5 business events you can organise this autumn

Not sure yet which type of event would suit your company this autumn? And are you wondering whether a traditional conference is really the best choice, or whether another kind of event would offer more for your team or your guests?

At InnStyle, we see the same trends return every autumn: certain event types consistently work better during this period than others, and the choice depends largely on what you want to achieve with your guests. We have been organising events for companies such as Rabobank, bol. and Nike for 30 years, and find that most doubts disappear once the options are clearly set out.

In this article, we discuss five business events you can organise this autumn: conferences, team-building events, exhibitions, product presentations and company parties. For each type, we explain what it involves, which goals it suits and why autumn is a particularly good time for it.

Why autumn is the perfect time for a business event

For many organisations, September, October and November bring the end-of-year rush: annual budgets still need to be spent, the final push towards annual targets has begun and teams come back together after the summer. That makes autumn a natural time to share knowledge, network, launch a product or round off the year together.

Yet this is also the period when many event managers automatically fall back on what they did last year. Understandable, but not always the best choice. The weather plays a bigger role in autumn than in summer, but that does not mean your options are limited. Above all, it means that choosing the venue becomes just as important as choosing the type of event itself. At InnStyle, we organise all five event types below at our own indoor/outdoor venue on the Maarsseveense Plassen, with natural daylight and views over the water, even when the weather lets us down.

Want to know how to put an event like this together in practice, from planning to logistics? Take a look at our practical checklist for organising an event in autumn.

5 business events that are a great fit for InnStyle this autumn

Event 1: conference

A conference is all about sharing knowledge: several speakers, presentations or sessions centred on one theme, with the aim of helping participants learn something or see a topic from a different perspective. This type of event is well suited to companies that want to kick off the end-of-year rush with a shared day of learning, or communicate a strategic message to employees or clients.

A conference needs an environment where participants stay focused, even after the third presentation of the day. Daylight and fresh air make all the difference. When Canon Information Management Solutions brought all five of its divisions together on one stage for the first time at the FUSION event, with 250 to 300 international guests, the requirement went beyond a simple room with enough chairs. The programme called for space for plenary sessions as well as in-depth discussions in smaller groups. “From the outset, they actively helped us think things through. You can tell straight away: the team at this venue knows what they're doing,” says Sandra van Horen, who helped organise the event as part of the communications team. Mysolution also opts for this approach for its annual customer day, with a 360-degree layout that keeps the energy in the room high rather than letting it fade.

Do bear in mind that at a conference without variety or strong content, participants quickly lose focus, however good the venue is.

Event 2: team building

Team building focuses on connection: teams taking on challenges together, from outdoor activities to in-depth workshops. This type of event is particularly well suited to autumn, as teams often need to reconnect after the holiday period and at the start of the busy autumn season, before the final push towards the end of the year begins.

Team building works best when it ties in with everything else happening during the day. For a client who wanted to combine an intensive training programme with team building, we worked with an external training provider to create a seamless flow between activities and moments of reflection: participants completed an activity, discussed what they had observed, then tried it again in a different way. The result was evident in greater collaboration during the activity itself, and in conversations that continued throughout the rest of the day. Want to know more about choosing the right activity for your event? Read how to choose an activity for your business event too.

Team building only works when the activities clearly support a goal; if you choose an activity that has no connection to the rest of the day, participants will soon see it as something they simply have to get through.

Event 3: trade fair

A trade fair is all about meeting people, finding inspiration and doing business. Exhibitors and visitors come together at one venue, often with stands, presentations and networking opportunities. This type of event is suitable for businesses that want to showcase products or services to a larger audience, or reach existing contacts and potential customers in a single day.

For an exhibition, accessibility and flexibility are more important than for most other event types: visitors need to be able to park easily, and the space needs to adapt to the number of stands and visitors. At InnStyle, we offer flexible indoor and outdoor venues with 1.000 free parking spaces, so exhibitors and visitors feel welcome straight away, even if the exhibition falls on a rainy day in November.

The impact of an exhibition depends largely on how much interaction is encouraged between visitors and exhibitors. Without deliberate opportunities to network, it amounts to isolated stand visits rather than conversations that go further.

Event 4: product launch

A product launch introduces a new product or service, with a setting that should reinforce the story rather than distract from it. This type of event suits companies bringing a new product to market during the busy year-end period, or those looking to invite business contacts and the press to a memorable unveiling.

Autumn is a deliberate choice for many product launches: budgets for the current year still need to be spent, and for many sectors, the final quarter is the most commercially important of the year. Marketing manager Eef Vanrusselt from Beherman Motors had just one month to prepare for the launch of the Farizon V7E electric van. She visited several venues in Utrecht, but knew straight away that it would be InnStyle: “I walked onto the site and immediately knew: this is the one. An easy choice.” The afternoon programme was originally intended for 50 guests, but eventually grew to 100 dealers and business contacts.

A product launch is a one-off occasion, so it is important to create plenty of buzz around it too, for example through PR, so the event’s impact continues online beyond the day itself.

Event 5: company party

A company party is an opportunity to round off the year and show appreciation for employees or business contacts. Think of a drinks reception, a themed party or a dinner with entertainment. This type of event suits companies looking to bring the busy year-end period to a close with a moment of recognition, after a year in which a great deal has been asked of employees.

A company party is often the last event scheduled for the year, which means popular dates and venues in autumn get booked up quickly. So do not wait until December to secure a date. At InnStyle, we organise company parties ranging from waterside drinks receptions to lively themed parties, focusing on what suits your team and the conversations your guests will remember long afterwards.

Bear in mind that the impact of a company party is harder to justify to a budget holder than that of other event types, because appreciation is less measurable than, for example, leads or knowledge sharing. Focus particularly on HR KPIs such as employee satisfaction and retention.

Which event type suits your goal?

The five event types at a glance, with the objectives they are best suited to and why autumn is a good fit:

''Choosing an event type starts with your objective, not with what you did last year.''

If you want guests to learn something, choose a conference. If you want your team to reconnect after a busy period, team building is a more logical choice than a plenary presentation. If you want to do business with a broad audience, a trade fair is a better fit than an internal event. If you want to draw attention to a new product, a product presentation is the right format. And if you want to round off the year by showing appreciation for your team, a company party is the right choice.

For each type, take the autumn weather into account too. A conference or product presentation can take place entirely indoors without detracting from the experience. Team building and a company party, on the other hand, benefit from a venue that also offers outdoor space, provided there is a good plan B in case of heavy rain.

Choose the event type that suits you this autumn

Each of these five event types calls for a different approach, but they have one thing in common: the choice becomes easier once your objective is clear. That is exactly the challenge many event managers face in autumn, with a packed diary and little time to explore all the options themselves.

At InnStyle, we have been organising these five event types for 30 years, for clients such as Rabobank, bol. and Nike, at one venue on the Maarsseveense Plassen with natural light, space and a plan for every kind of weather. Would you like to discuss which event type suits your objective this autumn? Request a no-obligation proposal via our website, so you start this autumn not with uncertainty, but with an event that fits what you want to achieve.