Nearly 90 percent of employees around the globe report that they’re disengaged to some extent at work.
What can you do to prevent this from happening to your workers?
Hosting a corporate event not only enhances workplace productivity, but it also bolsters morale and culture. Not to mention, if you’re looking to generate buzz, events like product launches can get people talking about your business.
However, you need an event planning checklist if you want to avoid a disastrous showing. Costs may run into the tens of thousands of dollars, and there are many things that can go wrong during the event if you fail to plan.
Read on for a quick rundown on how to plan a corporate event!
Taking Care of the Basics: 6 to 12 Months Before
As an event planner, you dread having to deal with issues like participant dropouts and lost venues. But the earlier you begin preparing, the less stress you face, and the more time you have to adapt to necessary changes along the way.
Let’s take a look at what steps you need to take to minimize the impact of Murphy’s Law:
- Determine the reason for your event
- Estimate the attendance
- Set a profit goal
- Develop a budget
- Come up with a fitting theme
- Decide on the best venue and date
- Get hold of speakers, panelists, and entertainers
- Look for potential sponsors
Put together an extensive list of venues and speakers. This way, if you lose the venue or if anyone cancels on you, you can immediately reach out to someone else.
Spreading the Word: 4 Months Before
Once you have the who, what, when, where, and why figured out, you need to let everyone know about your event. You also need to ensure you’ll provide them with the best possible experience. This is how you can accomplish both goals:
- Nail down your speakers and entertainers
- Acquire all necessary permits and insurance
- Finalize the price of your tickets
- Create a schedule for your event
- Look over your security plans
- Obtain audio/visual equipment
- Work with a caterer
- Prepare the signs for your event
- Update your website
- Blog about your event
- Start an event page on Facebook
- Post a promo vid on YouTube
- Send out promotional emails
Nothing will make your event seem more amateurish than a tech failure. Conduct online research on AV services so you make the right audio visual hire.
Reminding Everyone: 2 Months Before
Less than 80 percent of people remember their partner’s B-day, so you can’t expect a busy person to remember the date of a corporate event. Follow these steps to avoid a lackluster turnout:
- Email reminders to those who plan to attend
- Reach out to participants about travel
- Ask for copies of presentations
- Confirm your sponsors and vendors
If you need more attendees, consider running a retargeting campaign during this time.
Finalizing Everything: 1 Week Before
Here it is: the final stretch of the long, arduous corporate event planning process. Include the following items on the checklist to steer clear of any potential last-minute headaches during your event:
- Approve and print speeches
- Confirm the schedule with all participants and vendors
- Wrap up the registration list
- Inform volunteers about their jobs
- Work out the seating arrangements
What should you do the day before your event? Make sure all signs are ready to go, and prepare name tags and promotional items.
Ticking All the Boxes of Your Event Planning Checklist
After the event, don’t forget to mail out thank-you letters to all participants, sponsors, volunteers, and donors. Also, consider emailing them surveys so you can learn how to host an even better event the next go-round.
Keep this in mind: Annual worldwide spending on corporate events exceeds $500 billion for a reason. A well-planned event can have a powerful impact on your business.
Now that you know what you need to include on your event planning checklist, want more business advice? If so, be sure to check out our list of the top small business hacks.