A successful corporate event is a crucial method to connect with clients and employees, establish and foster connections, and possibly market a new product or service. Depending on the event’s goal, it can be lighthearted and entertaining or serious and instructional.
However, finding the perfect location and cuisine selections are only a few of the decisions that go into preparing a business event, as are agenda limits and whether or not to have giveaways. You should also think about lighting.
Take some time to think about what will genuinely make your event a success before you start planning the details. Here are some pointers to help you create a memorable event for your bosses.
1. Define the goals of your corporate event
These are all possible objectives: to educate, inform, motivate behaviour change, introduce, celebrate, or develop abilities. Whatever decision you make will influence the rest of your event preparation, from budget and venue selection to content and strategy.
Ensure that the aim is strategically aligned with the company’s overall business objectives, which will increase the likelihood that your executives will buy into your ideas. Setting goals first allows you and your team to define a strategy for calculating event ROI, which is something the executives care about.
2. Setting a date
This is, without a doubt, one of the most difficult aspects of event planning.
The objective is to try to match diaries for the best attendance and the fewest conflicts possible.
It’s also crucial to consider workplace events and/or meetings in order to rule out your first choice of possible dates. This will ensure that key individuals of the company can attend, as well as increase the rate of attendance.
Depending on the size of your firm, you may be able to send an email and/or a poll to your employees asking them to vote on when they are available. Check your calendars to make sure there aren’t any other conflicts.
3. Give yourself plenty of time to plan
Because there are so many details to consider when planning a corporate event, it’s critical to give yourself plenty of time. Booking a speaker or arranging a venue should be done as long in advance as possible. In fact, some venues book up to a year in advance, and some of the most in-demand speakers are usually scheduled six months ahead of time.
Furthermore, Organizations might consider professional tent rentals to make the planning and venue arrangement process more efficient. There are a variety of reasons to consider renting a tent. One reason is that it can make the venue arrangement process easier and more efficient. This is beneficial for organizations that are hosting large events with many different speakers or performers. Another reason to use professional tents is that they can reduce the need for equipment such as tables, chairs, and other decorations.
4. Make a list of everything you’ll need
Create a list of all the equipment you’ll need for your event before deciding on a venue. Corporate events, whether they’re solely networking or executive get-togethers, almost always include some sort of audio and visual component. If you’re going to have speakers, you might wish to have them speak on a stage with a podium.
Make sure you know exactly what you need for your event so you can book a location that fulfils all of your requirements.
5. Include a Fun and Meaningful Theme
Choose a fun theme to keep your attendees interested and engaged throughout the event. You can also get them involved ahead of time by asking them to come up with ideas for how they can fully immerse themselves in the theme, such as clothes, bringing theme-related objects, watching related films beforehand, or doing team-related pre-work.
Themes can be used to help your corporate event feel more coherent, particularly if it takes place over several days. Connect the dots for participants by weaving pieces of your subject throughout different activities.
If you choose to include a theme in your event, be sure to pay great attention to the details. A half-hearted attempt to carry out a theme may deflate rather than energize participants, but a well-thought-out and well-executed one delivers the message that your firm has put time and effort into planning this event—and that participants should do the same.
6. Keep track of the figures
Everything will be influenced by numbers, from the size and expense of the venue to the food and any obstacles you may face. It’s crucial to have a large number of individuals to invite, as well as the possibility that they will show up.
Remember to factor in assistance, waiters, media, plus ones, and other factors if your event is on a larger size.
It can be hard to determine numbers at first. You know how many people you’ve invited, but you don’t know how many will actually show up. You must also consider the possibility that some individuals will cancel at the last minute, while others will decide to attend at the last minute! Although numbers will never be exact, set a deadline for their response to aid yourself as much as feasible. This will help you stay organized for the rest of the event planning process by increasing the efficiency of your response rate.
7. Allow professionals to handle your transportation needs
Organizing transportation for an event can be the most difficult and frustrating undertaking you’ll ever face. You would be responsible for planning your schedule, determining which cars will best suit the number of guests you need to transport, and ensuring that your drivers arrive at each point on time on the day of your event.
Hire an experienced chauffeured transportation service provider who specializes in special events, executive transportation, corporate events, coach bus rental, charter bus rental, charter bus NYC, or motorcoach rental to make this entire procedure absolutely stress-free.
8. Networking Must be a Priority
The most effective corporate gatherings prioritize networking and mingling. Make it possible for guests to converse without having to yell over loud music or sit at a packed bar. To allow your guests to converse easily, consider creating intimate sections with intimate seating or standing configurations.
If the weather permits, create a small café-style outdoor space with a few high-top tables and chairs that can be used to catch some fresh air while continuing a conversation.
9. Given the Current Weather Conditions
When is your event scheduled to take place? You must ensure that the location and travel requirements are compatible with the forecasted weather.
Of course, it’s impossible to predict the weather, but you already know that if you’re arranging an event in the winter, there’s a much higher risk of rain, and do you really want your colleagues or clients to have to travel a long distance or be without parking?
10. Spend Money in Retention Strategies and Tools
There should be no “one-and-done” business events. If the focus is on teaching new skills and information to participants, make sure you have a strategy in place to assist them to retain what they’ve learned. Following are some examples of post-event retention tools:
- Videos or webinars that act as refreshers on event training are available online
- Test participants’ understanding and memory of important ideas are through interactive online games
- Discussions in groups about the issues and solutions raised during the program
- Participants can post follow-up questions and debates in forums
- It’s also easier to develop components that assist long-term learning if you keep retention in mind throughout the planning process
If everything else fails, you can always hire a corporate event planner to make things easier.
