Hosting a corporate event is difficult. There are so many different factors that you need to consider, so many plans that can go wrong, and so many experiences that you’re responsible for. When you host a personal event, most people know each other, and they have an easy time gauging each other’s likes and dislikes.
But a corporate event will put total strangers with completely different tastes and life experiences together. Having your corporate event be a success isn’t an impossibility, but it is a challenge. These five event hosting tips should help you plan and execute all of your corporate events in the future.
- Know your budget and stick to it
Budget concerns are one of the fastest ways to derail your event planning. You shouldn’t guesstimate how much certain things are going to cost. Instead, take the time and effort to research the exact prices of different event aspects. You’ll want to compare and contrast the different venues, entertainment, caterers, and technology. If the event has a paid speaker, you’ll need to decide who best represents the company while still sticking to your budget.
Before you make any final decisions or even begin to shop around, you should make sure you have a realistic budget approved by your corporate office. You should have documentation of the quotes for every single detail. If you need to, make concessions and compromises along the way. Maybe the event would be fine with a streaming playlist instead of an expensive D.J. Maybe instead of an open bar, you’ll need to give people a limit on the number of free drink tokens they can use. These small concessions are essential to the health and success of your event.
- Make your venue plan ahead of time
No matter where your event will take place, the best venues in any major city will be taken up months in advance. You should compare the venues that are available. If you have a firm date for the event set up, it’s important to book your desired venue as soon as possible. Otherwise, another event might steal your spot.
It’s best to be flexible with your dates, provided this is approved by the other people coordinating the event. Event planning starts months before the actual event takes place. There’s no reason that it needs to have a concrete date when it won’t be happening for six months. Instead, keep in mind the general time that you want the event to occur, and try to reserve a venue that works with your flexible scheduling.
- Give serious thought to security
At any kind of corporate event, especially large corporate events, you might want to implement a system of ID cards. This has a few different security measures. First of all, an ID card keeps unwanted and uninvited outsiders from entering the event. Second, they can double as name tags, which is ideal when you’re in a large place with a sea of strangers. ID cards can help smooth the socialization waters and allow for easier networking.
You should also consider having other security measures in place. For example, you might want to make sure that the venue is in an enclosed area so that unwelcome people won’t wander in. Depending on the size and grandeur of the event, you might want to staff actual security guards for the night. These guards can keep the boundaries of the event clear and ensure that all of the guests have a safe, positive time.
- Get feedback from your guests
When the date of the event has gotten closer, and you’ve settled on a venue and a time, you’re ready to send out the invitations. Invitations serve two purposes: First of all, they let everyone know about when and where the event is going to happen. Secondly, they open communication channels and allow your potential guests to give you feedback.
You can further encourage this communication by putting feedback related notes in the invitation. “What kind of entertainment would you most like to see?” and “Let us know if you have any dietary restrictions” are two reasonable ways to encourage feedback. The first allows people to pitch ideas and have a creative hand in the event planning. The second helps you gather information about the needs of the guests, and it will also help the guests to feel more at-ease attending.
- Follow up during and after the event.
After the event is over, you should send out follow-up notes to thank the attendees for coming. If your plan is to throw more events in the future, you can have your follow-up note encourage communication, similarly to your invitation. A short survey is a great way to gauge the satisfaction levels of the event’s attendees. You can also ask for feedback about how these events might be improved in the future.
For more information, call Le Jardin at 1-888-529-8573 or contact us here.
