Why are you organising a golf event
When I ask companies why they have decided to organise a golf event I’m past being surprised when they don’t have an answer, in fact over 90% of businesses don’t have a definitive answer as to why they have a golf event. Some of the answers that we get are; “we thought I would be a nice thing to do”, “our competitors do one” and a common one “we have some budget to spend”.
Whilst these are all very nice, they are not reasons to run a golf event and before you do anything, you should clearly define why you are running an event. Only when this is done can you start to create an event that is tailored to the goals of what the company wants to achieve. This is central to good corporate hospitality and where a desired output is created to increase business performance.
Invitations
Ever organised a golf event and after having 100 people confirm they would be attending, when it comes to the day itself the drop out rate is huge?
Since we started Clubs Away one specific goal was to help our clients with this issue. We have seen significant results in this area of corporate event management, reducing the drop out rate for our clients by 11%.
Getting people to attend is more than just sending out an invitation and getting a confirmation whether they can attend or not, It’s a process in itself and is one that can make or break your golf event.
The invitation is the first point of contact where your potential guest gets to hear about your event, so its needs to appeal to your guest.
Choosing your venue
One of the most important factors of running your event is the venue and is sometimes overlooked in its importance.
It’s important when a company runs an event they ensure the whole experience is representative of their brand, and the venue is no exception. If you are a high-end brand that prides itself on quality then you should choose a 5-star golf resort. I can hear you now saying, “I don’t have the budget to that”. There are of course ways around this;
Reduce your numbers
It’s better to deliver an event that shouts your brand values with a reduced number of guests. This again links to the drop out rate . If your guests don’t feel like your event doesn’t reflect your brand your drop out rates will be high.
Use us!
I know this sounds like a sales pitch, but I’m saying this because it’s true. We know how to negotiate along with buying power with venues to get the package you want. Our free venue finding service takes all the hassle away from you and guarantees that you will get the best price with all the little add-ons that make your day a truly bespoke golfing experience.
Branding
Its amazing how little attention companies give to exposing their brand on their events. We were recently invited to a corporate golf event of a potential client so we could advise what they could do better. The answer: Everything!!!!! The only exposure of their brand was by way of a banner on the 1st tee.
Brand exposure on an event has to come in many forms of presence and we recommend that 20%-30% of the total budget should be attributed to branding your event. I cannot stress enough how important this is and you should consider how you expose your brand in the following areas;
- Welcoming your guest
- Play your game
- Dressing your venue
- Reward your winners
When choosing how to do this you should always strive to expose your brand in the above areas as much as possible in a way that fits in with your brand guidelines.
If you need some inspiration, please see read our events page
Gifts for your guests
Giving a gift to your guests is probably one of the most important aspects of your golf day.
This should always be done at the first point of contact with your guest, having a registration desk with a company representative is the best way to do this. Giving a gift to your guest does two things;
It makes them feel welcome
Remember that they might not know anybody so its important that you make them feel welcome by this method and interacting with them for as long as possible.
Brand exposure
The gift should always expose your brand. There are so many things to choose from the list is truly endless, some companies even choose non golf themed related items which can work as long as the gift is synonymous with your brand or product. When choosing your gift you should always choose something they will get use out of and that will remind them of your brand, product and golf day.
Competition Format
Choosing a competition format for your golf event can be a large task in itself, do you choose, Medal, Stableford, Greensome’s, Foursome’s, team’s or individual???
This is a question that faces every golf event organiser and unless they fully understand the implications behind each format then this decision can have a massive impact on your golf day and what memories your guests leave with.
There are many factors to think about when making the final decision, time, administration, number of guests attending, to name a few. No matter what decision you make you should always consider both your guest and your ability to manage each format.
Electronic vs. Traditional Scoring
With electronic scoring such as VPAR are becoming ever popular we have been sampling both techniques to see what effect each has on a golf day. Whilst I agree that electronic scoring has its place in a competition environment I don’t think it has any place in a corporate golf day.
Having electronic scoring sends the message that day is centred on the competition itself. This is one of the mistakes that happens to frequently as its your company, brand and product that should be at the heart of any event. Making the day about competition can confuse the message that you are trying to send to your guests.
There is also another good reason not to go down the electronic scoring road. If the day is made about the competition itself, electronic scoring will ultimately tell people where they have finished in the field. There are always a small percentage of guests that will leave your day if they know they haven’t won or get a prize in the competition. The time after the round is your chance to network and talk to as many people as possible so don’t give them an excuse to leave, if they think that they might win a prize its pretty much guaranteed that they will stay to find out.