Planning a corporate event in 5 steps

Be extremely clear about the goal you want to achieve

This is not a new principle: it’s basic common sense before tackling any enterprise. After all, you won’t be able to know if you have succeeded unless you started out with a clear view of what success should look like. What’s changed is the level of precision that you should strive for in your goal-setting. While basic concepts like “generating leads” or “improving brand awareness” used to be sufficient at this stage, in the pre-pandemic world, now you are expected to think in terms of metrics, rather than generic objectives. Take your time defining your goals, because the following steps will be determined by the kind of decisions you make in this early planning phase. For instance: if you are looking to engage with new buyers, you should ask yourself who your prospects are, where they are based and whether or not they have a travelling budget. Based on your answers to these preliminary questions, you should be able to determine whether your event should be “in person only”, virtual or hybrid.

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Choose a format

The aforementioned choice is the next step in your journey. Planning a corporate event used to be synonymous with booking a large and prestigious venue and this could still be the case, but it doesn’t have to be. If you are going full-virtual, hoping to save on logistics and travelling, you will have to invest in an excellent online platform for your event. If you are opting for a hybrid format, you will have to book a venue, but also make sure you can stream your event and ensure adequate interaction for remote attendees.

Set and organise your budget

Corporate event planning is expensive. Attendees expect premium experiences and, more often than not, your or your client’s reputation might be on the line. Budget carefully, always saving a reasonable amount for emergencies. This is the stage in which you should factor in sponsorships if they are already in place or start looking for them if they are not.

Assess sustainability

This used to be a secondary concern for event organisers, but it has long since become clear that we can no longer afford to ignore the environmental impact of corporate events. Be aware that every choice you make will have an effect on your carbon footprint and, if the scale and budget of your event warrant it, have your organisational plan audited by a sustainability expert, in order to find the most sustainable solutions to achieve your goals. These could go from booking a green-powered venue to investing in carbon offsetting programmes.

Research local safety regulations and set up an easy communication system with attendees

If there is one thing that this pandemic has taught us, it is that rules can change very quickly in an emergency. If you are hosting an in-person event, check the current local health and safety guidelines and note whether changes are planned in the future, specifically around the dates of your events. Even if all seems clear and smooth, make sure you set up a clear and easy communication system with your attendees and your staff, so that you will be able to notify them promptly should any sudden change intervene or any new regulations be put in place before the date of the event.

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