How To Make Your Corporate Event a Success

Corporate events serve many purposes. They can be educational. They can be used for team building. They can even be used as rewards or ways to honor really good work that has been done (or continues to be done). There are just as many ways to throw a corporate event as there are reasons to have the event in the first place. It’s natural to worry about whether or not it will be successful. Here are a few tips you can use to ensure the event’s success.

The Venue

Choose your venue carefully. Where you hold your event tells people just as much about your company as it does about the event that they are attending. This is true whether you’re holding the event at fancy hotel or a chartered fishing boat. Let the tone and tenure of the event dictate the type of venue you choose to book. For example, if the event is formal and meant to honor someone who is retiring, you’d be much better off booking an intimate Bostonian mansion than the banquet room a Red Robin.

The Date

Choosing the date for your event is important and, while some experts insist that you choose the date first, if you have your heart set on a specific (perfect) venue, it is okay to work with that venue’s schedule and choose a date based on when that venue is available. Do not, however, base your date on when all of your chosen supporters are available to help you. Venue and Date are important. Everything else is flexible.

Talent

Depending on the type of corporate event that you are throwing, you might need to hire some “supporting staff” like a band, DJ, master of ceremonies, speakers or other types of entertainers. This is where the majority of your budget is going to be spent. Try to choose speakers, hosts and entertainers based on the tone and nature of the event. It’s good to hire out of house for these responsibilities because it lends authority to your event. Asking a few employees to speak is fine, but forcing the head of marketing to act as the master of ceremonies can make the event feel more something your employees are doing for you instead of something you are doing for them.

Food

No matter what, make sure there are things to eat and drink at your event. Even if you do not plan on having a specific meal, you are going to want to have hors d’oeuvres and beverages on hand for people—particularly if the event is happening during mealtime. Unless you’re dead set on having a completely formal event, the food need not be fancy or even catered—you can have veggie and deli trays and soft drinks set out on a side table if it will help your budget.

Obviously your budget matters and is going to inform your choices in regards to each of these areas. Still—the food, the venue, the talent and the date are where your focus needs to be when it comes to planning your corporate event.

 

 

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