Things To Consider When Planning a Corporate Event

Hosting a corporate event can be a brilliant way to forge new business connections, and build upon pre-existing employee relationships! Don’t underestimate the power of a great corporate event – but, as with all great things, memorable corporate events require quite a bit of planning.

To lend you a helping hand, we have outlined a few things to consider when planning such an event. Rest assured, our useful tips will help make sure the event goes off without a hitch!

What’s the purpose of your event?

Every corporate event must have a clear purpose. Think about what you want your event to achieve. Is it a team-building exercise? Do you want to connect with other businesses or court potential investors? As long as you have a set objective, your event is sure to run smoothly.

What about the guest list?

Who do you want to attend your corporate event? Do you want it to be employee-only or for stakeholders? Perhaps you’re looking to host upper management alone! It’s very important to determine your event audience as soon as possible, so that the rest of your event planning can fall into place. Ultimately, your audience determines a great many things: the entertainment, lighting and location, to name a few.

Be careful with your budget

You don’t want your corporate event to break the bank, but scrimping and scraping on event costs might not help you, either. Make sure you have a solid budget, and that your vision sticks to this budget closely. Consider the greatest expenses you’re facing – catering and entertainment. These are the two things guests will never forget, so it’s best to dedicate more money on these areas, rather than decorations or confetti.

Scope out the right event location

Depending on the size of your guest list and the scale of your corporate event vision, you need to think hard about the right event location for you. We recommend choosing an easily accessible location, by public transport and private vehicle. Free parking is always an added bonus for your event guests, who will feel much less stressed trying to get home once the evening is over. More importantly, ensure all of your guests are accommodated, with enough space for them to sit, stand and dance comfortably. Don’t forget: the worst mistake event organisers make is booking a location that’s the wrong size! Too big, and your event looks sparsely attended. Too small, and guests can barely breathe.

Invest in good sound and lighting

Every good corporate event, whether a conference or evening do, has the perfect atmosphere. Sound and lighting should work together to create an appropriate ambience – one that follows the objective of your event. It’s advisable to hire a professional rigger for the installation and management of your sound and lights. Without their expertise, your event may be dominated by harsh lighting and abrasive speakers. Furthermore, your sound and lighting setup could actually be unsafe! It’s far wiser to place your trust in a skilled professional who can handle all of the cables and electrics.

Don’t forget about the entertainment

Entertainment can make or break your corporate event. Regardless of whether your event is less of a party and more of a conference or meeting – ideally – guests should still be well entertained and having fun. Fortunately, we’ve touched on quite a unique idea for your corporate event entertainment. Photobooth hire can be a great addition to any corporate event, not least as taking photographs memorialises the fun of such of an event, and ensures all of your hard planning won’t be forgotten about.

Promote your event well

Half of the success of your event will rely on good promotion and marketing. Guests might not attend if you don’t give your event the maximum exposure possible! In essence, your event has to look good. Guests must want to spend time at your conference or party.

A great way to build excitement is to post about your upcoming event on social media, such as Instagram or Facebook. Encourage your attendees to advertise your event too, if possible. Common hashtags or linked profiles are an easy way of doing this, and can bring your company more attention even when the event is long finished!