Tips For Hosting a Successful After Hours Event:
Hosting an After Hours Networking (AHN) event is a fantastic way to showcase your business and connect with the Brighton business community in a fun, relaxed setting. These events typically bring together 30+ Chamber members and guests, making them a great opportunity to build relationships, increase visibility, and highlight what makes your business unique.
As an AHN host, your business will be in the spotlight while attendees enjoy a casual evening of networking and socializing. It’s your chance to create a welcoming environment where people can make connections and learn more about what you offer—without the pressure of a formal presentation.
AHN hosts are responsible for supplying appetizers, beer, wine, and non-alcoholic drinks (juices, soda, and/or water). The host is also responsible for providing two door prizes for the event, from their business or partner business(optional, but HIGHLY encouraged).
Here are a few things to consider when hosting an AHN event:
- Remember this is your opportunity to showcase your business while providing a fun and relaxed atmosphere for Chamber members to network. This is not a sales seminar – members come to socialize, see their friends, and make new ones.
- It’s very hard to know exactly how many people will come to an AHN. We stopped asking for RSVP’s years ago because people wouldn’t commit. Still, we consistently have 25+ attendees. It’s better to plan for a bigger crowd than to not have enough refreshments.
- Invite your own customers – the more the merrier! Let your customers know you are hosting this for the Greater Brighton Chamber of Commerce and perhaps they will want to learn more about the chamber, too! Invite your vendors, family members, neighbors, and employees. If you have other locations for your business, invite the employees who work at those locations, also.
- If possible, please purchase food/beverages from restaurants and/or catering companies that are members of the Greater Brighton Chamber of Commerce.
- Please have a table and two chairs available for the Chamber staff to use as a check-in table near the entrance if you wish to collect attendee names and business cards for drawings. You might also wish to put out some of your marketing materials at a table nearby!
- Other chamber members may be interested in partnering with you to host this event which can help alleviate your costs. You may want to consider asking your major vendors/partners or commercial neighbors to contribute by providing door prizes or giveaways.
- Most importantly, let us know what you are planning, such as a special promotion or drawing so we are able to better promote the event in advance. Guests are more likely to come to a party when they know there will be great food, entertainment (if you choose), and fun people!
Timing and Logistics:
- After Hours events are generally held from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM on the 4th Thursday of the month, but timing can be slightly flexible based on your business needs.
- On the day of your event, a staff member from the Chamber of Commerce will arrive approximately 30 minutes early to help with setup. The event will begin at 5:00pm, with guests checking in at the Chamber of Commerce table. This is where we will promote the door prizes and collect the business cards for all attendees. A list of guests is available to you after the event.
- At 6, a representative of the Chamber will introduce you, the host business, to hold door prize drawings. This is an opportunity to engage with the crowd and give a quick summary of your business, introduce your team, thank attendees, and recognize any other vendors or businesses that participated and/or donated items for this event.
- Unless the business will be providing facility tours, the remainder of the evening is dedicated to attendee networking. Sometimes a host will have games or other activities to engage attendees. If your business has corporate gift merchandise (hats! pens! cups! whatever!) you might hand those out to participants as they leave.
Questions? Contact Allison at allison@brightonchamber.com