Whether you are running a small business meeting of less than 20 guests or a product launch and gala evening for thousands the ultimate success of your event lies in getting the details right. A great event requires great thought and many checklists. Here are some of our top tips to make your corporate event a success.
Event Purpose
Have a clear purpose for your event. Are you looking to engage with your clients or staff, raise money for charity, provide training or launch a product?
Before you start planning your event think about and answer the following questions:
Why are you hosting this event?
What are you wanting to achieve by hosting this event?
Your event’s purpose will guide and shape the rest of the planning process so it is the essential first step.
Event Budget
The next step in the planning process is to establish a budget for your event. It is better to establish a budget pre planning rather than realising halfway through you don’t have the funds to complete your event. It is not the size of your budget that will make the event a success so don’t despair if you have a small budget to work with.
When setting an event budget think about how much money you have to spend in total. Then look at all elements of your event, this may include the following – venue hire, catering and beverage, stationary, audio visual needs, emcee or event host, music and/or entertainment, styling and decorations, guest speakers, transportation and accommodation.
Make educated calculations on how much you expect to spend in each area.
As you book details keep accurate records of deposits paid and keep track of what you are spending in each element as you go.
Finally, don’t be ridged in what you are expecting to spend. If you can save money on one element you can use the extra funds in another or simply save money on the overall event. Just because the budget is set at a specific amount doesn’t mean you have to spend it all.
Event Scheduling
You will need to now put some thought into when the event is going to be held. For some events the date will be influenced by the type of event being held. Ensure you do some research before selecting and promoting a date. Think about what dates and time would be most convenient for your target audience. Make sure your date doesn’t clash with industry events or events that your guests would be interested in attending.
Think about public holidays, state and national events of interest and typical holiday times and avoid these.
Engagement
The way we interact with each other in life and in business has changed dramatically in 2020. While government imposed health restrictions like social distancing and guest tracking in venues have made it harder to run in-venue events, we have seen online attendance for corporate events skyrocket. The ability to live stream events is more critical than ever.
You must make a plan to ensure your guests remain engaged pre, during & post event.
Pre Event
Use mailing lists & social media to update your potential and confirmed guests on details surrounding your event. Create hype by releasing details at different times rather than all at once. Create hashtags for your event and encourage the use of this hashtag pre and during event. Encourage guests that have confirmed their attendance to like and repost by offering prizes, reduced ticket price or free admittance to the next event you hold.
During Event
Explore methods which require active participation. It is very easy to become unengaged when listening to a boring speaker or being forced to watch a long video or presentation. Ensure you have seen the guest speaker in action or they have been personally recommended to you. If the information you are presenting is generally hard to engage with put some thought into how you can make your event memorable.
Post Event
Use previously obtained contact details to follow up on the event’s success with the guests who attended. The more personal the better. If you have the time to call each guest great! If not why not create an email survey with a motivation for them to complete it.
Offer to keep them on your contact list for future events. It is less expensive to keep guests than it is to market to new guests.
Selecting a Venue
It is important that the venue you select can cater to the full needs of your event. The main points to consider are below:
Does this venue have the right amount of space?
Is the venue welcoming?
Does the venue suit the needs of your event?
Does the venue suit the feel of your event?
Is Wi-Fi provided for you and your guests?
Consider the need for break out options – are there additional rooms or space available to you?
Does the venue have options for all weather?
Is there adequate parking available and is it accessible?
If you are needing catering and beverages do they have a suitable range of options for your event and guests needs?
Do they provide any of the additional equipment you have listed in your initial event budget? And is it included free of charge or for hire?
Suppliers
Once you have booked you venue you can book any additional suppliers that are required. It is always a good idea to speak to the venue about what you need as they may have a list of preferred suppliers. This will generally save you time and money and in some cases the venue may be able to book these suppliers for you. Ensure you have clear contracts with all of your suppliers to avoid disappointment down the track.
THE WATERFRONT FUNCTION CENTRE OFFERS FUNCTION AND EVENT SPACES
CAPABLE OF HOSTING 10 TO 350 GUESTS WITH STATE OF THE ART
AUDIO VISUAL EQUIPMENT FOR EACH EVENT TO UTILISE.
Whether you are organising a training day, conference, meeting, product launch or presentation night, our dedicated Event Specialists can design a package to suit your needs.
Contact our dedicated Event Specialists on 1300 608 910 to discuss the needs of your next Corporate Event.
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