Organising new business events? Let us help
Want to organise a breakfast, lunch or dinner for your new business prospects? Need a hook to get them interested? We can help.
Pomona Partners is the North’s only speaker agency, representing a huge range of talent for every budget. Entertaining, engaging, expert speakers who can help you put bums on seats.
Our speakers will get people talking and help you to create an event that everyone will remember. Many are authors, giving you the perfect takeaway for all your prospects at the end of the event.
Ready to get started? Here’s what to do.
1. Think about your audience
What do they care about? What’s troubling them? What excites them?
We have experts in a huge range of domains, from technology and AI, to productivity and performance, psychology, leadership, politics and more. And we have people who will make your audience laugh, bring a bit of star power, or inspire them with unique stories.
Check out our curated lists of women speakers, motivational speakers, technology speakers and more here.
2. Think about your budget
How much do you have to spend on a speaker? Here’s a guideline: our speakers can cost anything from £1200 upwards. Many will have higher fees, but we’re always open to a chat. And there’s often a deal to be done - e.g. if you want to book more than one speaker from us, or if you’re bulk buying some of their books.
3. Think about the format
What is going to work best for your audience? Breakfast, lunch or dinner? Dinners can feel the most special, like a treat, especially if the venue is somewhere particularly appealing. But dinners also interfere with family life and other commitments, so it can be awkward for people to attend. Talk to a sample of your targets about what they prefer.
Our speakers can be flexible about how they work. Generally we find a 15-20 minute provocation early in the night can be a great conversation starter, followed by a Q+A. Or you can stick to the classic format with a talk later through the courses.
4. Expanding your prospect list
Do you have enough target data to get the numbers you want for an event? If not, how about partnering up with another organisation?
We’ve worked on events where two companies with similar targets but different propositions have worked together - e.g. a law firm and an insurance broker, or a bank and an accountants. And we’ve worked with media companies and membership organisations who bring huge reach to an event.
If you’re booking through us, we’re always happy to share ideas and contacts to help you maximise the value of your investment in a speaker.
5. Invitations
How will you attract people to your event? Bums on seats is always your responsibility, but that doesn’t mean our speakers can’t help. How about a personalised pre-event video that you can send to your prospects? Or some support on social media? Or adding some content and comments to your email campaigns? There are lots of ways they can support you before the night.
6. Look at Takeaways
Will you give the attendees something to remember you by? Many of our speakers are authors, with books for adults - and children - that make great takeaway gifts. Plus, sending out a book is a great way to build a relationship with those who couldn’t attend, especially if it’s signed and personalised by the author.
Check out the Pomona Partners bookshop for a list of some of the books from our author speakers.
Talk to Us!
If you’re thinking about new business events in the year ahead, then we’d love to have a chat. Even if your budget is small, we can probably find a speaker to fit. Or even a range of speakers for a whole programme of events.
New business development is hard. Let us help.