Putting a corporate event together isn’t easy. Even small events exclusively for company employees need a ton of work and planning to come together smoothly. If you have been put in charge of planning a corporate event, here are a few simple tips you can keep in mind to guide you during the planning process.
1 – Always keep the primary goal in mind
It’s easy to lose sight of what’s truly important in an event when you are trying to decide details such as what food to offer, or what type of entertainment should be available. Remember: every event has a purpose, and making sure the event can achieve that purpose should be your main concern.
For example, the purpose of an office birthday party is to celebrate the occasion. This means the cake should be at the top of the priority list. A product launch party, on the other hand, is primarily about informing the public and the media about an upcoming product. This means that securing keynote speakers and making sure the event’s various sound systems work flawlessly will have to be a priority.
Keeping track of your priorities will make sure that the event isn’t a disaster, even if it doesn’t go as smoothly as planned.
2 – Consider a theme
If the occasion and budget allow it, giving the event a theme can help make it more professional and memorable. This can be as simple as building the event around your company’s logo and history. More complicated alternatives include building the event around a historical period, atmosphere, or artistic style.
3 – Art is your friend
Music, paintings, and other forms of art can liven up an event space while also giving attendees something to talk about. Meanwhile, a live performance by an electric violinist, DJ, or dancing crew can all help warm up the crowd or keep guests entertained during downtimes at the event. Look into these and other ways in which you can use art to enhance the experience of guests at the event.
4 – Have backups and contingencies
If you are being asked to plan an event in a hurry this may not be an option. But if you have time to spare, go over every single critical item of the event, and figure out how you can fix or replace all of them in an emergency. Solutions can be as simple as calling local rental companies before the event so they’ll be ready to bring in more equipment if needed, or knowing who can pick up a spare cake if the one you ordered isn’t delivered.
Of course, it’s also good to keep track of what is grounds for postponing the event, so you can triple-check that those elements are going well on the day before the event.
5 – Know when to relax
Once the event starts, it’s important to know when to relax. It can be tempting to get involved every time something doesn’t go exactly as planned, but that is not always the right solution. It’s important to make sure the key parts of the event are going smoothly, but you don’t want to cross the line into micromanaging people. It’s bad for morale, and you run the risk of causing more problems than you solve.
