Last year we brought you our tips for how to plan a successful business meeting (if you missed it, click here to read!  http://starfish-events.com/blog/?p=40 ) .  Now here are additional tips on how to spice up that meeting with add-ons that elevate your company gathering to that next level.  

Create customized music.  Hire a professional DJ to create music mixes just for your meeting.  Music inspires and excites crowds.  This is a great way to combine popular music that fits the mood of the meeting with personalized special effects in the music that pertain just to your company.  For example, for music that is played prior and immediately following the presentation as guests are mingling, mix top 40 hits with sound effects or taglines from company commercials or names of products creatively placed within the music.  Following the meeting email the mp3 (complimentary of course) to the company to add to their own iTunes lists.    

Design lighting schemes.  Treat your company meeting like how you would treat a special event.  The most important category to splurge on at any event is lighting design.  Lighting transforms a room from a standard beige or gray meeting room into a unique room that pops.  If your presentation alone doesn’t keep guests awake, this sure will!  Lighting design doesn’t mean giving the room a dance club feel (unless that’s what you are going for), it can be subtle while still giving the room a whole new look, such as using uplights in soft colors. 

Produce robust tables.  If using round or banquet tables at your meeting, fill them up.  Barren tables look depressing.   Make sure there’s bottled water on the tables and/or pitches of juice, pads and paper for note-taking (this usually can be supplied, complimentary, by the facility, especially if you’re hosting your meeting at a hotel), bowls of candy, etc. If you have the extra money, add centerpieces as well.      

Don’t forget the giveaways.  People love receiving stuff.  This is why at tradeshows when booths are giving away items, no matter how cheesy, they get the most foot traffic.  Impress guests by leaving them with a parting gift.  Save some money by asking corporate partners to give promotional items to add to your gift bags.  If you do have the money to spend, spend it on items that guests will keep and treasure, such as items that they can display on their office desks for years to come, or on more practical gifts, such as USB drives that contain the presentation documents.   

Leave that lasting impression.  There’s always room to leave a lasting impression after your meeting has ended.  As guests exit the doors, have an experience waiting for them.  Have a band in the lobby singing tunes or have costume characters cheering guests on and offering memorable photo ops.  Surprise them when they least expect it.