Corporate events are necessary for the success of your business. They are a great way to network, honor important people, present new products or just celebrate your successes. However, organizing such events is not very easy. If you need to throw a corporate event, here are a few things to consider
Determine the purpose of the event
Your event needs to accomplish some goals for your business. Think about what you want to achieve through your event and that will determine the style and tone of the happening. Consider the entire experience and how it will affect the audience and their perception of your brand. You definitely want to keep everyone feeling welcome, entertained and engaged.
Create a plan
When you have your objective in mind, you can start planning and organizing. The most important information to keep in mind should concern the even goals, the number of guests, event format, event theme, budget and expected return on investment. This initial plan should be followed by searching for the location, venue, catering and drinks, audio and video equipment, entertainment and other elements. The planner you hire can handle plenty of these tasks and make things easier for you.
Hire a professional
In most cases, it’s necessary to hire an event planner, especially if you’re planning to throw a larger event. This person knows plenty of things about party planning, and has many tricks up their sleeve, including connections, discounts and hidden gems. Therefore, it’s necessary to give them control over certain things (even though this might be hard for you). Micromanaging every single thing won’t benefit your event and the planner won’t be able to do anything on time. If you have an event planner, your focus should be aimed at the bigger picture.
Consider food and drinks
No matter the style and purpose of your event, your guests must have plenty of food and drinks at their disposal. People who come from afar will definitely be hungry, and drinks are necessary for any event. Check out your catering options and book your local service provider serving finger food that’s easy to eat on the go. Some countries like Australia have practical bottle shops at their disposal. Provide a variety of drinks through a well-equipped Richmond bottle shop and you can get your order within 30 minutes. It’s great to have such a service up your sleeve because you can always rely on it in case the drinks start running out earlier than expected.
Give out responsibilities
Your planner knows how to handle many requirements for your corporate event, however, the last decision always falls on you. Ask your planner what they want you to do and how you can best help the even. This way, you can actually make the event planning easier for everyone. Allow the planner to direct other people in the company and use internal resources and people to help (if they are willing to do so).
In many cases, you’re responsible for the communication with your guests, reporting on the progress of the planning and guiding people in the right direction when it comes to event strategy. If you want to take on other tasks, you can, but don’t overburden yourself. If you think something is beyond your abilities, inform the planner and let the professionals handle it. In the end, your planner really does want everything to be top-notch on the day of the event.
Follow up with guests
Just because your event is going great and all the photographers, presenters and catering people are doing their jobs, don’t think you don’t have to do anything else. It’s important to collect information during the event, especially during the presentation or speaking part of the evening. Have someone collect the most important things and send them to the audience after the event. You can also ask people how they were satisfied with your event so you know what needs to be changed in the future. During the follow-up stage, you’ll gather much information and make new connections with people who attended your event.
No one likes planning events. However, when you consider the importance of these events, you’ll be much more motivated to do a great job. Use these tips above to organize an event that will make your guests feel great and your business grow and thrive.
