails of thanks for an enjoyable evening 😊 Thanks for doing a stellar job yesterday – it was perfect!” FIONA SEVERS, KEYSTONE LAW
“Peter is an extraordinary person with a remarkable knowledge of wine and ability to entertain and inform all around his subject: raconteur, expert, creator of images, insightful, innovative and perceptive; yet he does it all so deftly and subtly, and wears his knowledge so lightly, that you simply don’t notice the depth of art and knowledge that lie underneath. Any time in his company is well spent!” Chris Watson, Partner CMS UK
