Women’s Day is a significant celebration in South Africa, honoring the resilience, strength, and achievements of women. Whether you’re planning an event at your workplace, a community gathering, or a personal celebration, hosting a memorable Women’s Day event requires careful planning and a focus on making every attendee feel valued and appreciated. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you create an unforgettable Women’s Day event.
Define Your Purpose and Goals
Identify the Purpose
Decide what the purpose of the event is, are you planning to:
- Celebrate Achievements by highlighting the accomplishments of women in your organization or community.
- Raise Awareness by focusing on issues affecting women and promoting equality and empowerment or
- Build Community by fostering connections and support among women.
Set Clear Goals
- What do you want to achieve with this event?
- Are you aiming to educate, inspire, or simply celebrate?
Plan the Event Details
Choose a Theme
Select a theme that resonates with your audience and aligns with the purpose of the event. Themes could range from “Women in Leadership” to “Celebrating Diversity or “Appreciating Women in The Workplace”
Set a Budget
Determine how much you can spend on the event. Consider costs for venue, catering, speakers, entertainment, and promotional materials.
Select a Date and Time
Choose a date close to Women’s Day (9th August) that works best for your organisation. Most corporates plan these events for Women’s Day during office hours anytime in the month of August as it is Women’s Month. Our most popular day for events and Women’s Day bookings are the few days around the 9th August, this year being 7th and 8th August 2024. Ensure it doesn’t clash with other major events.
Secure a Venue
Venue Options
Workplace, utilize your own office space for corporate events. The benefit is that staff do not waste any travel time and can carry on with their day or pop in and out as the day goes on.
Venue hire is ideal for larger groups or if you are wanting to have catering and other service providers all under one roof.
Outdoor Spaces, consider parks or gardens for a more relaxed setting, weather permitting. August can be unpredictable, sometimes we are lucky with some great spring weather creeping in but it can also be very cold.
Logistics
Ensure the venue is accessible for all attendees.
Arrange seating, sound systems, and other necessary equipment.
Plan the Program
Create an Agenda
Outline the flow of the event, including start and end times, breaks, and transitions between activities and what time each supplier needs to be on-site for their portion of the event.
Invite Speakers and Guests
Keynote Speakers: Invite inspiring women from various fields to share their stories.
Panel Discussions: Host panels on relevant topics like women’s health, leadership, or entrepreneurship.
Entertainment: Include performances by female artists, poets, or musicians or massages to add some spruce to the day.
Promote the Event
Marketing Strategies
Email Invitations, send personalized invitations to your attendees. Add this event to their calendar to ensure you have full attendance on the day.
Engage Your Audience
Create a hashtag for the event and encourage attendees to share their experiences on social media. This always gives great reach to show that you observe Women’s Day and celebrate the ladies in your workplace.
Offer early bird registrations or incentives for sharing the event with friends and colleagues.
Plan for Catering and Decorations
Catering
Choose a menu that suits the time of day and preferences of your attendees. Consider dietary restrictions and provide healthy options.
Decorations
- Decorate the venue in line with your theme. Use banners, flowers, and table settings to create a welcoming atmosphere.
Prepare Event Materials
Programs and Schedules
Print event programs and schedules for attendees.
Provide name tags and any necessary materials for activities or workshops.
Gifts and Giveaways
Prepare small tokens of appreciation for attendees, such as branded merchandise, books, or personalized gifts.
Execute the Event
Day-of Coordination
Ensure all team members know their roles and responsibilities.
Have a detailed timeline and checklist to keep everything on track.
Allocate a person to liaise with suppliers to ensure set up is all done on time.
Engage with Attendees
Greet attendees warmly and make them feel welcome.
Encourage participation and interaction throughout the event.
Follow Up
Post-Event Communication
Send thank-you emails to speakers, sponsors, and attendees.
Share event highlights and photos on social media and your website.
Gather Feedback
Use surveys or feedback forms to gather attendees’ thoughts on the event.
Analyze feedback to improve future events.
Reflect and Plan Ahead
Evaluate Success
Assess the event based on your initial goals and attendee feedback.
Debrief to identify areas for improvement and celebrate your successes.
Plan for Next Year
Start thinking about next year’s event early. Use insights from this year’s event to make it even better.
Hosting a memorable Women’s Day event is a wonderful way to honor and celebrate the incredible women in your organization or community. By following these steps, you can ensure that your event is well-planned, impactful, and truly unforgettable.
From all of us at Sheer Bliss, Happy Women’s Day!
