The Events Planning industry in Tanzania is poorly explored and lacks creativity. When it comes to corporate events we fail to deliver fresh ideas, which are inline with the client’s objectives, as well as leaving their targeted audience impressed and sold onto their vision and/or product.

The Tanzanian economy has taken a downward turn, thus majority of companies are becoming increasingly conscious on their spending budgets, this has heavily impacted the events planning industry in Tanzania, therefore what can be done for companies to still believe in the magical effects of events, if executed correctly?

What is the sole purpose of an event? The main purpose of an event is to educate and create brand awareness. A well-educated, target groups are more likely to spread the word on your product/service to others.  

For your event to be successful, one needs set a specific objective of what you want to achieve, and these objectives should be S-M-A-R-T. 

S- Specific: set objective(s) that are specific for your event, what outcome you want form your event. E.g. the event should generate more revenue than the previous year, this would also aid the ROI (return on investment) of the event itself.

M- Measurable: All objectives should be measureable (quantifiable) the event should generate e.g. 50% more revenue than the prior year.

A- Achievable: The objectives should always be achievable (practical) i.e. attracting new clientele, this is also closely related to the capacity of the company to produce according to the demands of the focus market.

R- Relevant: Is your objective relevant to your companies strategic planning as whole? and is it a priority of what you want to achieve during that period.

T- Time: A specific Timeline is imperative; this will mark a set time frame of what you are attempting to measure. This will also allow you not to prolong the results of any given event, and if unsuccessful, it will aid you to make more educated strategic decisions in the future.

Once your event has an objective, it will be time to get creative and to give your target audience an ‘experience’ this will help solidify a long lasting impression that will make your captive audience remember your product/ services long after the event is over, and in order reach optimal event ‘experience’ this can be achieved in a number of ways, but engaging an individuals five senses, is always a winner!

Sight: Lighting / Décor should not just be utilized to cosmetically uplift a venue, it should be purposeful, and help focus the audience to what you wish to drive forward (objective of the event), whether it be a product or a service.

Hearing: Sound / Audio / Voiceovers etc. can have a psychological effect in maintaining the audience’s engagement – Prerecorded or live music should be carefully tested in advance, and timed to maintain the necessary focus as desired.

Taste: Always select the right choices of catering, every attendee has a dietary preference, and making sure they are well taken care of, as compared to the main bulk of attendees with no preferences shows you really care – attendees will most definitely remember that!

Smell: Scent is one of the most commonly engaged senses, this sense can transform audiences to another world i.e. illusions of an outdoor event – smells of water or trees can be recreated in an indoor venue. Barbecues, fresh fruit, coffee or baked pastries also elicit senses.

Touch: While considering the visual aspects of décor, furniture and other physical objects in your event, attendees will interact with these objects somehow. You want to ensure the feel is right. Interaction with the different touch points and décor at your event will be frequent, the surfaces of the furniture should be comfortable enough for attendees to network – be it seated or standing, comfortable setting can serve as an added trigger for an excellent event experience.

Thus, event planning in Tanzania need ent be a costly exercise, and by applying simple event planning techniques, coupled with our expertise in event planning, clients can rest assured that their objectives will be meet, and therefore their return on investment.