This document discusses planning a client appreciation gala event. It notes that hosting such an event requires significant logistics and investment of resources. At least one staff member should be assigned for every 40-50 attendees to handle various details. Critical components for a successful event include planning it early in the marketing season, choosing a midweek evening, selecting a nice central venue, offering multiple entree options, having entertainment after dinner, and carefully designing seating charts to match clients' backgrounds. The goal is to deepen connections with clients and introduce clients to each other.

1. Senior Market Advisor • November 2013 | LifeHealthPro.com44
If you’ve been reading this column for
the past 24 months, and you’ve decided
to adopt a relational rather than a transac-
tional business model, you already know
that one of the most rewarding events
you could ever add to your calendar is the
hosting of your own corporate Client Ap-
preciation Gala. Done correctly, these in-
dispensable annual “reunions” will deepen
the connections you and your staff share
with your clients, while celebrating their
successes, retained gains and leveraged
legacies—as well as give their attending
friends an invaluable opportunity to see
you and your team in action.
Hosting such an event is not to be
undertaken lightly. The logistics can be
daunting and the investment great, and
even with the assistance of a banquet
coordinator, you should have at least one
staff person for every 40-50 attendees, in
order to cater to the many minor details
that invariably will arise—everything
from dietary considerations, to seating
assignments, to the timing of the meal
with the entertainment.
The following components are critical
to the success of a well-planned event:
• Plan the event near the beginning of your
seminar marketing season, so the “buzz”
from it enhances attendance at your
next several workshops.
• Hold it on a Tuesday or Thursday
evening, as those days are the least
disruptive of people’s midweek church
or weekend travel plans.
• Choose a centrally located venue with
ample parking, where the kitchen staff
is capable of stepping up their more
routine menu offerings to a four-star
experience.
• Offer three or four different entrée
items, such as duck, filet mignon, lob-
ster or salmon as well as seated appetiz-
ers and a salad. Remember: You’re not
doing this to “save money,” you’re doing this
as an act of appreciation and gratitude.
• Have excellent entertainment, either
musical or comedic, scheduled after
dessert has been served, and encourage
audience participation.
• Optional: Between the plated appetizers
and after the placing of their dinner
orders, consider giving an economic or
market forecast presentation of no more
than 20 minutes, plus a QA opportunity.
This reconnects your clients to you as
an expert, and gives their guests a sense
of your knowledge, presence, poise and
skillset, all of which will dominate the
table conversation once the main entrees
are served.
Important: The one factor most cru-
cial to a great experience is the care you
take in matching people’s backgrounds
and temperaments when you design your
assigned seating chart. Paired correctly,
clients who were strangers will become
dear friends and socialize long after that
event is over—and thank you for intro-
ducing them!
Next month, I’ll explain why we no
longer hold large events, having moved to
multiple smaller ones instead.
Client appreciation events, part 1
Thomas K. Brueckner is president and CEO of Senior Financial Resources, Inc. in Nashua, N.H.,
and Strategic Asset Conservation, Inc. in Scottsdale, Ariz. He is a Senior Market Advisor
2011 Advisor of the Year Finalist. for more articles from Thomas k. brueckner, visit
lifehealthpro.com/author/thomas-k-brueckner.
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questions to feedback@
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“Hosting such an
event is not to be
undertaken lightly.”
YourPractice
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