Once you have held an event, it is vital to obtain feedback promptly (however tired you are!); in fact, it is receiving constructive feedback over the years that has provided all of us here at DRIVE with the experience and confidence to plan and manage events so effectively. Feedback can be either qualitative or quantitative in context and it is …
#9 – How to attract sponsors and exhibitors to your event
Here at DRIVE, we organise all types of corporate events, and clients often ask us to create and execute sponsorship strategies to generate an additional revenue stream. This can be particularly helpful if the break-even point, or financial margins, are a bit tight, as any extra income earned from sponsors or exhibitors can reduce the extent of any financial risk. …
Blog #8 – How to get the best from your event team!
There is so much to consider when planning an event, but it is important – as early in the planning process as possible – to think about the team needed to run the event itself. The number of people you will need will depend on the scale of the event; if you are running a festival, for example, you …
IWD 2022: inspirational women
As women working in the creative industry, we see and hear many stories of individuals breaking the bias but, for this year’s International Women’s Day, I wanted to reflect upon the achievements of the women who have particularly inspired Team DRIVE. Mary Shelley’s story is very personal to Clare, our budding author, who read Frankenstein first at A-level and again …
Make the most out of your Marketing Agency
Hiring a marketing agency will make your working life more manageable, it’s as simple as that. A good agency will free up your time so you can focus on the tasks you enjoy. Think of them as a new employee but without the hassle of PAYE, holidays and sick leave. But how do you get the most out of them?Communication …
Kent Life: Leading ladies of Kent
Clare Grove, Director, recently shared her thoughts on 2021 and her hopes for 2022 with Kent Life Magazine. Looking back on the past year, what have you found most challenging? Working remotely and creatively is always a challenge; it is so much easier to swing round in a chair and get the team thinking than fire off an email or …
Blog #7 – Catering for an event – remember it is not just about the food and drink!
Organising an event can be a daunting task and, whether a corporate or private event, very often it is the dining experience that guests remember – and talk about – long after the event itself has drawn to a close. So, it is important to spend as much time, and available budget, to ensure that the catering of your event …
How to produce an event that your guests or delegates will remember – #6 in our event series
In this blog we are going to discuss the ‘content’ of an event for different styles of events. Let’s say, for example, you are planning a special birthday. You might have friends with a variety of interests and ages so have decided to do something you all love; perhaps a trip to London to see a show or a spa break with like-minded friends or a trip overseas to …
Promoting your event and getting the finer details spot on! – #5 in our event series
Why is this one of the most important stages of the event planning process? By the time you come to arranging the finer details of the event itself and promoting your corporate event, or inviting your guests to your private ‘do’, you will be very familiar with all aspects of the event: the venue, catering, drinks you are going to …
The guest experience – how to make your event memorable (for all the right reasons) – #4 in our event series
With any event, it is easy to get caught up in the logistics of it all and stop thinking about the actual reason you are holding it – which is essentially the enjoyment, entertainment, or education of your guests! But this really should be paramount and is easy to achieve with the right level of planning and consideration. This blog …
The importance of wellbeing and regularly recharging our batteries
Here at DRIVE, we fully understand the importance of looking after ourselves; whether by eating properly, getting regular exercise, avoiding working too late into the evenings or at weekends, spending quality time with family and friends or even by trying something new once in a while. We know that Covid-19 has been a challenging time for many, and the DRIVE …
Location Location Location…and getting the best from your venue – #3 in our event series
When planning an event, its location should be very high up on the list of things to get sorted. If you are planning a conference aimed at the corporate market, you really need to consider the whereabouts of your potential delegates; holding the event local to as many as possible will positively affect the ticket sales and your potential income …
Why not…makeitDRIVE?
All brands and company identities need a freshen up every now and again. We’ve been @makeitDRIVE on our social media from day one – and we’ve now taken the step to bring our website and emails inline! They say that change is as good as a rest. makeitDRIVE better reflects us, our brand and what we do for our clients. They know that by making it …
First things first when planning an event – how to get started with budgeting and planning – #2 in our event series
In this blog, we are going to focus solely on actual in-person events as planning an online event requires a slightly different approach. Please get in touch if you would like advice and support on running an online event – lots of people have held these in the past 18 months but they are trickier than they look and there …
It’s never too early to start planning an event – #1 in our series of 10 event blogs
With venue doors around the world starting to re-open, here at DRIVE we are relishing the prospect of arranging actual, in-person events for our clients – and friends. So, while we dust off our clipboards and headsets over the coming weeks, we would like to share some of our key pointers (gained from more years of experience than we care …
Back to life, back to reality?
Back to life, back to reality? Perhaps we’re showing our age a bit here but this Soul II Soul track from the early 90s pretty much sums up where we’re at right now! Are we really getting our lives back? Are we really getting back to reality? The answer is that it is impossible to say. Although restrictions are easing, …
Marketing Marmite
Marketing. We love it, we study it, and we live and breathe it. For some people, though, it’s a niggle. It’s love it or hate it. You know it’s important, but also it needs time, planning and a budget. It’s on the to-do list but where to start. A marketing strategy – even the most basic, back of a beer …
World, Interrupted
Like the protagonist in one of my favourite 90s films, Girl, Interrupted, we are all struggling to understand and come to terms with our current reality. Coronavirus has ripped through our world and interrupted our lives as we knew them. Our usual British weather chat has been replaced with talk of Tiers and we have face masks in every pocket, …
Where on Earth have we been?
We’re aware that we’ve been very quiet on our social media in the past weeks – but no fear, we are still here and as busy as ever! I thought I would provide an update on what we’ve been up to in these most strange of times.Lockdown for team DRIVE started with such sadness; we lost family, we lost …
How to become a virtual event expert
Since March 2020, DRIVE has hosted 48 online events with a total of over 1000 attendees across three different software platforms. Behind the scenes, I had stress beyond belief and planned for every worst-case scenario; but once a smooth and successful event (virtual or otherwise) comes to a close there is no greater feeling. Throughout the pandemic, we have strived …
Last normal photo
Journalist Robyn Vinter received thousands of replies when she recently asked people to share images of life before lockdown. This was my #lastnormalphoto – a shot of our fabulous team post-event in March.We organise a number of events a year for this particular client – and ours was the last to take place in the sector before COVID-19 really took …
A new beginning?
As May Day arrives, it heralds new beginnings. My father texted this morning to tell me he had heard his first cuckoo. As it is my turn to pen our blog, I wanted to write something upbeat and positive, something to herald this new month and potential opportunities, to wax lyrical about how brands and businesses might start to pick …
Lockdown: An opportunity for reflection
Despite the chaos we’re working through, some way or another, it presents us all with a very important, yet often undervalued concept – time. As hard as the situation is for us all, there is an argument to say that it’s presented a rare opportunity to evaluate and review, to pause for a moment and look at such things as …
We’ve got this…
On 9/11 I was working as a copywriter in an ad agency. We gathered in the boardroom and watched as the towers fell. What followed was utter disbelief and a sharp realisation that life had changed for good. The circumstances are totally different, of course, but the events of this week, the speed at which the situation has evolved, and …
International Women’s Day
With International Women’s Day this weekend, my team thought what a good excuse it would be for a blog – not that you ever need an excuse for a blog, but the saying fits, I guess! I wanted this blog to shine a light on my opinion this International Women’s Day and as an excuse to introduce myself as the …
Small Things to Improve Your Work Wellbeing
Looking after your wellbeing at work is just as important as it is at home – after all, it’s where you spend most of your day. We’ve put together a little graphic – feel free to share, pin, or print and stick onto your notice board – it may help someone out. At DRIVE, we take pride in trying to …
Instant gratification. The demands of the ‘now’ generation
Whatever technology we use, whatever message we’re delivering, whatever service or product we’re selling, as marketers, we need to be ready to volte-face at a moment’s notice, to change and adapt – and quickly.
#WorldPhotography: Top 5 Photography Locations Around The World
Not only is Demelza a digital content and social media whizz, but she also has a first-class degree in photography. To celebrate #WorldPhotographyDay Demelza has written a blog ticking off her favourite destinations to photograph around the globe. So, grab your notebook and start adding these gorgeous locations to your bucket list. Iceland “I love Iceland – the landscape is …
Find Out How We Plan a Successful Event Every Time
At DRIVE we always seem to be in event mode; with at least one or two every month, if we’re not planning one, we’re recovering from one – often both at the same time! From roadshows to product launches, to parties, seminars and conferences, our clients keep us busy with events up and down the country. Throughout July, we’ve looked …
Power, beauty & brilliance
Three words that define DRIVE.Power in the knowledge that we can overcome challenges no matter how big or small. We’re a hardworking team; we’re determined and experienced and skilled in so many great things As a team, we have 50 years of marketing experience and in this time (half a flipping decade…!) we’ve gained a true understanding of the power behind …
Our favourite social media stats of 2019 (so far)
Who loves stats? We do! We’ve listed some of our favourite social media statistics, sourced from around the web, to help you keep on top of what’s going on in this ever-changing sector of digital marketing.Overall stats There are 3.397 billion social media users in the world On average user has 5.5 social media accounts each 81% of small businesses …
Read this if you want to make the most of your Marketing Agency
Hiring a marketing agency will make your working life more manageable, it’s as simple as that. A good agency will free up your time so you can focus on the tasks you enjoy. Think of them as a new employee but without the hassle of PAYE, holidays and sick leave. But how do you get the most out of them?Communication …
New Year’s Resolutions for Your Business
A quick straw poll at DRIVE towers reveals a myriad of New Year’s resolutions; lose weight, drink less, exercise more, read more books, buy less ‘stuff’. As with every year, we all start with the best of intentions, but come Easter, how many resolutions will have stuck? In business, as well as our personal lives, making a list of resolutions …
DRIVE’s Advent 2018
This December, with some tenacious nagging from the younger members of staff, we filmed a DRIVE Christmas countdown on social media! Don’t worry if you didn’t catch it all as we’ve put together a version complete with all 25 questions and bloopers to spare!
Why Your Business Really Needs Paid Social Media Advertising
Firstly, what is paid advertising on social media?If you were to post on a Facebook business page with 1,000 followers, you might notice that only 30 of them will actually view the content. Unfortunately, this is how Facebook’s algorithm has worked for some years, gone are the days when you could post and expect to reach the majority of your …
How to Plan a Successful Event?
Events come in all shapes and sizes, from children’s parties, to weddings, to breakfast meetings and even conferences. Every event, large or small, needs careful planning to ensure successful, and most importantly of all, stress-free execution. We appreciate that when tasked with planning an event, the hardest part for our clients is often just knowing where to start. Here are …
Top 10 Instagram Accounts to Follow in 2018
Bored of looking through your friend’s blurry food pictures and awkward family photos uploaded by your mum? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with a list of our top 10 Instagram accounts. Food If you follow MakeItDRIVE on social media you’ll be familiar with our foodie uploads, that’s because we can’t get through the day without three bars of …
Social Media for Small Businesses: Why is it important?
If you’re thinking about starting your own business or you’ve already dipped your toes into the world of self-employment, with everything else needed to get started, social media is probably the last thing on your mind. It shouldn’t be. When used correctly, social media is an extremely powerful source of revenue for many small businesses. Helping them improve brand awareness, …
Top 5 Things to do in Folkestone this Summer
The regeneration of the harbour, the abundance of creative shops and delicious cafes, and its scenic coastal walks make Folkestone, one of the best places to be this summer. We’re proud to be located right at the heart of it all and we want you to make the most of our up-and-coming town this season! Folkestone Harbour Arm Perhaps …
Marketing Strategy for Small Businesses
Creating a marketing strategy for a small business from scratch might seem like a daunting task. Fear not! There is a way you can kick-start your marketing with a simple strategy aimed to increase your brand awareness and build momentum. At DRIVE, we’re massive fans of lists, so here are our top 5 tips for launching a marketing strategy for …
International Women’s Day 2018
Write a blog for International Women’s Day, my team asked of me. International Women’s Day. A day of “gender parity”, a day to ‘#PressforProgress’ and, I read, a day to make the call to ‘motivate and unite friends, colleagues and whole communities to think, act and be gender inclusive.’ What in practice does this push, this call for parity, mean …
“Content is King” (Queen)
“Content is king”. A famous quote by Bill Gates in 1996, which I’m sure you’ve heard before. Funnily enough he predicted the boom of HUGE online activity in the 90s – way before all the major companies like Google or Facebook even existed. We would like to make a little change because here at DRIVE, we’re big on equality and …