How to Plan a Corporate Event

30th January 2023
How to Plan a Corporate Event

How to plan a corporate event

Planning a corporate event is a lot of work but can provide fantastic results, from strengthening relationships to attracting new clients. Our extensive guide will help you plan the perfect corporate event with ease. Understanding the basic elements of event management: research, design, planning, coordination and evaluation, will ensure you create the perfect event with the results you want.

What is corporate event planning?

Corporate event planning is the process of organising and coordinating a host of events for businesses or organisations. This can include a wide range of events, such as conferences, trade shows, product launches, sales meetings, employee appreciation events, awards ceremonies, gala events, and team-building activities. Whoever takes on the role of the corporate event planner is responsible for coordinating all aspects of the event, including venue selection, budget management, vendor coordination, marketing and promotion, and on-site logistics.

Purpose of corporate events

There are many positive purposes of hosting corporate events. Businesses can build on existing relationships and make meaningful connections whilst creating brand awareness and client loyalty.

Understanding the purpose of your event and the goals your business wants to achieve from holding the event will help to determine the best type of event, and what you need to do to resonate with your audience.

Steps in planning a corporate event

Understand your audience

Understanding your target audience for your corporate event is key to event success. Are you hosting an event for long-term clients, potential clients, staff members or business partners - or perhaps a combination? Determining your audience ensures you will create an event that caters to their needs and interests.

Creating a suitable guest list can be difficult. As a rule, it is much better to invite too many than too few guests - a good crowd will ensure that your event has a buzz to it.

At the end of the event, your audience will take away how they were treated, and the overall experience of attending your event. Potential and existing clients will use their experience of your event to determine whether they continue to become a brand ambassador or continue working with you.

Pick your theme

When choosing a theme for a corporate event, consider the following:

  1. The purpose of the event: Is it to celebrate a milestone, launch a new product, or simply to build team morale? The theme should align with the overall goal of the event.
  2. The audience: Who will be attending the event? Consider their interests and preferences when choosing a theme.
  3. The venue: The theme should be appropriate for the venue and location of the event.
  4. The budget: The theme should be within the budget allocated for the event.
  5. The Brand: A theme that aligns with the brand and messaging of the company will be more engaging and memorable to attendees.

Once you have considered these factors, you can start brainstorming ideas and narrow down the options to the one that best fits all the criteria.

Invitations & Event Promotion

Invitations are the first look at your event and therefore it is important they make an impact. A key way to achieve an eye-catching impression is to brand your event inline with the theme or topic.

If the event is by invitation only, direct mail invites are the best option, especially if it's an event with senior staff and VIP guests, because they add a sense of formality to your event as well as being good practice.

If it is an open event, it is a good idea to have a strong social media marketing strategy in place. The main objective is obviously to promote the event in order to increase ticket sales or registrations to the event, but there are more factors to include such as charity donations, raising brand awareness and sponsorship - to name a few.

You should identify the main key performance indicators to track your measurable goals in the lead up to the event. These can range from how many people attended on the day to new business leads generated and return on your investment.

Finding a Venue

Finding a suitable venue is crucial to hosting a successful corporate event. Our house and barn date back to around 1770 and are a stunning backdrop to any event. Our 18th century barns are larger and wider than most. This means more room for guests and waiting staff around seated tables, and our higher ceilings keep it cool in summer. Also, three foot thick walls and open log fires keep us warm in the winter and provide a warm, cosy welcome.

We are able to seat up to 140 people formally or hold 200 for receptions and parties in our exceptional corporate party venue. The Great Barn is an exclusive, atmospheric venue and features warm Cotswold stone walls and high beamed ceilings. Cosy log fires, full bar service and fabulous, flexible catering from canapes to full three-course served meals are all available.

We run over 150 corporate events a year and have over 30 years of experience in running corporate events so have the necessary experience to help you create a memorable event.

View our venue here.

Budget

Setting a realistic budget early on is crucial. Your budget will determine the type of event you can produce, but it is important to allow for a 10% increase in budget in case of any hurdles that arise during the planning process.

The way in which you allocate your budget is also key to a smooth event planning process.

Key considerations include:

  • Entertainment
  • Guest speakers
  • Food and beverage spend
  • Venue hire cost
  • Marketing
  • Gift bags
  • Transportation
  • Entertainment

Having some form of entertainment at your corporate event will add excitement, drama and create a memorable experience for your guests. At The Great Barn, we can arrange for the latest state of the art audio-visual equipment and professional set design to enhance your event.

However, we understand that it can be difficult, as it needs to be appropriate for the audience and the purpose of the event. Here are some things we think are worth considering when choosing entertainment for a corporate event:

  • Audience: The entertainment should be appropriate for the attendees, taking into account factors such as age, interests, and cultural background.
  • Purpose: The entertainment should align with the purpose of the event. For example, if the event is to celebrate a milestone, the entertainment should reflect that.
  • Budget: Entertainment can be expensive, so it's important to choose options that fit within the budget allocated for the event.
  • Branding: Consider if the entertainment aligns with the brand and messaging of the company.
  • Timing: Think about when the entertainment will be performed in the event schedule and how it will impact the overall flow of the event.
  • Variety: to ensure that the attendees don't get bored, consider offering a variety of entertainment options.

Once you have considered these factors, you can start researching entertainment options that fit the criteria. Some popular options for corporate events include live bands, comedians, magicians, motivational speakers, and interactive activities.

Types of corporate event

There are several types of corporate events, including:

  1. Conferences: large gatherings of industry professionals for networking and learning opportunities
  2. Trade shows: events where companies showcase their products or services to potential customers
  3. Product launches: events specifically designed to introduce a new product or service to the market
  4. Sales meetings: internal events for a company's sales team to discuss strategy and goals
  5. Employee appreciation events: events to show appreciation and recognition to the employees of the company
  6. Awards ceremony: events to recognise and award the company's top performers.
  7. Gala events: formal events that often include a dinner, entertainment, and fundraising activities.
  8. Team-building activities: events to improve team cohesion, communication, and effectiveness or simply reward hard-working employees with a bit of fun.

How to plan a corporate team building event

At The Great Barn, we have a range of indoor and outdoor activities that are sure to bring your team together. From clay pigeon shooting and hovercraft driving to unlock the box and our indoor crystal challenge, you can hold full-day and half-day activities for your staff members.

Corporate team-building activities can have several benefits for a company, including:

  1. Improving communication and collaboration: Team-building activities can help employees learn to work together more effectively and develop stronger relationships with one another.
  2. Boosting morale and motivation: Engaging in fun, interactive activities can help employees feel more connected to the company and their colleagues, which can lead to increased job satisfaction and motivation.
  3. Enhancing problem-solving and decision-making skills: Many team-building activities require participants to work together to solve problems or make decisions, which can help employees develop these skills that are transferable to the workplace.
  4. Increasing creativity and innovation: Team-building activities can provide employees with an opportunity to think outside the box and come up with new ideas, which can help to foster a more innovative and creative workplace.
  5. Developing leadership skills: Team-building activities can also provide employees with the opportunity to develop leadership skills and to practice taking on leadership roles within the team.
  6. Creating a positive work environment: A positive work environment is important for employee engagement, productivity, and retention. Team-building activities can help create a positive work culture by fostering communication, trust, and mutual support.

You can view our comprehensive list of team building activities here

Timeline - corporate event planning timeline

Creating a realistic, workable timeline to plan your corporate event is key and will take a lot of stress out of the planning process. A corporate event planning timeline can however vary depending on the type and size of the event, but generally, the process should include the following steps:

6-12 months before the event:

  1. Define the objectives and goals of the event
  2. Research potential venues and vendors
  3. Develop a rough budget and plan for the event
  4. Begin marketing and promotion efforts

3-6 months before the event:

  1. Finalise the venue and vendors
  2. Develop a detailed budget and plan for the event
  3. Send out save-the-date notifications
  4. Continue marketing and promotion efforts

1-3 months before the event:

  1. Confirm all details with vendors and suppliers
  2. Coordinate logistics such as transportation, catering, and audio-visual equipment
  3. Send out official invitations
  4. Finalise the program and schedule of events

1-2 weeks before the event:

  1. Conduct a final walk-through of the venue
  2. Confirm all details with vendors and suppliers
  3. Prepare registration materials and name tags
  4. Coordinate on-site setup and registration

The day of the event:

  1. Oversee on-site setup and registration
  2. Coordinate all aspects of the event, including speakers, entertainment, and activities
  3. Greet and assist attendees as needed

After the event:

  1. Evaluate the success of the event and gather feedback from attendees
  2. Send out thank-you notes to vendors, attendees, and sponsors
  3. Prepare a final report and budget summary

Tools - corporate event planning tools

There are several tools that corporate event planners can use to help them organise and manage their events to streamline the event planning process:

  • Event management software
  • Project management software
  • Budgeting and financial management tools
  • Communication and collaboration tools
  • Marketing and promotion tools
  • Survey and feedback tools
  • On-site tools

By using these tools, corporate event planners can streamline their planning process, improve communication, and gain valuable insights into their events.

Corporate event planning checklist template

A corporate event planning checklist can help ensure that all necessary tasks are completed and that nothing is overlooked. Here is a sample template that can be used as a starting point:

Pre-Event:

  • Define the objectives and goals of the event
  • Research potential venues and vendors
  • Develop a rough budget and plan for the event
  • Begin marketing and promotion efforts
  • Send out save-the-date notifications
  • Confirm all details with vendors and suppliers
  • Coordinate logistics such as transportation, catering, and audio-visual equipment
  • Send out official invitations
  • Finalise the program and schedule of events
  • Prepare registration materials and name tags
  • Coordinate on-site setup and registration

Event Day:

  • Oversee on-site setup and registration
  • Coordinate all aspects of the event, including speakers, entertainment, and activities
  • Greet and assist attendees as needed
  • Monitor the event to ensure that everything runs smoothly

Post-Event:

  • Evaluate the success of the event and gather feedback from attendees
  • Send out thank-you notes to vendors, attendees, and sponsors
  • Prepare a final report and budget summary
  • Follow up with leads and contacts made during the event

Factors to consider when planning a corporate event

When planning a corporate event, there are several key factors to consider in order to ensure that the event is successful and meets the objectives of your business. Some of these factors include:

  • Objectives and goals: Clearly defining the objectives and goals of the event is essential in order to ensure that the event is tailored to meet the needs of your business. This includes determining the target audience, the purpose of the event, and the desired outcome.
  • Budget: A realistic budget is essential in order to ensure that the event can be executed within the constraints of the organisation's financial resources. It's important to consider all the expenses, including venue rental, catering, transportation, audio-visual equipment, marketing and promotion costs, etc.
  • Venue and logistics: The venue and logistics are critical factors in ensuring that the event runs smoothly. This includes selecting a venue that is suitable for the event, accommodating and decorating the venue, and coordinating transportation and parking for attendees.
  • Marketing and promotion: Effective marketing and promotion can help to generate interest in the event and attract the target audience. This includes creating an event website, sending out invitations, and utilising social media and other digital marketing techniques to reach potential attendees.
  • Event schedule and program: The event schedule and program should be tailored to meet the objectives and goals of the event and to engage the target audience. This includes selecting appropriate speakers, entertainment, and activities, as well as ensuring that the program runs smoothly and on time.
  • Attendee experience: The attendee experience is a critical factor in ensuring that the event is successful. This includes ensuring that registration and check-in are smooth and efficient, providing adequate signage and directional information, and ensuring that the event is accessible to attendees with disabilities.
  • Evaluation and follow-up: Evaluation and follow-up are essential in order to measure the success of the event and to identify areas for improvement. This includes gathering feedback from attendees, sponsors, and vendors, and using this feedback to inform future events.

Questions to ask when planning a corporate event

When planning a corporate event, it's important to ask a variety of questions in order to ensure that all necessary details are taken into account and that the event meets the objectives of your corporate event. Some questions to consider when planning a corporate event include:

  • What is the purpose of the event and what are the specific objectives and goals?
  • Who is the target audience and what type of attendees are you expecting?
  • What type of event would be most appropriate for the target audience and your business’ objectives?
  • What is the budget for the event, and what expenses need to be taken into account?
  • What are the key logistical considerations, such as venue, transportation, and parking?
  • How will the event be marketed and promoted to attract the target audience?
  • What type of program and schedule would be most engaging and appropriate for the target audience?
  • How will you ensure that the attendee experience is positive and that the event runs smoothly?
  • What are the key evaluation metrics and how will you measure the success of the event?
  • How will you follow up with attendees, sponsors, and vendors after the event?

By asking these and other questions, event planners can ensure that they have a clear understanding of your objectives and that all necessary details are taken into account. This will help to ensure that the event is a success and meets the needs of your corporate event.

Get in touch with us today to secure your corporate event in our historic venue.