Planning Events: How to Plan the Perfect Corporate Event

October 12 2019 - If you are the one in charge of planning a corporate event at your workplace, you certainly want to wow and impress the attendees. However, a lot of things go into planning events, and it can be difficult to keep track of them all.

You must consider every detail for absolute success. You must choose the right venue, prepare the space for the event, create an agenda and order food and beverages. The sound system will have to be tested, the lighting will need to be just right, and even the room temperature may need to be adjusted for optimum group comfort.

In order to make your corporate event the best it can be, you need to make sure that you think about even the most minute details. With that said, though, it is easy to be successful if you stay organized and plan ahead. Read on to learn about all the things you need to keep in mind when planning a corporate event so you and your company will both shine bright.

Planning Events Made Easy

Whether the event planning you are doing is an internal company event, a trade show, a business to business event, or an event for present or potential customers, there is so much to be done. Follow the steps below to make sure you don't forget anything important.

Start Planning Early

Even small corporate events require a massive amount of planning. Putting together a large-scale event might need a year of organization or more. In order to be fully prepared when the big day comes, start your event planning as far in advance as you can.

If the event is large or complicated, don't be afraid to ask for help from others and delegate some of the responsibilities. When it comes to planning an event, you will likely be thankful for all the assistance you can get.

Determine the Event's Objective

The first thing you should do when you beginning planning an event is to determine the purpose and objective of the gathering. Is your event a dinner to celebrate company achievements? Is it a mid-day seminar or presentation to attract new customers? Is your event a training workshop for newer employees?

Once you have determined the objective of your event, it will be much easier to plan the morning, day, or evening. When you keep the purpose of the event in mind, you will be able to focus on the right solutions for every aspect of the big day.

Set a Budget and Stick to It

Perhaps the biggest problem that all types of event planners face is staying within the budget. It is crucial that you set a budget at the beginning and that you do your absolute best to stick to it. There are many strategies that you can put to work to keep your budget in check along the way, like determining funding, making lists of your needs, and tracking expenses as you move forward with your plans.

Choose an Appropriate Venue

Choosing an appropriate space for your event is also important. You need to make sure the venue has enough space for all the attendees and for any special displays or events that will occur. Also, be sure there is enough seating and a good audiovisual system, too.

If your event is happening in a location outside of your workplace, thoroughly check online reviews to learn about the experiences of others. For best results, you will want to choose a setting that is comfortable, clean, professional and experienced in hosting corporate events like yours.

Plan an Agenda

Even if your guests won't receive a printed agenda for the event, make sure you have one for yourself to make sure everything stays on time and so you and the event staff know what's happening next. There's nothing worse at an event than moments where no one is sure what they should be doing; you will look unprofessional if your event has "dead air" moments.

Food & Beverages

If the event will be on your company property, then you may already know what types of food will be available or welcome. On the other hand, if you are holding your event elsewhere, you will need to depend on the venue or a caterer for your food and beverage needs.

Determine what you will need based on the number of people attending, the time of day of the event, the type of event you are planning, and the dietary restrictions of attendees. If you don't know them, be prepared to offer vegan, vegetarian, kosher, and gluten-free options along with anything else you choose.

Communication

From the beginning of planning to the end of the event on event day, efficient communication with participants, vendors, and attendees is critical. Keep everyone in the loop, but also don't bug them too much. If you send people too much information, they will begin to tune it out.

Confirmation

Confirm the time, location, speakers, food, beverage, tables and chairs, and every other aspect of your event. Once you have confirmed, confirm again. You cannot seek confirmation too often; there is nothing worse than something important being delivered one day too late.

Pay on Time

After your event is over, be sure to pay your vendors swiftly so you can put the entire event to bed once and for all. Follow up with accounting to ensure that invoices are paid on time.

Have Fun & Enjoy Yourself

Most importantly, when the event day comes, take time to have fun and enjoy yourself. The day of the event is busy, and there will be many things still to do, but don't forget that you have just as much right to have a good time as everyone else in attendance. Pat yourself on the back and take pride in the event you have created.

You Can Do It

Planning events can be overwhelming and stressful, but they don't have to be. If you focus on what needs to be done and stay organized, you can easily throw a successful and celebrated corporate event. Once you have completed one, you will be well-equipped to plan more in the future, and who knows? You may even decide that event planning is your calling. Who knows?

If you want to read more about holding effective meetings and corporate events, please check out the Communication tab on our menu.

• More Communication articles