The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Corporate Event

What is Corporate Event Planning?

Corporate events are important for companies because they provide opportunities for the launch of new ideas in the workplace.

When organized by a company, a corporate event can focus on its employees or its clients. The former is a great way to congratulate your employees and let them know that they are valued in the organization.

Types of Corporate Events

Very often when people hear the word “corporate event” they imagine an office party with good music, delicious food, and networking. As an event planning professional, you need to understand that corporate meetings are much more than that. 

Below, you can find the top eight trending corporate events that your client will ask you to organize along with their goals and average estimated budgets:

What Makes A Corporate Event Different From Other Types Of Events?

From a tight budget to matching a company mission, corporate event planners are always ready to face many challenges on their way.

So how do you know if you want more than chewing? To help you figure this out, we have created a short quiz that accurately reflects the unique nature of corporate event planning.

Benefits of a Corporate Event

Planning for big events usually requires a lot of time and effort. Every step must be carefully considered if you want to create a pleasant meeting and reduce the space for mistakes. 

Although it may seem more affordable to organize your own event, you should consider hiring a corporate event planner. The benefits of corporate event planning are saving you time, money and ensuring success. The success of the event depends on many factors and the planner focuses on what needs to be done well.

Know What You Want

The path to finding your event planner starts with knowing what you want to achieve. Set goals for your event. Is your event aimed at boosting new product sales? Do you want to build strong relationships between your employees? Or do you want to celebrate the company milestone? The big picture should work. You can discuss the details once you have the planner.

Next, define the tasks you expect the planner to do and allocate how much you are willing to spend to make the event fruitful. Event planners offer different prices depending on the services you need. They usually choose the venue, find speakers and entertainment, offer options for food and drinks, and create invitations.

Find Event Planners with Experience

Peer recommendations are often a better reference than Google searches, but you should make sure you find a best Event company that has experience withdrawing your event.

This way, you know for sure that they have the experience and know what to do.

Pay Attention to These Crucial Factors

Now, it’s time to explain your event details to your prospects and see who can meet your needs. You can focus on their strengths and weaknesses to help you narrow down your list further.

Qualities That Make Them Stand Out

Every corporate event planner has a different way of planning when organizing an event. But there are some things you should never compromise on. Can they handle many tasks gracefully? How do they express their creativity and resources?

Corporate events such as launching a new product can affect your business. Making it memorable for your attendees can increase your sales. Prioritize what you like to know and understand about your business.

What Events they Specialized in

Not all corporate event planners handle the same type of events. This question will help you to understand what each company brings to the table. Do they often hold events attended by over a hundred people?

Consider Reviews and References

Talking about previous clients, reviews and feedback is an excellent indicator of whether or not to hire an event planner. Take time for each applicant to research their history to understand their abilities to fulfill their duties.

Make Your Decision

After testing all your candidates, provide a detailed project proposal to the person of your choice. You should start collaborating to finalize all the creative details for the event and set a realistic budget.

It is important to study how closely your event planner charges you. Planners have a variety of ways to design their fees, so it’s a good idea to have a clear discussion about it. You also need to decide how to include these fees in the budget.

Select the Backup Venue

Most venues that are large enough to host corporate meetings book a year in advance, so it is important that you allocate enough time when choosing your venue. For this reason, you should also select two platforms: the backup platform if your number one option and your number one option fall.

Make Sure the Platform is in the Correct Layout

Make sure the venue you choose agrees with your event tone. For example, if you are hosting a casual corporate event, you can choose beds, end tables, layouts that provide ample space for guests, etc.

Send Invitations Well in Advance

Be sure to send out your invitations for your event six months before the meeting to give attendees adequate time to attend.

Stick to Your Budget

This goes without saying, but stick to what is most important to your event in your budget. Don’t worry about those small, extra details until you’ve looked at the most important details beforehand.

Things Not to do in Planning Corporate Events

Do Not Schedule Holidays

Do your part to avoid scheduling your event on a holiday or holiday weekend.

Do Not Underestimate the Importance of Assigning Tasks

Remember that you can not do all this and you will fail if you try! So, make sure you hire the right people for your team and assign tasks to them.

Do Not Choose an Unprofessional Theme

You want your event to be classy and professional and be careful not to choose a theme that is cheesy or too unprofessional.

Do Not Cut Corners

Make sure you spend the money where it matters and remember that you get what you pay for. So, you should not cut corners for things like a stage, food, and entertainment.

Don’t Forget Party Favorites

Do not underestimate the importance of party compatibility. You want to give your guests something to remember about the company, so count on it!

Do your Planning Research

You have an idea of ​​what event you are going to present but do you know what people really want? Your pre-plan research is a study that will help you examine the peculiarities, trends, and needs, and desires of your target audience.

You need to be able to figure out what people want. A good way to learn: Ask people directly. Here are some ideas to help you learn what to offer your audience.

Set Goals and Objectives

The first and most important thing you need to take care of is setting a type and goal for your event.

Identify what your corporate event management is about and what its goal is. Whether it’s a team picnic, team meeting, or anything else, having the right goal can help you run everything smoothly.

The main focus should be on the people who attend it, so you need to keep in mind their desires and expectations. Make a list of things your guests expect and make sure to include them in your event.

Choose the Appropriate Location

Once you have decided on the type of event you want to create, it’s time to find a platform that will allow you to bring your vision to life. Even if you do not fully improve the mission of your event, at times, it can be exciting to jump ahead and book a venue where you have heard good things or know something.

Talk About Money First, Always!

Here comes the main part – the budget (though everything here is major we care about money, you know). You must identify all costs for the event.

Does your event last half a day, a full day, or a few days? What budget do you allocate for your vendors and contractors? Do you need a keynote speaker? Some of your attendees may have come from abroad or from different states. Are they going to stay at the hotel? Also, write about that cost. How much does marketing cost?

Do Not Ignore the Design

Two things that no one can forget after an event — food and feeling. The look of your event builds the first impression of your event, thereby building the first impression of your brand, so you need to get it right. Creating and presenting your event is about your audience.

It has nothing to do with you – however, you have to match your company branding. Start with Design Innovative and Creative Invitation Cards. That’s where the first impression starts. Every accessory, every panel, every stand must be well thought out, designed, and placed at the event.

Get Set for Marketing and Promotion

There are so many options to try. To name a few, you can email, share posts on your social media, have a web page, send bulk messages, make phone calls, and more.

 That being said, don’t go overboard and bomb people on all channels — you will repel them. Use your discretion to find out which channels are the most viable and most effective, go for them. The mixture of 2-3 channels should be more than enough.

Finally, promotions require time, effort, and money. So, if you ask us, it should be right to invest in promotions for almost 20% of your event budget.

Review Your Event Goals

Before you start digging and planning, ask yourself these questions to make sure you know how to create a successful event.

Consider the Nature of the Event

An official fundraiser or gala dinner trying to impress important donors does not need the same simple theme as your annual retreat.

Are you giving your employees a gift for a great sales year? Are you organizing a golf tournament for prospective investors? Are you launching a new product? All of these things should be taken into consideration when you choose your theme.

Develop a Tagline

If you are struggling to come up with a good corporate event theme, a tagline can help you choose a theme better and you can turn it into a hashtag to create hype on social media before the event.

A tagline exceeds your key, boiling messages as just a brief statement. Even if you do not end up using the tagline, having it within your planning period will help you focus and make important decisions around it.

Take a look at the steps you can take to develop a great tagline for your event!

Be Prepared to be Committed

Whatever theme you choose for your event, be ready to commit! The best themes need not be explained and are clear from the moment your attendees walk in the door. This means weaving decor, dress code, music, food, etc. in a way that suits your theme and where appropriate in your message.

Focus on a Different Participant Experience

Today, all of this is related to customized experiences. Event planners are now using different personalization strategies to engage participants in their meetings to help increase employee loyalty.

The level of employee engagement is directly related to their experience. Participants only want to have a business meeting – they prefer to attend events that meet their needs and exceed their standards (e.g., good food, comfortable venue, and work facilities).

Event planners make employees invest by focusing on the logistics of the event.

Convergence of Online and Offline Experiences

Social media continues to be a staple at events and conferences. As event planners focus on creating powerful experiences that work well with great social media campaigns, in 2019, they will focus on creating more photo-worthy moments that they can share on social media.

Social media has allowed businesses to show a more humane aspect of their brand. This is very beneficial for the bottom line of almost every company. When new projects or product launches are displayed at your corporate conference, a hashtag is created and employees can share their excitement on Instagram and Twitter.

Hybrid Events Will Remain Strong

In an effort to reduce the spread of the virus, granulated community quarantines are being imposed by local government departments as needed. COVID-19 People have to stay at home, with many adopting work-from-home or online class settings. 

Travel restrictions have led to a similar paradigm shift in the events industry. This is the main reason why the trend of hybrid events remains strong in 2021 and beyond. Hybrid events combine the best elements of virtual and face-to-face events.

Consider Platform Flexibility

Event managers need to consider flexibility when choosing a venue. As the rules regarding COVID-19 restrictions vary throughout the year, venue providers need to think about how they can accommodate hybrid events and a variety of functions.

Venues may introduce some modifications when it comes to exhibiting halls, conference halls, and function rooms to suit the needs of the organizers and security protocols.

Co-creation is a New Collaboration

Traditionally, business meetings and events have been based on one-way “telling and selling” knowledge and solutions. In the future, there will be changes for participants to help build that knowledge and those solutions, much of which will be done “on the fly”. 

Expect to have less sermon on the mount and more roll-up-your-sleeves sessions with huddling and co-creating knowledge and solutions, as well as action plans with facilitators, professionals, and participants.

Organize an Outdoor Event

The COVID-19 virus is spread from person to person in close contact within about 6 feet through respiratory droplets released into the air.

Since enclosed spaces are usually poorly ventilated, the COVID-19 virus can infect a person when exposed to small droplets or aerosols in the air for hours.

Therefore, organizing an outdoor event is highly encouraged as it allows fresh air to move constantly while dispersing these points.

Post Signs and Messages

Look for clear locations such as entrances and lounges where you can post some information codes. The purpose of each post is to promote general safety measures and to inform the public on how to stop the spread. 

It could be about wearing a mask properly, ways to practice physical distance, or washing your hands regularly.

Clean, Disinfect, and Sanitize the Event Place

Learn about the type of surface and check if it is touched frequently. In general, more people are at greater risk if they touch it too often.

It is highly recommended to clean high-touch surfaces at least once a day. On the other hand, you should do this twice a day and disinfect after the area is heavily trafficked.

Require Everyone to Wear Masks

Ask staff and attendees to wear well-fitting masks to cover their noses and mouths. Make a plan in advance on how exactly this will be implemented and monitored. Be prepared to offer masks to those who fail to bring their own.

Promote Social Distancing At All Times

The size of the event should be based on the number of attendees, allowing them to stay up to 6 feet away. Remember that attendees must stick to physical distance, especially from those who do not share the same home. Tell attendees and staff that it is very frustrating to greet each other with physical contact such as a handshake.