The Ultimate Guide To Corporate Event Planning

Have you ever attended a corporate event and wondered, “Didn’t they think this through?”

Benjamin Franklin said it best in his famous phrase, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” There are many moving parts when it comes to hosting a corporate event; therefore, proper planning is the only way to pull it off.

We understand that the thought of organizing a successful event can be intimidating. That’s where Curated Events come in! Drawing from our passion for human gatherings, we’ve compiled all the crucial elements of corporate event planning to curate the ultimate guide.

This post will shed light on corporate events, the things to consider when planning them, and fun ideas to adopt while you’re at it.

What Is A Corporate Event?

A corporate event is a social gathering that an organization assembles and sponsors. There are multiple reasons why a company would host a corporate event, including:

To launch a new product
To appreciate and celebrate their staff members
To create an opportunity for their employees, clients, and major stakeholders to network
To market existing products
To promote a team spirit among their staff
To bring investors up-to-speed on the company’s progress
To celebrate different occasions such as holidays and achievements
To strategize for the future

Read more: What is a corporate event?

Things To Consider When Planning A Corporate Event

Keep the following things in mind while planning your next corporate event –

Objective

The objective of your corporate event is your “why.” Why are you gathering people together? What would you like to achieve?

“Determining the objective of your corporate event will ensure you invite the right people to an appropriate venue and engage them in relevant activities.”

Having a particular objective makes planning more manageable and provides a vision of the big picture. Once this has been determined, breaking the plan down into specific goals, whose corporate jargon is KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), is the next step.

Finally, review your list of KPIs when the event has concluded. This review will be the metric to measure whether you have achieved your objective, and if you have, you can confidently deem it a successful one!

Budget

The amount of money allocated for your corporate event will determine your direction. For proper planning and execution, it is advisable to budget for 90% of the available funds to leave room for emergencies and miscellaneous spending.

“Do not promise an experience that your budget does not allow you to deliver.”

If you’re having difficulty deciding what’s necessary and what isn’t, we suggest hiring an event planner. Curated Events is the best in the business, and we are happy to help you get the most out of your budget.

Remember that the reputation of your organization is at stake here. People will subconsciously pass judgment on your company when they attend your corporate events. Contact us today, and we’ll help you curate a jaw-dropping corporate event without breaking the bank.

Theme

Picture yourself receiving a glamorously-printed invitation to a reputable company’s Gala Awards ceremony. So naturally, the dress code is probably the first thing you will consider. Ideally, formal gowns and tuxedos would be the most appropriate choice, right?

Imagine arriving at the event, the decor is cartoon-themed, and the music playing is your five-year-old’s favorite jingle. Bet you’d feel uncomfortable, not to mention overdressed! That’s how detrimental it would be to execute the theme of your event poorly.

So, adopt a consistent theme, from the invitations to the decorations, music, and the program. Your guests will enjoy the experience, and so will your online audience that will interact with your social media posts covering the event.

Target Audience

How do you determine the right audience for your corporate event? Well, that depends on your objective.

For example, if you plan a networking event focusing on marketing your organization, your target audience would be investors, employees, and potential customers. However, if you aim to promote team spirit within the company, just the employees would be your target.

Choosing the venue and theme for the perfect execution will be easier based on who will be in attendance and the activities they will be participating in.

Venue

“Where you choose to hold your corporate event will either make or break it.”

No matter how well-executed it might be, choosing an inappropriate venue will make your efforts futile and could dampen the entire event.

Below is a checklist to consider while choosing the right venue for your corporate event:

Location – Is the event local or international?
Size and numbers – How many attendees are you expecting? What capacity of the venue will accommodate everyone?
Parking – Is the parking lot large enough to facilitate all the guests?
Food – Are you planning a buffet-style setup or a sit-down service? What options are there for those with dietary concerns?
Ambiance – What vibe are you targeting? Does the venue accentuate the theme?
Cost – Is it within your budget?

Our belief as Curate Events is that the setting and environment make special occasions more memorable.

Equipment

Hosting a corporate event will require using equipment such as tables and chairs, drapery, a Public Address (PA) system, lighting, a stage, and signage. Some items may be available in-house, and the venue may provide others.

But what happens when both options don’t have all the equipment you may need for your corporate event? Curated Events is your one-stop shop for all your equipment needs.

“Our collection of event rentals is unparalleled, from the tent to the table and the linens to the chairs.”

With showrooms, warehouses, and knowledgeable staff throughout the Eastern United States, we will service events across the region while offering the most diverse collection of event rentals.

Just as our name suggests, every event we plan is carefully chosen and thoughtfully organized or presented. We love working closely with our clients to understand their vision and bring it to life. That’s the entire essence of what we do.

Marketing Your Event

Why is it important to market your corporate event? First, it creates buzz and anticipation among your target audience. Secondly, if tickets to the event are on sale, marketing will increase sales. Thirdly, marketing will attract your target audience if you host a networking event open to the general public.

If you choose to go in the direction of a themed event, ensure that you set the tone by promoting the theme, from the invitations to the decor colors.

Today’s marketing options are vast; be creative! Establish where your target audience is and the best way to attract them. Your event will flop if there are no attendees; therefore, investing in an effective marketing strategy is a bonus. However, ensure that this cost is factored into your budget.

Activities and Engaging The Audience

Audience engagement is another critical aspect of a corporate event. It would be unfortunate that you spent your company’s hard-earned money planning a corporate event that bored your attendees.

So, how do you capture the attention and interest of your attendees? Here’s a simplified list of things you can do:

Encourage participation – Allow for questions and group discussions among attendees. Avoid having lengthy speeches that may bore your audience.
Facilitate networking – Allow your program to accommodate mingling through planned activities or designated breaks.
Pay keen attention to the seating arrangement – Mind the distance between seats and tables so your guests have enough personal space.
Prepare your speakers in advance – Ensure that they are engaging and understand the demographic of your audience.
Strive to serve the food early on in the program – A hungry crowd is an angry crowd. Full bellies are an instant mood-lifter.

Ultimately, your aim should be to leave a positive lasting impression and for every attendee to have a good time. At Curated Events, we strive to enhance and elevate the human need to gather and make those notable occasions unforgettable.

Fun Corporate Event Ideas

Now that you have all this information, you may wonder how to document and plan your next corporate event.

There is plenty of software to help you put your ideas together, and guess what! Curated Events has an upcoming directory of all the choices that will be launched soon. So keep a lookout for that.

Meanwhile, here is a list of ideas that will make your next corporate event fun and memorable:

Trivia

General knowledge trivia games are always fun to break the ice at corporate events and promote healthy competition among colleagues. An exciting addition would be to award prizes to the winners. Remember to incorporate this expense into your budget plan.

Photo Booth

A photo booth encourages attendees to take pictures, especially when props are involved. Such a fun way to get everyone in front of the camera, even the shy ones!

Karaoke Night

Hiring a karaoke machine and watching your colleagues sing the night away at your end-of-year office party is a worthy investment in our books. This activity will surely bring out lots of good cheer and laughter too!

Visit A Shelter

It is always more blessed to give than to receive. So as part of your company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), you can gather your employees and organize a visit to a homeless shelter where you can share food with the less fortunate. By doing so, you will also be promoting team spirit.

Themed Dance Party

Few things are more fun than a themed corporate event. A fantastic idea would be to get everyone dressed in a particular theme and then play music to match it. We bet you that every head will be bobbing and every toe tapping.

Bowling Tournament

One way you can do this is to hire an entire bowling alley for a few hours, charge an entry fee and host a networking event for major stakeholders in your company. After that, you may use the funds collected to expand your business. So you’ll have achieved two objectives; a win-win!

Alternatively, you can make it simple. Bowling is a great team-building activity; split your employees into teams and let the fun times roll!

Read more: Fun corporate event ideas

Bottom Line

When planning a corporate event, it is critical to consider all things. When the ball drops in one area, everything suffers. For efficiency, ensure you have a plan.

At Curate Events, we specialize in providing a wide variety of high-quality event rental equipment – everything from the place setting on the table to the dance floor and tent. We have a keen eye for vision and aesthetics and continually evolve to grow our services.

Need help planning your next corporate event? Look no further. Reach out to us today, and allow us to make your dreams come true!

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Corporate