When asked, many Canadians express interest in the chance to hear experts on important issues to do with their finances and investments.

When advisors actually invite clients to sessions to listen to experts, that interest doesn't always translate into attendance.

The core issue is that many Canadians are busy with lots of competing demands on their time. This is made worse in large cities like Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver, where it's impossible to find a central location that's universally convenient and many clients don't want to contend with traffic.

The formula for a successful event

There are a number of things that advisors have to get right to get existing and prospecting clients out to an event:

• A topic that's a hot button for clients
• A speaker who brings credibility and authority and ideally who has some level of recognition
• A date and time that's convenient

But there are two other factors to successful client events that advisors often overlook.

Getting commitment from clients

If you're thinking about running a luncheon or evening event later this fall or next year, start by putting together a list of four to six possible topics.

When meeting with key clients over the next while, tell them you're considering offering a client event and ask them to take a moment to look at the list and check off those topics they'd be interested in.

When the time comes to send out invitations, you have the ability to go back to clients who expressed interest in the topic you've selected - and call them to tell them that based on the feedback from them and other clients, you're going ahead with an event they'd expressed interest in ... and that while they'll be receiving an invitation in the mail, you wanted to call them personally to let them know.

Nothing can guarantee that clients will attend your event - but this approach increases the chances dramatically. After all, you asked for their feedback and you organized an event based on their specific request - most clients will feel an obligation to attend if they can.

The impact of the right location

The other factor that can increase attendance is an exclusive location.

Many advisors run events at their offices or at a hotel - and there's nothing wrong with that.

But what advisors I've talked to have found is that making the effort to secure a unique, exclusive location can help enhance attendance.

In many cities, that might be a country club or private facility of some sort ... or it might be a heritage home that people don't have access to in the normal course.

At a recent conference, Bill Moffatt of TD Waterhouse in Halifax talked about the half day sessions he runs for successful entrepreneurs, located at the high end Fox Harbour golf resort.

In Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, there are lots of golf clubs and private family clubs. An advisor in Toronto talked about getting a modest response when inviting clients to hear a speaker at a hotel - and then seeing a dramatically better response when the location for the next event was changed to The Granite Club, an exclusive social and athletic club. And not only did he get more clients out, but he also found more prospects attending as well, attracted by the cachet of a club they'd heard about and had driven by but had never had the opportunity to visit.

Running an event for existing and prospective clients is a big investment of time and effort ... but done right, it can pay big dividends. If you're thinking about running an event, certainly you need to focus on getting the right topic and speaker - but don't overlook the impact of getting buy-in from key clients beforehand and of the right location.