Hosting a conference can be an overwhelming task. You need to book the venue, secure catering and entertainment, create promotional materials, find speakers…the list goes on and on! But with the right plan in place, you can throw a successful conference that will leave your attendees raving. Here are some tips for putting together the best possible event. 

Planning Ahead 

When it comes to throwing a successful conference, planning ahead is key. Start by outlining the goals of the event and determining how you will measure success (e.g., number of attendees, amount of money raised). Once you have these basics down, start thinking about the details like location, catering options, activities, speakers, and so on. Having a detailed plan in place will make it much easier to manage tasks as they come up during the planning process. 

Creating an Itinerary 

The next step is to create an itinerary for your conference that outlines all of the activities and events that will take place. This should include start and end times for sessions as well as any breaks or meals planned throughout the day. Make sure to include enough flexibility in your itinerary so that if something unexpected comes up (e.g., a speaker runs late), there is still time to accommodate it without throwing off your entire schedule. 

Involve Your Audience

According to Wildfire, one of the best ways to ensure that your conference is a success is to involve your audience. Ask for feedback about what topics they would like to see discussed and let them know how their input can shape the conference agenda. Make sure that there are plenty of opportunities for attendees to engage with one another through networking activities, discussion forums, and other interactive elements.

Marketing & Promotion 

Once you have all of your details lined up, it’s time to start marketing and promoting your event! This could include creating email campaigns, press releases, social media posts and ads—all designed to get people interested in attending your conference. Additionally, consider partnering with other organizations or influencers who may be able to help spread word about your event. The more people who know about it and see value in attending, the better!

Provide Value 

At the end of the day, your attendees want to get something out of their experience. Make sure that you are providing them with value in the form of helpful information, useful contacts, or other resources that they can take away from the event. You can also provide tangible items like conference swag bags, attendee gifts, or discount codes that they can use in the future.

Follow Up 

Once the dust has settled after your event, follow up with attendees to thank them for their participation and ask for feedback. This is a great opportunity to gain insight into what worked well and areas for improvement. It will also help you create an

Throwing a successful conference takes a lot of hard work and dedication—but following these simple tips can help ensure that things go smoothly from start to finish! Remember to plan ahead by setting clear goals for yourself; create an organized itinerary; market & promote effectively; and above all else—have fun! With these tips in hand you’re sure to have attendees leaving feeling inspired and energized after having attended your amazing event!

We speak to Meena Chander, founder of This Is Us Conference

While it is well-known that corporate events play an important role in networking, collaborating and enhancing a business’s reputation, there is also a lesser-known advantage which is the positive effect it has on employee engagement and business prosperity.

According to a Qualtrics report, ‘State of Play 2018: Employee Engagement in the UK’, it indicated that only 48% of employees in the UK feel engaged at work.

Another report by the CIPD, levied that several systematic reviews and meta-analyses provided evidence of the relationship between engagement and performance.

These findings clearly indicate that for businesses to succeed, they must use tools such as corporate events, to secure employee engagement. This, in turn, improves performance and job satisfaction and, when delivering positive employee relations, has the potential to lead to enhanced business outcomes, better health and well-being.[1]

Here, Meena Chander, founder of This Is Us Conference and Awards, shares her thoughts on the valuable role corporate events play in employee engagement, and business growth and why they should be considered a key priority:

What are some of the main benefits for businesses, in attending events?

‘Business conferences are a great way of improving employee engagement and recognising the achievements of attendees. These events provide attendees with ways to empower the team, increase their visibility, highlight their worth, and improve communication.

In fact, there are so many benefits – from improving and honing skills and increasing employee engagement and value, to enhancing business reputation and much more.’

What can employees gain from corporate events?

‘Providing a change to an employee’s business routine, including a change of scenery, allows employees to offer open and honest dialogue and learn expert insight in an educational setting. This provides them with the tools and resources needed, to really understand business objectives and succeed in their own personal goals.

In D&I for instance, conferences can discuss lots of topics such as allyship, mental health and well-being, and unity. For example, ‘This is Us’ will explain D&I’s importance to business delegates and explain ways in which it can boost employee morale, and visibility, resolve any alienation issues and provide and promote a healthy, happy, and inclusive workplace.

With D&I, there can be areas of hesitation and uncertainty, especially when we talk about uncomfortable topics such as unconscious bias, and prejudices and knowing what protocols and actions to take when problems arise. These events promote a relaxed, non-judgemental way of discussing this information. It allows us to learn and share with each other, and follow the right procedures, with confidence.”

What do corporate events consist of?

‘Corporate events vary but they often contain key speakers, who provide their expertise, and opinion and share life/business experience. This allows attendees to gain first-hand experience and education from real people.

They often use workshops and discussions which offer an open, collaborative setting to work together and learn from each other. Communication is key, and these talks allow attendees to work together and share ways for improvement.

They may also contain awards or ceremonies which acknowledge and reward the achievements of employees and businesses.’

Why should businesses enter awards?

‘So many reasons! Every company loves to be recognised for doing something well, and awards are a great way of giving employees and businesses that ‘pat on the back’ for a job well done.

In corporate events, these awards recognise the change-makers of the industry and reward them for their services. It is a fantastic feeling to be able to stand in front of other like-minded businesses, accepting an award for your achievements and it is an even better feeling when you take this back to the team!

Winning a business award shows others that your company is excelling in this area and sets you apart from others in the industry. It also enhances your reputation and overall, is just a complete morale boost, to keep you and your team motivated!’

What corporate events should businesses attend?

‘It is always best to attend lots of different events with various topics, as this allows you to explore a range of subjects and address issues and areas of uncertainty, while answering employee questions.

The events can improve certain areas of concern for the business or be used to educate new starters.’

Why should businesses attend corporate events?

‘Business leaders are always searching for the ‘next best achievement’, whether that’s industry acknowledgement, improving skills, etc and that’s exactly what corporate events are all about!

It’s a celebration of businesses and their teams, providing them with the necessary skills and insight for improvement, and for acknowledging their achievements.

Ultimately, business conferences allow delegates to take the skills and information they’ve learned, back to their team members to make positive change and help the company grow.’

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!