You’ve likely attended numerous corporate events throughout your professional journey, and walked away from many of them knowing you’ve discovered a brilliant new product, learned something new, or even found a reliable business partner. These are the most common objectives of corporate events, but they never happen accidentally. In order to be successful, a corporate event needs to be planned in great detail and with plenty of creativity. To that end, here are some helpful tips for planning your own corporate events:
Choose an event type
Before you start planning your corporate event, consider what its main objective will be. For example, you might want to launch new products and services, communicate your business strategy, celebrate a milestone, or simply increase brand awareness. Depending on that goal, you can choose the type of event that’s the most suitable for your main objectives. This could mean hosting micro and small events for up to 250 attendees, midsize events that host up to 1,000 delegates, or large-scale events for audiences that exceed 1,000. Defining the event type is crucial for setting a budget, selecting a venue, and planning the guest list later on.
Thanks to Beth Hawkes, Owner of Nursecode
Create a suitable budget
Every event needs to have a good budget, as it helps to ensure smooth planning from beginning to end. If you’ve already hosted similar corporate events in the past, you can use their budgets as a good guideline for planning this one. If not, there are many factors you will have to consider when constructing the right budget. Budgeting an LED screen hire to display videos and images for the event is obviously one cost you need to consider. The venue, catering, entertainment, speakers, and transport will likely take up the majority of your budget, but you should also plan for smaller aspects such as technology and equipment fees, decor expenses, gift bags, etc. Summarize these expenses to project the budget more accurately, and make sure to leave room for flexibility in case unexpected costs occur. Don’t forget to hire some great Corporate Event Photographers you can find through reputable companies, as you will want to use photos for marketing materials afterwards!
Thanks to Megan Hoffman, Owner of ARK ETF stock holdings
Hire a Professional Speaker
Hiring a top inspirational speakers for your corporate event can be a great way to add a bit of enthusiasm and energy to the event. A speaker can bring their unique perspective and expertise to the event, helping to engage the audience, entertain them, and provide valuable insight. When it comes to hiring a speaker, you should research a few different options and make sure to find someone who can best represent your company’s mission and values. Take the time to read up on prospective speakers and make sure their message is in alignment with yours. Also be sure to look for a speaker who is well-versed in the topics you’re interested in covering. Make sure to book the speaker in advance to ensure they are available and to give them the time they need to prepare.
Select a good venue
The venue isn’t just the place where you hold your event and house your guests. The right venue can also leave a better impression on your attendees, which is why selecting a good one is crucial. Australian event planners, for instance, are well aware of this fact, so they often select a classic Italian restaurant in Western Sydney for their corporate events. Not only does this venue offer freshly made authentic Italian food served in a communal banquet style, but it also provides beautiful surroundings that are ideal for a corporate event. You can choose a similar restaurant for your event as well, thus killing two birds – the venue and the food – with one stone.
Thanks to Be John Webster, Owner, Mumeemagic
Plan the event theme
In many European countries, on the other hand, themed corporate events are among the top event planning trends at the moment. This might be a good feature to implement into your event as well. A well-planned theme that supports your main event goals and purpose is a great way to convey your objective to your audience while enabling you to gain a better knowledge of your guests and their expectations. Try to make your corporate event stand out by implementing a well-thought-out theme and unique decor. Remember that colors can play an important role in conveying the right message and emotions, while interesting features like custom photo booths can encourage sharing on social media and promote brand awareness.
Thanks to Daniel Di Cerbo, Owner, Willowdale Equity
Lanyards are a great way to promote your brand at corporate events. Lanyards can also get along the theme of the event if you have made it necessary for every attendee to come with your provided lanyards around their necks. Lanyards with your company’s logo and contact information on them will be handful in making the impact over the event. This is a great way to get your name out there and make sure that people remember your company long after the event is over. Make sure to order lanyards that are high quality so that they will last for a long time. Ordering lanyards from 4inlanyards will ensure that you’re getting a product that is worth the investment.
Take care of logistics
Along with venue selection and catering, event logistics also include accommodation, transportation, warehousing, and distribution. All of these aspects are necessary to ensure smooth planning, but they could also be quite complicated and difficult to manage. That is why it’s often best to leave them to professional event organizers to handle. If you don’t have a large enough budget to hire experts, however, you will have to take care of the logistics yourself. This means arranging and communicating with all vendors, making sure you have all the materials necessary for a successful launch, and supervising all the people involved, in order to plan your corporate event effectively.
Thanks to Lanny Tuchmayer, Owner, medical malpractice lawyers
Market your event
Once the event has been planned, the final step would be to gather an audience. If it’s an invite-only event, this will mean creating a guest list and sending invites to individuals, most commonly via email. In case it’s an open event, you will need to develop a captivating event marketing strategy. Whether you do it yourself or with the help of professionals, marketing will be crucial for engaging your attendees, generating new leads, increasing conversions, improving retention, and boosting satisfaction. Focus on your website, social media platforms, and other forms of digital marketing for higher success.
Planning a corporate event can be a challenging and time-consuming process, especially when you’re expected to complete it yourself. The helpful tips mentioned above will hopefully allow you to streamline this process, and launch your event successfully.
Sending a thank you gift card after the event is a great way to express your appreciation. It shows gratitude and leaves a positive impression. You can do this by simply using your attendees email address to send a same-day email-delivered Mastercard Gift Cards or Visa Gift Cards from Corporate Prepaid Cards.
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