Corporate events are big business. They are often used by companies to reward staff and clients or to celebrate major milestones. They can be as simple or complex as you want them to be—from a small gathering of people at your office to an extravagant event at a prestigious location with top entertainers flying in from across the globe.
The most important thing about planning any corporate event is establishing its purpose and goals—what do you hope to achieve by holding this particular event? Once you know what you want out of your corporate event, it becomes much easier for us to help you create something special that will delight your audience while achieving those objectives.
Ready? We thought so! Let's go over some basic steps we take when planning an event:
Define the purpose and goals of the event.
The purpose and goals of your event are the most important aspects to consider when planning. How will this event benefit your attendees? What do they want from it, and what do you want them to take away? Is it meant to be educational or social in nature, or both? Once you've defined these goals, you can start thinking about how to achieve them.
If you're hosting an event for co-workers who don't know each other very well outside of work, then building relationships may be one goal for the evening. If so, consider bringing in some speakers who are famous in their fields—someone famous in the region for the related area would be perfect here! But if there's already plenty of camaraderie between everyone involved (or if building relationships isn't a major focus), then perhaps start with something more low-key, like food or drinks, followed by games or entertainment appropriate for all ages and interests.
Identify your target audience and their needs.
It is important to identify your target audience, as well as the challenges that they face. For example, if you are holding a corporate event for Millennials, it would be good to know what their needs are and how you can address them. However, if this is a more general event, such as an annual meeting or sales conference, then it would still be beneficial to understand what the needs of your employees are so that you can better plan for them during the event. This will help increase attendance rates and make sure everyone has fun at the same time!
Decide on the event type.
The first step in planning a corporate event is to decide on the type of event you will be hosting. There are many different types of events, so it's important to choose one that best suits your business and its audience. For example, if you're hosting a meeting for your employees, then a conference room would work well as the venue for this gathering. But if you're looking for a more festive event where employees can mingle outside the office (e.g., at an outdoor bar or restaurant), then booking space at these locations would better suit your needs.
You may also want to consider whether or not there will be one central speaker at this event; if so, then renting out an auditorium or lecture hall might be necessary because these spaces typically have larger capacities than smaller meeting rooms do—and having enough seating capacity ensures that all attendees can hear what's being said without feeling crowded while they're listening! If there are no speakers involved though, then going with smaller venues should suffice since attendees won't need any special support systems like microphones anyway (unless they're having trouble hearing over background noise).
Determine the date and time of the event.
Now that you have a general idea of the type of event you are planning, it's time to determine the date of the event. This step will affect many aspects of your planning process.
Consider which dates work best for your target audience. If you're hosting an awards ceremony and want to attract attendees from all over the country, you may want to avoid scheduling it during holiday periods or business busy days. Similarly, if most of your guests live in one area, then choosing a date that works well with their schedules might be more important than making sure every region has representatives there.
Think about whether there are any holidays around this time frame (e.g., Valentine's Day) that could interfere with attendance or cause people who aren't already attending another event in town not be able to make it because they need another night off work or school instead!
Determine the number of attendees.
Before you can determine how many people to invite to your event, you’ll need to know what kind of event it is and why it’s being held. Is there a specific goal you want to achieve, or are you just looking for some fun team-building? This will inform how many people should be invited, as well as how much money should be spent on the event. For example, if there is a company-wide goal that an award ceremony may help achieve (e.g., increasing revenue), then having more attendees would make sense since everyone needs to be involved in this goal. On the other hand, if an incentive trip is going to be offered based on attendance at an awards ceremony anyway (i.e., those who don't attend lose out), then having fewer people might actually save money by reducing venue costs or airfare expenses and making sure everyone can fit comfortably in one hotel room rather than splitting up into two smaller rooms with no adjoining doorways between them!
Choose a suitable location for the event.
Choosing a suitable location for your corporate event is one of the most important decisions you will make. The venue should be a comfortable environment for participants and be located in an accessible area for attendees. It should also have all the necessary facilities to meet the needs of your event, as well as the capacity to accommodate all attendees, including parking, etc.
Plan the logistics of the event.
Once you've decided on a theme and a venue, it's time to get down to the nitty-gritty of planning your event. You'll need to consider many things—including catering, entertainment, decorations, and more—to make sure that everything runs smoothly.
One of the best ways to save money is by planning well in advance. If supplies are ordered at least two months before an event takes place, they will be cheaper because they haven't been sitting around as long while being sold in stores. By creating an Excel spreadsheet with all of your budgeting information (food costs per person per meal; drink prices per glass), you can easily keep track of what needs ordering and what needs paying for upfront so that no surprises pop up once guests start arriving at the party!
Create a detailed budget and timeline.
Planning a successful corporate event requires a lot more than just coming up with some cool ideas. To make sure that your event lives up to its full potential, you need to take the time to create a detailed budget and timeline.
The first step in creating a detailed budget is determining how much money you have for the event. It's also essential that you consider any additional costs associated with what you want your company to get out of this event (e.g., tickets or travel expenses). Once this is determined, it's time to determine what type of food, entertainment, and decor will be needed as well as any other resources required based on your location and type of venue.
Promote the event to your target audience.
We’re not going to sugarcoat it: promoting your event is a crucial part of the planning process. The more people you tell about your event, the greater the likelihood that you’ll have a successful turnout and positive ROI from your investment.
The first step to promoting an event is making sure you have a list of contacts within your target audience who are interested in attending — this should include everyone from colleagues and co-workers to customers, vendors, partners and even competitors. You can then use these contacts as leverage for promoting your event via email newsletters or social media posts (but make sure they are relevant).
If possible, try to get press coverage for any type of corporate events that might be happening within 18 months from now (such as trade shows). This can help spread awareness among consumers while also encouraging them to look into future opportunities with one company over another based on their brand exposure at these gatherings.
You might also consider sending out mailers or creating posters/flyers advertising the upcoming event(s) three months prior, so there's plenty of time for RSVPs beforehand; don't forget about any deadlines if you're sending physical invitations!
Create an engaging and interactive program for the event.
The program for your event should be engaging and interactive, not just a series of lectures or talks. A mix of activities can be used to stimulate audience participation and keep them engaged throughout the day. Consider inviting a celebrity speaker to deliver a keynote address, as well as having other speakers or panelists discuss topics related to your business or industry. You might also consider arranging an attractive activity for audience members at some point during the day, such as a sporting event or even an open bar!
Choose your menu and drinks wisely; Coffee Breaks, Lunch, or Dinner.
When selecting your menu, it's important to consider the type of event and its audience. A business lunch or dinner are typically more formal than a coffee break. Before you begin finalizing your menu options, consider talking with your venue about their available food and beverage packages. Your event planners can help you choose from their existing menus or work with them to customize something special for your group.
Be prepared for any unexpected challenges or issues that may arise.
Even the best-laid plans can go awry. Be prepared for any unexpected challenges or issues that may arise by having a contingency plan, backup plan, or even just a backup plan—or even plans C, D, and so on.
If you want to make sure your event is a success no matter what happens, make sure you have contingencies in place for the following:
Your venue might turn out to be unavailable on the day of your event. This could happen if there is an emergency at the location or if they are undergoing renovations. In this scenario, it's crucial that you find alternative venues right away so that guests know where they're supposed to go come showtime. If all else fails and there aren't any other options available, look into renting some space from another business nearby (if possible). It's better than canceling altogether!
The entertainment booked for your evening might not show up at all! This can happen if their van breaks down on their way to pick them up from the airport parking lot after the flight was delayed due to weather conditions getting worse than predicted earlier today...
Or, Find an excellent event planner or manager.
Once you have a rough idea of the kind of event you want to host, it's time to find an event planner. This person can help guide your vision through every step of the process, from choosing a venue to creating an itinerary for your attendees. The benefits of hiring an expert are many:
They will be able to suggest venues that match your budget and location preferences, saving time and energy.
They will ensure everything runs smoothly on the day of your event by hiring reputable vendors and managing their schedules as well as yours.
They will have relationships with local businesses—such as florists and caterers—that they can recommend if needed (depending on how much work you want them to do).
If possible, hire someone with experience in corporate events planning; this ensures they know what works best for large groups and how best to communicate with clients about their needs beforehand, so there is less guesswork involved when it comes to making decisions about things like food options or entertainment options during breaks throughout specific times such as lunch hour where everyone could get bored easily because there aren't enough activities available).
As handleforme, we are ready to provide the best options for your corporate event by providing the best services. You can reach out to us to discuss your needs and meet, please get in touch with us for the details!
Relax and leave it to the professionals.
As the host, you want to ensure that your event is a success. You have better things to do than worry about something as trivial as planning an event. Your time is valuable and better spent on your business or clients—let the pros handle it! We are only one click away!
Corporate event planning is not as hard as you think when you have a professional team by your side
If you're planning a corporate event and are looking for tips on how to make it more successful, it can be helpful to hire a professional team. The right event planner or event coordinator will work with you from start to finish and ensure that your day goes off without a hitch. They'll help brainstorm ideas and plan all of the details so that when the big day arrives, nothing is left undone or forgotten. You can also hire a professional team for the day of your event itself to take care of set-up at your chosen venue and manage on-site logistics such as food service, guest check-in, registration, and more.
We can discuss with you all details and arrange all parts of your corporate event, from the selection of venue, invitations, all kinds of logistics, catering, and staffing. You can reach out to us to discuss your needs and meet please get in touch with us for the details!
Conclusion
Your corporate event is one of the most important aspects of your business. It can help with marketing and customer relations and drive sales for your company. A well-planned event will increase your brand awareness and give you a platform to show off all you offer. Make sure that your next conference or trade show is memorable by following these tips, so you can make it the best corporate event ever!
