Corporate Event Planning

Corporate Event Planning

The Basics

Worcester | 2022

EVENT PLANNING

So you’re tasked with planning your company’s corporate event… Where do you start? Let’s break down the basics… Who, What, Where, When, and Why, but not in that order…!

WHO is going to be invited to this event? Will the entire company be invited, employees and families, some departments, stakeholders? Or, maybe the event is for vendors and clients? Before moving any further into other plans, it’s helpful to know who is coming and how many people are expected. That way, you can choose an appropriate, sizable venue, and plan activities accordingly.

WHY are you hosting an event? That question would go hand and hand with the WHO. Typical corporate events include the following purposes:

1. Trade shows: These events reinforce the company’s image and help to generate leads. Trade shows are a way to meet key players in the industry to discuss news and trends. They’re also a greta way to introduce new products and services to the distribution channel.
2. Product launches: Product events preview new items to create buzz among customers and the media. Often times, these events may include a ‘great reveal’ where there is excitement build-up that leads to the dramatic showing of the product at the end.
3. Appreciation events: Everybody likes to feel appreciated, and often, companies celebrate employees with events to motivate and thank employees for their service. Or, it could be an appreciation event to thank distributors for their business.
4. Team-building events: Organize indoor and outdoor activities to boost employee confidence and morale. This can be a large offsite event or a smaller on-site team-building session.
5. Seminars and conferences: Invite speakers to enhance employees’ or internal stakeholders’ knowledge on specific topics. This can be a great way to engage employees around a certain topic or provide training on a certain subject.
6. Board and shareholder meetings: Bring together board members and shareholders to review business performance and make crucial decisions. A professional event helps reassure the stakeholders that everything’s running smoothly.
7. Organizational milestone celebrations: Celebrate major milestones or anniversaries, such as financial accomplishments and company milestones. Don’t overlook acknowledging these moments because it’s a morale booster and also a news-worthy event for public relations.

WHAT will be on the schedule for the event? Depending on the type of event being hosted, you may be planning for entertainment, food, product demonstrations, or presenters and break-out seminars. ‘WHAT’ kind of activities will contribute to determining the ‘WHERE’ and ‘WHEN’ of the event. For instance, most people wouldn’t plan a conference in an open-air tent venue, but an employee appreciation event might be perfectly acceptable in a tent venue!

WHERE the event will take place depends on the activities being planned, the number of attendees, and the availability of the desired venue. Other considerations would include weather expectations and if the venue is local versus a destination location.

WHEN the event is held might depend on milestones, the marking of a new fiscal year, or the timed release of a product. If a specific venue is required, then the ‘WHEN’ might depend on the availability of that space. Also, would a rain date need to be planned if the venue is outside?

EVENT VENDORS

Okay, so now you have a basic game plan for corporate event planning – on to the execution stage! Let’s think about who you’ll need to help with the event, such as possible vendors that will need to be hired, and questions to be asked.

1. AV – It is highly likely that any event you’ll be planning will require some sort of audio visual technology. How much AV will depend on the type and size of the event. This is a huge component of any event, so it’s important that this vendor be able to accommodate all of your requirements and also be a trusted parter for you to depend on. When planning for AV, be sure to allot a sizable slice of the overall event budget, as reliable AV requires specialized technicians and equipment. If the event is worth having, then it’s worth the resources to make sure it’s executed flawlessly. What can happen if you try to skimp on AV? Find out in an article about Murphy’s Law!…
   • AUDIO – How many microphones and speakers you’ll need will depend on the size of your event and venue. An event with musical entertainment is set up much different than a conference with break-out seminars. Another consideration is if the audio needs to be wireless or not.
   • VIDEO – Do people need screens for viewing a stage presentation? Does the entertainment need a video wall backdrop? Would you like screens to display branded content? If the event is outdoors, what are your options for viewing a screen in various light conditions?
   • LIGHTING – Lighting can be functional, branded, or escalated to party status! What would be the best fit for the type of event you’re hosting? Musical entertainment might be best with a moving light show, whereas a conference may benefit from simple branded uplighting.
   • LIVE STREAMING – Often, conferences and shareholder meetings are recorded or live streamed for watching at remote locations or for future viewing, but other events such as trade shows or appreciation events may not necessarily be streamed. When considering streaming, thing about what platforms would be used to stream to, such as the company website, a third party platform such as Facebook or Vimeo, or even a customized, event-specific landing page.
2. Catering/Rentals – A good caterer will be a partner in deciding what type of food to offer and how to present it appropriately for the specific type of event. Will the food be served, buffet style, or boxed? Another question to ask the caterer is if they can provide needed rentals, which may include tables, chairs, tents, etc.
3. Facilities – Does the venue have indoor facilities, or will you have to provide extra outdoor facilities?
4. Decor/Floral – Does your event have a theme? Will the stage need backdrops, or props? Should there be floral arrangements included? Do you want special furniture for a panelist discussion, or a VIP room?
5. Wifi – Who is providing the Internet connection for your event? Does the venue provide it, or will the AV service need to provide it?
6. Registration – If attendees need to be registered or ticketed, who will provide that function? Would that be handled in-house, or outsourced?
7. Parking/Security – Is there adequate parking at the chosen venue? If not, will a valet vendor be required? Does the venue have their own security, or will a security provider need to he hired?
8. Permits – Does the venue require any specific permitting, such as fire permits? Or, perhaps the venue requires special permission to hang objects or rig AV equipment.
9. Marketing/Printing – Who is handling the promotions for the event? Will it be strictly announced digitally, or would you need to hire a printer for things like banners or invitations?
10. Photography/Videography – Appreciation, team-building, and milestone events often utilize the talents of a photographer/videographer to keep those moments in the company’s archives, or to use in upcoming marketing efforts.

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Clearly, corporate event planning is a huge task that requires lots of trusted hands to help! Use your vendor partners to their fullest potential – often times, your AV partner or caterer will have great insight and referrals to other reliable vendors who can help transform your vision into reality!