Corporate events are great ways to network and build camaraderie between companies that can work together in the future. Regardless of what the specific objective of the meeting is, it is important to professionally host and execute the night with precision. One night can make a big difference to a company’s relevance in the marketplace. This can also determine whether or not people will want to come the next time. In order to cover all bases and plan the best corporate event, there are a few factors to consider and put in place.
1. Headcount
While it may be hard to estimate how many people will show up to your corporate event, you can still get a good gauge through a few things. Start with creating a list of everyone you’d like to attend. Do a little research and find out what the attendance is typically like for the type of corporate event you’re planning. Once you get a good idea, plan for everyone to come. It’s better to have more than enough than not enough.
2. Location
Since this isn’t a birthday party or a company holiday party, it’s not wise to choose a place that can be transformed with the perfect decor. It’s better to choose a place that’s already built to host professional corporate events. It’s a good idea to choose a place that will also look beautiful in pictures that can go to the company website or brochure. Once the location is confirmed, then you can start sending invitations and getting a solid idea of who will RSVP and how many people to expect that.
3. Proper Personnel
Don’t try to plan a corporate event alone. In order to be truly successful in these types of events, it takes a team effort. There are a few teams that will need to be contacted for the night to run smoothly. A point person can build a team that runs the events of the night and the agenda. An event that doesn’t seem to have an agenda will go south quickly. Create a theme and an event narrative to get a good guideline. Turn to a graphic designer to spearhead the designs, graphics and branding for the event. A team to handle elegant and classy decor that enhances the theme of the night will be crucial to the ambiance and the visual aesthetic of the night.
There should be a team that is directly involved with handling the guest presenters and speaker of the night. For these types of events, it’s not uncommon for presenters to fly in from out of town. Their hotel arrangements, rides to the venue, flight arrangements and lodging need to be taken care of by the hosting company. There should be a team of people responsible for setting up microphones, speakers, projectors, screens and all the other components of the audio/visual needs. Whether the entertainment involves a house band and a singer, remember to place a person in charge of handling the night’s festivities.
4. Follow-Up
After creating a fabulous corporate event, it is important to get feedback. Depending on the members of the hosting team, they might be overly critical of their performance or overly optimistic. Surveys and unbiased feedback from attendees will be very helpful. In order to get the best response, ask people to leave their email address when they RSVP for the event. Once all the emails are captured, send out a blast asking attendees to fill out a short survey that gets a good temperature on how the event went. Utilize the feedback when preparing for the next corporate event.
There are a lot of moving parts when planning a corporate event. However, the effort is well worth it. Additionally, it cannot be done alone. Getting qualified people to join the team and execute the plans will be vital to the event’s success.
