#495 party on purpose

Last week I was invited to a reception at an art gallery.  The invitation had a subtle reference to the corporate sponsor on the back of the announcement, but it was quite low key.  

The event itself was wonderful.  There was a live musical duet, great art and enough hors d'oeuvres to make a meal. 

But from an impact standpoint, it was a loser.  There was nothing on site that even hinted at who was sponsoring the event.  No banner.  No host at the door.  No corporate employees mingling with the crowd wearing nametags or organizational attire.  Zip.  Nada. Nothing.  What could have been a delightful way to say "thanks for being our client" was instead a lost opportunity.  

My advice:  never hold an event without an express purpose or call to action.  If you can't tell how your organization will benefit from hosting the gathering, you should call the caterer and cancel.  You'll get more bang for your buck by sending a box of donuts to the client's office instead.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
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