Tips for Corporate Event Planners
We have put together some winning tips for event planners looking to plan a corporate function. Read below and don’t forget to take notes- some of this might save you a lot of money and time!
Get Started
First things first- define your target, describe your event aims and ambitions, what is it you actually want to achieve with this event? For wedding planners it’s fairly straight forward, and usually goes a little like; “we want to have a special day that will reflect us as a couple while having all friends and family have the best party ever”..
For Corporate clients however, the targets can differ greatly from just holding a ‘tick the box’ Christmas party, to a traditional annual gala or banquette, an event focused on team building for new companies, fund raising, to impress investors and many many more examples.
So put this all on paper, maybe while having a little brain storm in the CEO’s office or with your event organisers team?
What is the Budget
Great, now that you actually know what you want to do, you will have to define budget available for the project. You should be clear on how flexible this figure is in case the quotes you get are more than expected or there are expenses you haven’t foreseen (don’t stress, this is what happens to the vast majority of event planners, especially novice ones).
Get Creative And Get Inspired
It is time to get creative, search online, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Instagram or wherever you will get your muse to inspire you to dream up the best event. Event ideas may fall into any of the following list of categories (but not limited to).
event concepts and themes
gimmicks (i.e., activities you think would chime with your targets)
styles (general mood and décor)
trends (just what is in that might work for you)
event structures and timetables (this is a super important aspect of your event so any information of similar type events timetables could be invaluable)
By now you should have a pretty good idea of what type of event you want. This should make the next steps much easier as these first steps should define the suppliers you will need for your corporate function. It is time to do some market research and book in your suppliers.
get booking
Book the biggest suppliers first. Typically and most logically start with hiring the venue if you need one (or booking the date so you don’t miss out) .
Then book Catering and live musical entertainment or other entertainers/speakers if you are having these. You may need sound support and someone to just play some background music. Such suppliers are often referred to as AV companies or sound hire companies though some might not want to take any responsibility over providing the music.
Remember a large room requires more sound supply, usually more speakers and this is usually more costly. You will only know the details when speaking to your sound providers, but just be aware of these details and know that good sound makes for a basis of a good function. If the sound system is to weak, your guests will miss out on the speeches and will tend to talk more in the background causing disruptions during the talk instead of engaging with your event.
Book in your production company, (think event lighting, stage, dance floor, structures or décor, branding materials etc) make sure you have compared prices though, because quotes can differ greatly and it would be a shame to blow the budget if there is no need to. Save your budget for elements that would impress your guests and CEO and not on ones that would go unnoticed.
If there are any decorative/marketing materials like banners that you are supplying yourself, that is totally fine, but don’t forget to delegate the job of erecting these structures to someone else- you will need to be acting as a supervisor on the day of your event and you shouldn’t allow yourself to get caught up in any menial tasks. This brings us neatly to the next point of delegation.
delegate delegate delegate
Make sure to free yourself as much as possible on the day from little jobs that will take you away from supervising your event. Imagine one of your suppliers is looking for you while you are in some cupboard somewhere in the building trying to fit a hoover back where it belongs. You want to be available at all times and on site to solve any real time issues (these always arise so assume you will be dealing with issues while setting up and even during the event, make yourself available).
get it filmed!
Not a must but definitely a great tip if you have the budget- Have the event documented, book in a photographer and or video company even if only for internal use. Having no records of the event means the event could be forgotten and it would therefore have less impact in the long run. Also, having a photographer at an event can cause a sense of excitement and purpose for the guests which is always great for any event. You will also be able to use some of these for your own portfolio!
Less is best
General rule of thumbs - Try to keep the number of suppliers to a minimum if you can help it, less suppliers means less emails back and forth and less need for coordination and therefore more time wasted. Too many suppliers can also lead to more mistakes in miss-communication. Logistically you must always take into account the loading bay for your suppliers, to ensure they will all be able to arrive with plenty of time to unload without causing your event any delays.
start with a bang
Make sure to invite your guests with plenty of time and here comes a top tip! Get your guests and colleagues excited for the event with good marketing and enticing invites. Make sure your event isn’t falling on some big day like world cup final or other big dates that might dwindle your numbers and dampen the mood.
plan your schedule
Timetable planning could have a whole book written on, but in short, get planning on your event schedule asap, keep it dynamic, keep it clear and keep it realistic, don’t try to cram in too many activities yet you should ensure it isn’t hanging loose and structureless as this would be a recipe for a very boring event. You will want to have perfect timetable sharing between your suppliers, might be worth while passing these by your caterers/band/entertainers at point of quote so that there are no nasty surprises later on.
consider event coordination
Consider hiring a toastmaster to keep your event on track, or possibly someone to help you coordinate it on the day. It might seem like an old fashioned thing to do, but you can choose a toastmaster that understands your approach and may dress more in tune with your brand. If your guests will be required to move between rooms or spaces during the event it may well be the only way to keep to your scheduled times and will ultimately give your function a much more professional feel and better experience for your guests.
If you struggle to find a toastmaster or event coordinator you can contact us for help!
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
It is always best to be a trend setter if you can hack it! Spice it up and come up with a different format to previous events. Maybe change the location to a less formal venue to make your guests feel more at ease? Or make it more of a club style event rather than a formal dinner? anything at all to change an old trend can be very refreshing and if you pull it off you would be credited for a successful event that might be remembered for a very long time. Similarly, we would recommend staying grounded, ensure that your timetable still makes sense and that your ‘outside-the-box-ideas’ don’t alienate your guests or make them feel uncomfortable.
services you can book with us
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If you want to discuss your event with us please contact us here with your requirements