How to Plan and Host a Corporate Event

How to Plan and Host a Corporate Event

In the corporate world hosting events is fairly common; for example a business conference, a stakeholder meeting, or even a recreational party for employees. With the increase in workload it brings, many people find it challenging to juggle the different tasks at hand. To ensure that you do not go through this stress, this article will walk you through the right steps for planning and hosting a corporate event.

In This Article,

✨  Significance of corporate events
✨  Planning for corporate events
✨  Hosting a corporate event

❇️ Why should you host corporate events?

Whether you are hosting an event to recognize employee achievements, a networking party to build connections, or a stakeholder meeting to discuss prospects, all of it requires that you understand ‘why’ you are hosting this event in the first place.

Corporate events are an easy method to boost morale at a company, build better relationships, and acknowledge the goals met. To ensure that any event you host is successful, understanding the motive behind hosting it is crucial.

 

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Here are four reasons you should not miss your chance to host a corporate event.

Builds relationships: A corporate event is a fruitful method to get to know the people around you better. If outsiders are invited too, it provides everyone with a platform to build resourceful connections and widen their network by connecting with more influential people.

Allows room for creativity: A new and thrilling environment evokes inspiration and creativity among people. Team up with new people with versatile skillsets to observe the spark of innovation they create!

Offers change in the environment: If the venue of your event is somewhere other than the office, it will remind your guests that they are there to have a good time – even if it is with the office people only and no outsiders.

Boosts morale: It will help enhance your workplace wellbeing and reduce the employee turnover rate. A stress-free event as such will leave employees more motivated to give their best.

❇️ How to plan for a corporate event?

Here are twelve crucial steps to plan for a corporate event:

 

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Set goals

Setting the right goals will help you define the direction you need to work in. Decide the nature of the event. Is it a stakeholder conference? Is it a networking party? Is it an entertainment event? Once you have defined that, setting goals will become easier.

⭕ Make a financial plan

Knowing the nature of the business event will make it convenient to draw up an estimate of expenses. Consider every possible expense that you may incur and allocate a certain amount within the budget for each task. This technique should help you obviate overspending.

⭕ Create an invitation list

Enlist the names of all the people you will be sending formal invitations to, and make nice-looking invitation cards. You may want to keep the cards digital and email them to the guests to minimize cost (and keep it paper-free).

⭕ Choose a venue and a date

Knowing the number of expected guests will help you decide the size of the venue. ‘More guests’ is equal to ‘more space needed’. Generally, bigger venues have higher rents, but if you are hosting the event at your own company’s building you may not need to worry about that. Otherwise, reserve a suitable venue for the date that is decided for the event.

⭕ Contact a party rentals company

Tent, décor, cutlery – Meadowvale Party Rentals will provide you with it all as needed. Contacting professionals will delegate some of the responsibilities you have on your shoulders. You may supervise how you need the event to look like, and the professionals will handle it for you.

⭕ Decide a theme (optional)

If your event is strictly professional, you may skip this step. However, deciding on a theme for a semi-formal or informal corporate event will add a unique feature to it that may make the event memorable for the guests. Discuss the decided theme with your rental company to generate more ideas and gather user input from the professionals.

⭕ Schedule logistics

Plan the specifics of your event and allocate time slots to each task. Be present at the venue several hours before the time of the event to supervise the Party Rentals employees to ensure everything goes according to plan. You may want to schedule timings for all the vendors you are contacting – party rentals, food, and clean-up service – to make sure that no team runs late on the date of the event. Remember to have an estimate of time in mind that each team would take while getting their work done.

⭕ Publicity campaigns

Publicize your event through social media channels to reach the right target audience. Send email newsletters to the subscribers of your website, and contact influencers to reach more people through their channels as well. Skip this step if the event is for company employees or by invitation only.

⭕ Set up audio and visual accessories

Most corporate events require AV options to be available. Ensure that you have the equipment long in advance, for example, a projector, TV screen, speakers, HDMI cable, etc. Having all options readily available will help the event go smoothly.

⭕ Always have a contingency plan

If your corporate event is taking place outdoors, you may want to plan for extreme weather. If it is indoors, ensure there is enough heating or air-conditioning available. Having a contingency plan gives you something to fall back on in the worst-case scenario, so never skip this step!

⭕ Cleanup after the event

Regardless of where the event is taking place, you will need a team to clean the mess up after the event has ended. Ensure that you contact the right people beforehand so that they reach on time and start cleaning on time. You may contact a cleaning company for this or hire part-timers to get the job done for the day.

⭕ Feedback

For gathering feedback, conducting surveys would be the most effective and least costly. Send the link to a Google Form for the guests to fill out regarding their feedback on the event. Alternatively, you may also take the survey in person when the people are present at the venue. Getting feedback will help you improve any shortcomings for the next time you plan for an event.

❇️ How to Host a Corporate Event?

Here are five simplified steps to keep in mind when you are hosting a corporate party.

 

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⭕ Understand the purpose of your event

Make sure that you understand the reason why the corporate party is being hosted. Is it to build connections with outsiders to expand one’s network? Is it to discuss the prospects of your firm with its stakeholders? Is it to boost morale at the firm? Answer these questions for yourself and you will be able to work accordingly. It may also help you decide on a theme for your rental company to work on.

⭕ Combine work and fun

A ‘party’ or an ‘event’ will lose its meaning if it is only about work and no fun. Offer joyful activities that allow the guests to have fun! Here are some ideas you can incorporate into your party.

⚡ Dance floor: When contacting rental services, ask them if they can provide you with a stage. It would be worth the extra cost when the guests dance on it and make the party all lively.

⚡ Hire a DJ: A good DJ can be the life of a party, so ensure that your party has one. They will be in charge of the music to ensure that the party does not go quiet, and everyone has fun.

⚡ Set up special lights: Especially for a dance floor, make sure to get the right lights that allow everyone to have fun while being in the spotlight too.

⚡ Games and rewards: You can ask your rental company to set up extra tables for games and rewards. It will encourage the guests to participate in the challenges, such as minute-to-win-it and beer pong. For rewards, you can set aside a few $5 coupons for the winner to take home.

⭕ Ensure food quality and availability

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A party will be remembered for two things: the ambiance and the food. Do not forget to pay attention to the quality of the food that you will provide the guests with. It does not always need to be extravagant, but ensure that it is fresh and readily available for everyone. If the corporate event is a business dinner, then an elegant dinner can be a good investment.

⭕ Parking area

Your guests will require a parking lot to safely park their vehicles in. Therefore, you should ensure that the venue you have selected has its parking area. If it does not, ask around for a nearby parking lot where you can guide the guests to park their vehicles. This step can be skipped if the venue is the office building, as it will have the usual parking space that everyone is accustomed to.

⭕ Restroom facilities

Ensure that there are restrooms available at the venue you have rented. If your event is outdoors, then ask around for restroom availability from nearby buildings or houses that you can guide your guests to go to when needed. Sort this matter beforehand to avoid running into any inconvenience on the day of the event.

Planning and hosting any event will always be challenging and it is no different for corporate events. However, you can make it easier for yourself by sharing some work with the professionals who can handle it for you. For instance, contact Meadowvale Party Rentals to take care of your décor, contact reputable caterers to take care of quality-assured food, and a skillful DJ to ensure the party resonates well!

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Arsh-e- Bareen

Immensely passionate for literature, Arsh-E-Bareen is a freelance writer. She writes content for many renowned firms, including this one.  In her spare time, she loves to write sonnets and short stories that touch and inspire people.  You can contact her on LinkedIn

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