Event planners are professionals, or even better, entrepreneurs. They plan events because they love planning events, and they love the perks that come with them. Many of them take the events as seriously as we take our job.
Here Are Five Steps to Create a Successful Corporate Event Plan:
Choose a Location.
Limitless venue selection. Your guests are your number one priority. They are the reason you have an event in the first place. But your venue needs to be able to accommodate your guests. You want to select the location that showcases the best features of every event space you view. The best venue selection means your event will run smoothly. Your location should be within your reach and budget. There are plenty of great venues across the city. However, it is also important to have a rented option in your back pocket. This will keep you prepared and on budget. Choosing the right venue for your corporate event can be a difficult task. And, if it is possible, you want to choose the best location possible. You will want a location that points to your company’s core values and strategy and that appeals to your target audience. You want a convenient location that is a prime location for your networking and is easy to reach.
Spend Time on Marketing.
Let’s always remember that corporations are businesses, too, and that a successful business event plan means a profitable business. Event planning and marketing involve a great deal of time, effort, and money. Marketing an event can be a huge undertaking, so you must take the right steps. If you take your time to plan out all the details, your event will be a complete success.
Set the Event’s Budget.
The event manager’s job is to execute the event plan, and this starts with defining the budget. Start with the client’s event goals. Next, identify all the event elements, such as food, entertainment, marketing, decor, and staffing. At the end of the plan, create the final budget. Make a note of any conditions, such as travel restrictions. By setting a budget up front and sticking to it, you can make sure that your budget won’t cause any sort of conflict among the employees. Sometimes, not everyone knows each other’s financial background, so someone could want to spend more than they’re supposed to, but by being upfront, you can make sure that everything runs as smoothly as possible.
Set Goals and Objectives.
In order to plan for any event, it’s important to set goals. By setting goals and objectives for attendees, event planners can better understand what attendees need. Event planners can then create an event plan which caters to meeting those goals. Having clear goals and objectives for your event will help you create successful corporate event planners. It can be anything from gaining the support of key decision-makers to achieving a realistic set of deliverables for your team. A successful corporate event planner should be clear about the specific results they are looking to achieve:
- The event itself should make a positive impact. It should communicate the company’s key messages as well as give staff an opportunity to build camaraderie.
- Attendees should walk away feeling inspired and ready to apply their newfound skills.
- The event should build excitement, morale, and a sense of unity.
- The event should be both recruitment and retention-focused.
Make a List of Guests
A guest list is simply a list of the names of people attending the event. The list of attendees should include:
- All attendees (if the event serves food, you should include the number of people who will eat a meal)
- All speakers (if the event has guest speakers, you should include their titles)
- All exhibitors (if there will be any sponsors or exhibitors, you should include their names)
- Any others (if there will be any other presenters, those should be noted on the list as well)
Identify potential guests and organizations that are important to the company. Select people who will be interesting and knowledgeable for the attendees. Focus on people outside the company who can help promote the event. Invite guests who are corporate sponsors or donors.
When planning a corporate event, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- It’s important to know that the first thing employees want from a company event is the ability to have fun.
- It’s critical to create a beneficial atmosphere that employees will remember and talk about for years.
- It’s important to understand that most employees don’t want to work all day, but they do not want to sit passively at their desks either.
- It’s important to understand that a corporate event does not have to be expensive to be successful.