Corporate event planning is no easy task, it’s a challenging undertaking that involves a large number of different elements, all of which need to coalesce into a big success! If you are the event planner then it’s up to you to make sure that your event doesn’t just run smoothly, it needs to be memorable, meaningful, inspiring, profitable, and entertaining! Those are a lot of big asks to achieve, especially considering you will probably be working with finite resources under a tight schedule. Don’t panic, you can make it happen if you use good planning. Let’s consider the following tips that can help make any corporate event a rousing success!
A Great Venue – The mantra for founding a successful business goes, “Location, location, location!” and it holds true when planning corporate events as well. Holding it in an impressive setting like the world class meeting venues in Singapore can make your event stand above the rest, and leave your guests excited, satisfied, and ready for more! A great corporate event venue is the foundation upon which all else is built!
Budget Wisely – When planning your big corporate event you need to work within a realistic budget and make sure all involved stick to it. What return on the investment do you expect your event may have? Make a thorough list of every necessary element and calculate the cost for each item. Be sure to keep a running account of all the costs you incur and careful records.
Plan Well In Advance – Planning a great corporate event takes time, so make sure to give yourself plenty of it! Plan it as far out in advance as you possibly can, setting deadlines and benchmarks as you go along. If things should go awry, you will have enough time to make adjustments and fix the problem. Planning ahead also gives you the best chance of reserving your ideal venue for the dates that you desire.
Follow A Detailed Schedule – Your corporate event needs to run like clockwork, so timing is critical. The more detailed you can be about what you want to have happen and when, the more certain your venue coordinator will be able to help you achieve it. The schedule must be realistic throughout, not just for the big day itself but during the planning and preparation phases as well. Saving things for the last minute is always a recipe for disaster!
Delegate The Duties – No one is an island, and attempting to pull off a sizeable corporate event all on your own is simply too much for any one person to take on, you need to put together an event staff and start delegating duties to them from day one! Having a reliable team performing their designated tasks will take the load off your shoulders, and give you the time and space to make sure everything is going according to plan, that’s where your main responsibility lies!
Come Up With A Creative Theme – If you want your event to be one for the memory books, then coming up with a creative theme that’s unique, thought-provoking, and fun will be sure to entertain your guests and have them talking about it for years to come! It’s best that the theme has some meaning that can evoke your main message and your company’s image. Give your event a name that’s evocative of the occasion, and implement a strategy for promoting it to the attendees, like intriguing teaser campaigns, and enticing Save the Date reminders.
Create An Interactive, Immersive Experience – A successful corporate event is so much more than sitting around discussing work! It’s incumbent on you to entertain, build team spirit, inspire, and immerse your guests in a wonderful, interactive experience. Plan activities that have a sense of adventure, incorporating elements such as cultural discovery and problem-solving that your guests will be thrilled to participate in. Every game played should have a prize, even if its just a souvenir to remember the event by.
Incorporate Light And Sound – Your venue staff and technical team will need to do some dry runs well ahead of time to make sure everything is properly lit and that the audio is functioning so the presenters can be seen and heard by the audience. Utilize walk-on music and background music to add a touch of the dramatic, being sure that it is consistent with your theme. You might want to consider working with a professional production team if you are planning a really big event and have a sizeable budget, they can elevate your proceedings from an amateur night feel to evoking a major star-studded gala!
Mix it Up – Variety is the spice of life and is key to planning great corporate events. Have a mixture of activities on offer, different interesting speakers on a variety of relevant topics, as well as guest entertainers to keep the show fun. Having speakers who are industry leaders, or who come from different backgrounds, companies, and departments will serve to encourage collaboration and networking.
Run Breakout Sessions – Corporate events should always make space for breakout sessions to occur around the main presentations. The leaders and presenters of these more relaxed and impromptu sessions should have ready access to any equipment and technology they may need to share their message and foment discussion. These smaller, more intimate sessions are perfect for networking and gaming out issues relevant to your business and are really just as important as the main presentations, maybe even more!
Make It Fun – People work hard, and corporate events are a wonderful way to show employees that their hard work is appreciated and will be rewarded. It all doesn’t have to be all about business, and shouldn’t be, be sure to plan a variety of activities that focus on fun and entertainment to keep the crowd engaged, motivated, and happy. If people are having a good time it inspires them to do their best work and to participate more fully in the corporate proceedings, knowing that they will have a chance to let their hair down later!
You are going to put on the best corporate event ever, enjoy it!
