Those business owners who need constant exposure through conventions and networking could benefit from lessons in planning the perfect corporate event.
Corporate events serve several purposes for your business. They represent an important way to network and can be a fantastic way to improve employee relations. Throwing a corporate event gives you the chance to get everyone out of the office for a while.
It allows for mingling, building friendships, and a clever way to increase staff morale. Let’s discuss the many benefits of corporate events before we move on to the best tips to create one of your own.
The Benefits of Throwing Corporate Events
There are many benefits to throwing a corporate event for your company. Here are our favorites:
- Events allow for creative team building as people come together outside of the workplace.
- They are attractive to clients, who appreciate the ‘reward’ for their loyalty.
- It fosters company culture, allowing for a strongly defined identity.
- Events can help with brand building by earning you recognition which enhances your reputation.
- They allow your employees (and yourself) to learn from one another. Events promote an atmosphere of connectivity at work. Employees are far more likely to communicate with other departments if they have a chance to meet and make friends outside of the workplace.
- They encourage idea sharing – the foundation of good business.
With so many benefits on offer, the corporate event remains one of the best ways to promote your business in a 360o sense.
How To Plan The Perfect Corporate Event?
Planning the perfect event means taking the time and consideration to think hard about which scenarios are the best places fit to your company. When planning the perfect corporate event, don’t forget to consider the convenience of utilizing top-notch event ticketing platforms like TicketFairy for streamlined ticket management.
For example, a restaurant business likely doesn’t want to hold an event in a rival restaurant. Let’s run through some hot tips for making a corporate event that rewards you, your clients, and your employees.
1 – Invite Everyone
One of the biggest mistakes large companies and SMEs make when they plan a corporate event is to only invite one department, certain customers, or managers.
If you want to throw a successful event that people in your industry are still talking about years from now – you need to invite everyone from the cleaning staff to the catering staff, to your least important worker. Everyone needs that invitation to feel like part of the team.
2 – Plan for Fun
Another big mistake most corporate events share is that complete lack of fun. The word ‘corporate’ should not replace the word ‘boring’. You should make an effort to plan to have a fun time when you are at your corporate event.
Otherwise, you will struggle to entertain your clients and they might well leave before the party really starts. An event should be a reward, so make it feel like one. Offer outdoor entertainment or add in some amusements before your guests start to wander off.
3 – Don’t Restrict Yourself
In the world of business, a corporate event can mean anything from an important merger to acquisitions and bankruptcy. When you put out invitations for it, you therefore want to be clear on which type of event you are having.
Are you celebrating the launch of a new product, thereby inviting new investments? Or are you celebrating a new merger? Is it a simple Christmas event of is it something more? Decide what you are celebrating and stick to it.
Please don’t limit yourself by restricting the atmosphere to make people less likely to enjoy themselves. Prepare some Employee appreciation gifts to make them feel happy to be part of the organization. If your event is a complete let down, they will not come back for a second time.
4 – Think Digital
One of Forbes’ hot tips for the year is that the future of corporate events is a hybrid one. No longer are we confined to what is in front of us. We can expand to invite guest speakers or heads of industry from all over the world.
You can rent a macbook, ensure there’s an internet connection, and do a simple video call, we can get these messages out to the masses in our workplace to encourage workplace learning. A hybrid event means using multimedia sources to encourage communication during events. Take full advantage of this and utilize multimedia where you can.
For example, search something like “videographer newcastle” or wherever you are to find a videographer that can video your event. You can then use the video as part of your media campaigns, helping you to expand your digital footprint.
5 – Consider an Event Planner
Since you are working with corporate funds, there is no reason not to hire an event planner to help you out. After all, this planning will eat into your working day. An event planner is great value for money, since they can work out all the details of your party or team building day. Take them a list of all the elements you would like to include and then allow them to drive the project.
6 – Setting the Budget
Be generous but not frivolous. Although you are spending company money, if it is your company then it is still your money. Set a budget and stick to it. Discuss this budget with all involved in the project.
You can even run it by your new event planner to see if they can make suggestions on how to make your budget stretch as far as it can go. Heed this warning though: they will always try and get you to splurge a little more here and there. Keep a close eye on that budget to make sure you don’t spend money earmarked for other things.
7 – Choosing the Venue
We touched on this briefly above. If your venue doesn’t match your event, or if you find yourself relying on your competitors, then you don’t have it quite right yet. The venue needs to be large enough to hold everyone, affordable enough not to blow your whole budget on, and may need to be outside of your local area so that you don’t work with your competitors.
8 – Food and Drink
A vital key element of planning any event is the food and drinks that you serve. If you choose to hire caterers within the building, expect to pay more than if you bring in your own caterers. Throwing a successful corporate event seems to rely on a steady flow of alcohol, so make sure you have enough bottles of champagne put on ice.
You can’t always drink in the locations you plan an event in, so take that into consideration. It might be that you decide to offer a buffet or to include a meal before the event in the evening’s itinerary. However you do it though, customers and employees alike will be glad for the feed.
The Elements of a Great Corporate Party
If you bring all these elements together, you should end up with a brilliant party that your employees and customers do not soon forget.
