Let’s face it; we’ve all attended events that are less than inspiring. This is often down to poor planning. If you want to create an event that stays in people’s minds for months or even years to come – for the right reasons – you need to know that the devil is in the detail.
Having had our speakers attend thousands of corporate events across the US, we’ve become pros at spotting what makes an event shine. If you’re looking to make a positive impact on visitors, read on to discover our five favorite corporate event planning tips.
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Determine Your Goals
What are you trying to achieve with your event? Are you looking to celebrate, inspire, or impress? Is this a fundraising event or are you looking to increase business? Whatever the reason, define your goals and objectives clearly so that you know what you’re aiming towards.
Having clear goals will help you determine the speakers you need, how big the event should be, where it should be held, and what budget to set.
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Make a Clear Plan
One of the biggest corporate event planning tips is to be thorough in your planning. The more prepared you are, the better things will go. Since it’s likely that an element of your plan won’t go quite the way you want it to, make sure you start your planning months in advance so that you have plenty of time to formulate contingency plans.
Successful plans should contain the following:
- Who the event team is, with clearly defined roles.
- Event venue details, including capacity, restrictions, capabilities, and catering.
- A detailed timeline and schedule for the weeks leading up to the event.
- A budget with all event aspects fully costed.
- A list of event materials required, such as promotional items, gifts, and marketing material.
- A list of technical requirements, such as lighting, IT equipment, speakers, and microphones.
- A detailed schedule for the event day, including setting up and taking down equipment
- Event logistics.
- A list of all participants, including your speakers.
- Anything else you feel is essential and necessary for the day.
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Wow Your Audience
To make your event memorable, you need to impress your audience. Having some form of entertainment is a great way to achieve this, but remember to keep it relevant to the theme or purpose of your event.
Guest speakers are a popular element of corporate events. Depending on your budget, the sky is the limit when choosing who you’d like to attend.
At Eagles Talent, we can provide inspiring corporate speakers from all walks of life from sports personalities to business gurus, top entertainers, and celebrities. Our huge range makes it easy to select the very best person for your event.
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Select the Right Venue
The type of venue you choose is one of the most crucial aspects of corporate event planning. The main factors to consider when choosing a venue are:
- Location and proximity to accommodation and transport links.
- Size and capacity (if you’re having a small event, a huge venue can become a disadvantage).
- The layout of the room or rooms.
- The venue’s rules and restrictions.
- The venue staff. Pay attention to whether or not staff is easy and pleasant to communicate with and prompt and clear with replies.
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Create a Buzz
The final of our five corporate event planning tips is to ensure that you start building up the event before it happens. Getting people excited to attend will make it more likely that every seat in the house is full.
To get the word out on social media, create some promotional material or videos with previews of what’s going to happen on the day. Get people talking about it by letting guests know which exciting speaker. To enhance the buzz, you can even hold a prize draw or competition.
Crucially, once you’ve built the hype, you then need to provide your guests with all the info they need for the day such as:
- Venue location and details
- Transport options
- Accommodation options
- Event schedule and timetable
- Dress code
- Anything they need to prepare or bring along
With careful planning and consideration, your event will be a success. Our five corporate event planning tips will set you on the right path and improve the chances of things running smoothly on the big day.
The needs for this subject can really vary, so connect with one of our members to determine the best message.
Email us at info@eaglestalent.com or call us at 1-973-313-9800.