Planning a Successful Corporate Event Checklist
Corporate Event is always very important, be it the people who host it or the people who attend it. The event can be an anchoring point for the hosts to achieve their objective for which they arranged it all. One step in the wrong direction and you could just hit the bottom. It does not matter if the event is planned to foster interpersonal relationships with your clients or allies, to promote your business, to boost your sales or to increase the revenue? If you want it to be successful, check off the to-dos from the Successful Corporate Event Checklist given below. We recommend you, get it printed so that you can work easily through the stressful job of planning a successful Corporate Event.
✓ Set Your Goals and Objectives
Why do you want to arrange an event? Do you want to raise awareness? Arrange a donation drive? Celebrating a milestone? Is it a product launch? Conference? or is it a networking event? Each mentioned event has its own purpose. Note down what do you want to achieve out of this. Setting goals would clear ambiguity and it will ensure a smooth-running of events attaining the desired outcome.
✓ Setup The Event Essentials
The next step to take is to establish some of the key details of your event and add it in your Corporate Event Checklist:
Date and time:
Decide a date and time for your event that could easily be agreed on by your attendees.
Location:
Finalize a geographical location, country? city? area? The place that seems most related to the cause of your event. Research and interview the vendors of that location to decide which vendors you can rely on.
Venue:
Shortlist a number of venues that have your required capacity to comfortably accommodate the event attendees, suit your budget range and the theme of the event.
Audience:
What are the people who would be attending your event? They are the second important thing to focus on in setting goals. Consider that you need to meet their needs and expectations to make the event successful.
Catering:
The food offered in your event says a lot about you, decide one after going through the details of the most suitable menu provided by the catering services.
✓ Build an Event Budget
Microsoft Excel spreadsheet would be a lifesaver here. Begin from the major categories. for example rentals, decor, speaker fee and catering. Break down all the expenses according to the priority you give to each category. Also, do research on the costs of rentals, contact the vendors and get their quotes, pay deposits after negotiating for discounts.
✓ Incorporate Audience Engagement Activities
The audience must be kept engaged in the event to keep it running smoothly, no one wants bored attendees in their event. Design activities according to the type of people attending. These must be related to the industry they work in yet fun-filled. Keep some gifts for the winners to make people excited till the end. Giveaways can make people remember your event for as long as possible.
✓ Gather Paperwork
Let your budget be approved and signed by your company’s executives for the smooth flow of cash needed to be paid. Make sure you have planned to meet all the laws and codes or obtained the licence or permission for conducting the event peacefully. Assign a bookkeeper or a treasurer to manage all the payments and receipts. Create an agenda and distribute it to all the guests and attendees of the event so they know which program would be tailed after the one that ended.
✓ Tailor Your Event as a Brand
Publicize your event on your website or social media pages. Describe your event to grab people’s attention. Make an event log and come up with a tagline to make it familiar to people in your industry. Send emails to your attendees to spark interest in them. You can write blog posts or make a promo video about your event.
✓ Things to Do in Last Week
- Confirm your schedule with all the event vendors, their arrival and setup time.
- Finalize even script, presentation or speech, speaker introductions, thanks, closing remarks.
- Draft a program blueprint
- Send invitations and reminders
- Reach out to confirm presenters/speakers and request a copy of the presentation or speeches
- Follow up with your event sponsors, receive any promotional materials you need to share with event attendees.
- Finalize and proofread all the printed materials.
✓ Hire a Professional Event Planner
Who can do a better job than a professional? To have a successful corporate event hire a professional event planner to do the honours. They usually have the trained staff to deal with all the critical checkpoints. Though you can’t just leave everything on them and it’s your right to cross-check with them every now and then. They make your whole preparation hassle-free and keep you away from all the tension.
These are not all but the most commonly used checklist items by many famous event planners. A Corporate Event Checklist to make your event a successful one and to be remembered for months. You can call us “The Event Planet” and get it all managed by professionals.
Questions To Ask Before You Hire Your Event Planner
Hosting an event is an excellent way to grow the business if the event runs smoothly. There are many different parts that come together for a strong event. If your event planner is not competent enough, you will definitely be in chaos. Whoever you hired must be having sufficient knowledge about event planning. You want to hire your event planner who truly knows what he is doing and the event organized by them must be up to the standard.
You may ask:
What Type of Event Do They Usually Plan? What Is Their Specialty?
Every event is different. There are significant differences between trade events, business events, weddings, exhibitions, etc. It’s better to have a face-to-face session and provide them with the situation and ask them how they will handle it. Their past event will be very helpful in this regard.
What Specific Services Do They Offer?
Before hiring the event planner, inquire what services they offer. You need to make sure that they are understanding your requirements or not. Are you going to need them for finalizing the venue? Do they have organized catering? Should transportation be provided? You need to make everything very clear.
How Do They Remain Up to Date in The Event Industry?
Remaining connected to the relevant industry makes you perfect. Things change, technology emerges, trends come and go. Remain updated about the latest trend is very much essential for a successful event.
What are Their References?
Reviewing their previous events with photos, portfolios, videos, and testimonials will make things very clear for you. It can show how professional they really are. These references will deliver insight into how your prospective planner has worked with clients in the past and what you can expect from them in the planning of your event.
Asking such questions can be very helpful for you to finalize and hire your event planner for your upcoming event and make it successful!
Tips for Planning an Event Successfully
Develop Your Event Goal and Objectives
The very first step in planning your event is to establish a tangible goal and objectives.
First, start by asking yourself: Why are you organizing this event, and what do you hope to achieve?
Set a Budget and Stick to It
If it’s a wedding event, make a budget and stick to it. If you think you may have “wish list” items that will pop up closer to the time of the wedding, add those items in with your set budget from the very beginning. Aim to never exceed the set amount you have budgeted for from day one.
Begin Timely
Begin planning as soon as you possibly can. If your event is a large event you should really begin planning it four to six months in advance. Some events need at least one month to plan. To keep the final run-up to the event flowing smoothly, try to ensure that all vendor contracts are completed a few weeks before the event.
Remain Flexible & Do Create a Confirmation Checklist
Over the course of planning the event, things are going to change. Whether it is event times, locations or even the type of event you’re hosting, you need to ensure that you’re flexible and can meet the changing demands. In the week leading up to your event, you should be running through your event planning checklist to ensure that you and all those involved are ready to go.
Don’t Send Out Invites Too Late
Your guest’s availability is largely out of your control, but one thing you can do to encourage attendance is to stay on top of invitations and RSVP confirmations.
Don’t Forget About the Trash Removal Service
Your event doesn’t begin and end when your guests arrive and leave. Consider every little detail from setup and strike to trash removal, though these services are sometimes included in venue fees.
Do Plan for Everything
You should always expect something to go awry — and be prepared for it.
Long-distance Venues
You may not be a fan of where you currently live or want to wed where you grew up, but make sure you don’t stray too far from the majority of your guest list, as fewer people will be likely to attend.
Make Sure You Have Plan B in Place
However much you don’t want to think about it, something could go wrong on the day. This could be anything from a problem with the catering to rain (despite the forecast promising a dry day). Plan alternatives for each scenario and account for anything that might not go to plan so you’re not left stressed out and panicking on the big day.
Get the Menu Right
One of the biggest talking points at any wedding is the food. As with most aspects of wedding planning, you should begin by consulting your budget. Food can get costly, so make sure you know your limit before you dive into selecting hors d’oeuvres and mains for your wedding meal menu.
List, List and More Lists
With a million and one supplier to deal with, each with different payment deadlines, it’s impossible to keep track of everything by yourself.
Looking to make your wedding event more memorable, get in touch with the Event Planet team today.
