A Complete Guide On Corporate Event Planning With Checklist

Planning a  is more like conducting a formal meeting in a fancy way. Corporate events usually allow firms to share their strategies and connect with the stakeholders. That is why you need to protect the face of the firm and be very careful about little things.

I have compiled a guidebook for you to plan a corporate event that goes above and beyond your client’s expectations! Keep on reading and get yourself a list of satisfied customers.

What are Corporate Events?

Corporate events bring together board members, employees, potential clients, customers, and other stakeholders to reward, educate, motivate employees, and celebrate achievements. The events serve as a platform to strengthen your connections with the stakeholders and make your upcoming corporate calendar known to all stakeholders.

"The purpose of a corporate event is to bring people together, create shared experiences, and inspire them to achieve something together." - David Meerman Scott, marketing thought leader

Types of Corporate Events

Corporate events can take many forms, from corporate meetups to massive expos and trade shows where the firms can bring their new products into the limelight and draw potential customers. Here are some common corporate events that are celebrated in the business world:

1. Conferences and Seminars
2. Trade Shows and Expos
3. Meetings and Conventions
4. Incentive Programs
5. Team-building Activities
6. Awards Ceremonies and Gala Dinners
7. Networking Events

Discover 15 different types of events.

Conferences and Seminars

Conferences and seminars are mediums for conducting professional talk sessions. Here, you can introduce your brand and create awareness about your vision and mission among the masses. If you are silver-tongued, you can sail deeper into the hearts of your potential customers and earn their endorsement for your product.

• You can engage the audience through intriguing visuals. Seminars and conferences may deploy presentations that use colors like red and blue, which attract the eyes and are noticeable.
• You can use the platform to create awareness about issues your product resolves. For instance, if your brand sells masks, you can shed light on the importance of wearing masks and the havoc it may produce if one does not wear a mask.
• Furthermore, you can enhance your brand image by putting forth the facts and figures regarding your annual sales and profit. Such figures can impress the ones who might not initially be fans of your brand. These figures might convince them to give your product a try.

Trade Shows and Expos

You must have heard of World Expos held in Dubai or other famous expos in your geographical confines. If yes! You know what expos or trade fairs are. Trade shows or expos are forums where different brands from a common industry can showcase their products to many audiences using their trade show apps. Furthermore, expos can be a golden chance for many corporate firms to create a market space for their products in multiple nations. Here, your target customers from different nations will find you.

Meetings and Conventions

Business meetings might be scheduled with staff members to assess their productivity and assign them projects and duties. You can discuss technical details and get majority approval for a particular project. Here is how meetings and conventions can play their role as a crucial corporate event:

• In executive meetings, a team of corporate executives is present. They exchange fresh information on current business trends and share opinions about financial targets and new marketing strategies.
• Some companies arrange business meetings to create buzz and exposure by launching something new into the market.

Incentive Programs

An employee working on loops on the same projects for weeks is bound to be exhausted. In a corporate setting, you must arrange programs that boost the morale of your employees. One of the best things you can do for your employees is arrange incentive programs.

• Announcing promotions, monetary bonuses, salary raises, and referral bonuses in front of their colleagues can boost their confidence.
• Offering your employees incentives can give them a sense of achievement, and it might encourage them to work even harder.

Team-Building Activities

You must be tired of your HR asking you for activities like playing games. However, such activities do what you might not notice but can influence your corporate event. I suggest you enthusiastically participate as much as you can in such activities.

Such activities can help you rewind and refresh your fatigued mind, and such activities are good because they involve parts that are psychologically proven to be effective for mood enhancement. Furthermore, such activities bring uniformity to a team and help make decision-making easier within the team. Here are 30+ creative ideas for corporate events.

Significance of Corporate Events

Business is all about marketing a product and connecting with the masses to boost sales. There are many ways marketing can be done, including corporate events. However, one cannot cater to marketing goals, customer expectations, and employees' needs through a single corporate event.

Hence, there are different corporate events for different purposes. For instance, to rewind a burnt-out team, you may need to treat your employees with a fancy lunch, or to educate your target customers, you can arrange seminars or public talks.

Corporate events can serve as a solution to many of the corporate problems. For example, if your team is lacking productivity and motivation, you can give a push to their productivity by arranging an incentive program. Telling them to think outside of the box may not work as much as a small incentive program. Who knows, these motivated employees develop groundbreaking ideas that can escalate your sales like nothing else.

In addition to this, if your sales are lagging, you can participate in expos or seminars, where you can get your customers a deeper insight into your product and your mission. For instance, if your firm is pursuing eco-friendly manufacturing, you can involve environmental activists and promote your brand by focusing your marketing on this aspect.

Here are 30+ creative ideas for corporate events that can rewind a burnt team.

"A successful event doesn't just happen, it's meticulously planned and executed with creativity and passion." - Richard Branson, Virgin Group founder

Corporate Events Play a Substantial Role in The Following

• Branding
• Marketing
• Lead generation
• Building a lasting impact

Marketing

Corporate events can be a way to draw audiences from different backgrounds and introduce to them your brand. You can use corporate events like expos, conferences, and trade shows as a platform to spread the word about your brand. You can perform simulations related to your product and earn the trust of your potential customers.

• Showcase the feedback of your customers at expos and other corporate events to hook the bystanders.
• Deploy different marketing schemes, like using background colors that stand out to grab the attention and be relatable to your customers by targeting the pain points. After grabbing attention and targeting the pain points, introduce your brand as a solution in the corporate event.

Brand Building

An established business faces tough competition from its rival brands. To outclass your rivals in a competitive market isn’t a piece of cake. You need to build your image through strategizing, which includes arranging corporate events. Here is how corporate events help you build a brand image:

• Connecting with the people will enhance your brand awareness.
• You can draw more customers through word of mouth via the event attendees.
• Showcase your products and share your objectives with the masses through one-on-one interaction.

Lead Generation

Yes! If your marketing and branding are strong, you can easily hunt many leads in an event. Corporate events provide an atmosphere where the audience already has their minds prepared for interaction and building connections.

You can grab the opportunity and get yourself even more customers. Furthermore, you can draw more sponsors through this interactive session. You may also get the opportunity to collaborate with big brands.

• If you have introduced any product for sale, you may get MOU offers from different production, advertising, and commercial brands.
• You will get a plethora of options to select from for commercial alliances.
• Events create a conducive environment for networking, fostering professional connections that can reap partnerships and collaborations.

Building an Impact

In an era where people forget things with a swipe, business depends on longer relations! You need to earn your customers' long-lasting trust to keep buying your product. For that, you must build an everlasting impact on the customers through your advertising and impressive slogans. Furthermore, you can build a lasting impact through frequent corporate events that bring stakeholders and customers together for an interactive session.

• Corporate events can be our chance to build a lasting impact on the attendees by aptly marketing your brand.
• You can also honestly share your product's pros and cons to develop a trusting relationship with potential customers.
• Once you have built a trusting relationship with the attendees, the shortcomings of your product will be overlooked by those who trust you and your brand.

Employee Engagement

Corporate events boost employees' passion, devotion, and inspiration toward their company when they work on a project with collaboration and conclude it successfully. In particular, when ceremonies are organized to appreciate the efforts of staff, they get motivation and positive energy, which helps them excel in their profession.

• You can motivate your employees by acknowledging their efforts.
• You can also award them with a formal gift as an encouragement. Furthermore, you can boost your employees' motivation by celebrating the year's achievements.

Relations with Clients

Corporate events serve as a forum for companies to deepen their bond with their loyal customers, coworkers, and investors. Corporate events like in-person meetings at events can strengthen trust and confidence.

• Corporate events can sometimes serve as a formal place to develop informal stakeholder relations. Be a good listener to your clients and build a relationship that tops the professional relationships.
• Share your personal interests with the clients and invite them to, for example, play golf or a table tennis match.
• Even if you are unable to connect with the clients on a personal level, you can still be their corporate friend by sharing the corporate benefits with them and committing to mutual interest.

Market Research

Companies have a chance to practically experience the market in a corporate event. You can sell both your products and services at discounted prices and record the feedback and responses from your customers after they have used your product.

• When you step into a corporate expo or a trade show, you get hands-on experience in the market. By interacting with the masses, you understand the current needs and expectations of the customers. You get a deeper insight into the market.
• You get to know what your competitors are doing and which of their business strategies is reaping their profits. That way, you can polish your business mantra and align it with the current trends.

Product Launch Success

Both startup companies and reputed brands organize expos, workshops, and launching ceremonies to introduce their new products in the market. You can do that using corporate events. Here is how corporate events can help you make your product launch a success:

• Corporate events create a fancy image of your business among the audience. Social media coverage of these events amplifies the image of a business manyfold.
• If your product gets an optimistic response from users in the event, it shows a great probability that it is going to rock in the corporate sector.

CSR and Social Impact

Many companies sponsor or arrange events for social causes. Such events often get more publicity and hence are much supported by the public. When you are considerate about local issues like poverty, female illiteracy, and inaccessible clean water and support local communities, the customers are more welcoming to your brand. The support becomes mutual and stronger, and you become the pride of your loyal customers as well.

Corporate Event Planning Steps, Do's And Dont's

Steps For Company Event Planning

If you want to achieve all the set goals, you will have to take some crucial measures in your planning. These measures will likely lead to excellent outcomes for your event.

Goals and Objectives

• Identify your objectives and goals for the corporate event.
• If you want to lighten up the mood and create a friendly environment at your firm, you can arrange a relevant event.
• If you want an event to market your product, you can arrange a trade show.

Create a Budget

• Make sure your budget is planned wisely, and a suitable sum is dedicated to each expense of the event.
• You must target a budget plan that does not surpass your allocated funds and make sure to choose services like concierge services, venue, and catering services that are affordable for you.

Create an Expert Team

• Bring together a team that is expert in different departments. For instance, hire a creative team for the decor and layout of the event.
• Furthermore, hire a technical team that deals with the technical details of sound and visuals in the event.
• Likewise, you should have a team for stage management who make sure the program timeline is followed precisely and the stage performers (i.e., speakers) are backstage right before their performance.

Choose a Date and Time

• While choosing the date and time of the event, don't forget that your guests can have a tight schedule. Arrange a date and a time that is suitable for all chief guests and common guests.
• For instance, you can arrange an event on weekdays after office hours, or you can select a  date for a public holiday. If there is a long weekend expected in the coming months, that would be the best time.

Select a Venue

• The venue of your event should be accessible for the guests and should be a place where your guests can seek facilities like shopping malls, Wifi, and medical aid.
• The hall, or whatever space you have chosen, must be large and wide enough to accommodate all of your guests comfortably.
• The venue pricing must also be reasonable to keep the budget in check.

Develop a Guest List

• Prepare the list of all guests whose presence is important in this event. Your guest lists can involve business tycoons, renowned faces, and speakers who are experts at entertaining audiences.
• After finalizing the list, mail invitations to all the guests with the exact date, time, and venue.
• Share your chief guest list on social media to advertise your event and attract more incomers.

Create Event Logistics

• Arrange all activities within a fixed time and create an intricate flow chart of things to do before, during, and after the program.  
• Be clear about when and how you will reach the event location and how you will receive the guests and entertain them. Create an organized timeline for the event that includes introductions, motivational speeches, refreshment times sessions, etc.
• Plan the post-event feedback process precisely.

Get Approval and Authorization

• Make sure that all the activities related to your event comply with local and state laws.
• If any certification is required, like a permit for the venue, getting them is your first priority.

Develop a Marketing and Promotion Plan

To promote your brand, you need to conduct a solid promotional campaign on different social media platforms.

• Share the advertisement on all social media platforms.
• Draw the attention of the public by offering enticing activities like gaming, reward winnings, discounts on brands, entertainment activities, etc.

Set Up Technology and AV Requirements

• The speakers and presenters can convey their words only when tools like mouthpieces or microphones, screens, projectors, etc., work just fine. Make sure all the technical tools are functional before the event starts.
• Make sure that none of the tools are out of order. Don’t ignore even minor glitches to avoid awkward situations.

Collect Feedback

• Ask the attendees about how the event was and what aspects you need to improve. You can also check the audience's response by making them fill out Perfomas, where they can put their ideas about the event.
• If most of the crowd gives positive feedback, congratulations, you nailed it!
• Moreover, focus on the suggestions and customers' interest to revamp your business game.

TIP: Use eventify corporate event app to streamline your events!

Arrangements of Invitations and Entertainment for Corporate Guests

Once you have determined who and how many people are necessary for the function, the next step is inviting them. Your responsibility doesn't end here but actually starts from this point on. You have to entertain your invited guests in a lively way. Arrange everything in such a manner the essence of it remains fresh in their minds for a long:

Invitations

While inviting guests can seem like a pretty easy job, it can turn out to be a very hectic one. Inviting the guests, following the formalities, and aligning with their complicated schedules can really be a mind-boggling job to do. Here is a breakdown of the invitation process you must follow:

Narrow Down Your Guest List

• Your guest list must consist of investors, clients, business partners, and speakers.
• Design a guest list that is relevant to your program.

Formal Invitations

• Create professional invites and designs that are the anecdote of the theme and aura of your event and are reflected in the invitation cards.
• You must mention the venue with the address, date, and time.

Use Multiple Communication Channels

• After formally inviting the VIP guests, keep sending them reminder memos via text messages, WhatsApp messages, phone calls, and emails.

VIP Treatment

• Be formally available for the guests and give them special treatment. Offer full protocol to the chief guests of your event. Provide exclusive access, personal transportation, or specialized concierge services.

Entertainment In Corporate Event Management

Understand Your Audience‍

• You can entertain your guests aptly only when you target their interests. Make sure that the entertainment activities resonate with their interest and are relatable.
• Pitch your product to the audiences in a subtle way, keeping in mind their interests.‍

Interactive Entertainment‍

• Since you are investing in entertainment, it is better to invest in interactive recreational activities. For example, you can arrange fun activities like games, engaging displays, and selfie studios.‍

Timing and Flow‍

• Schedule the entertainment session either at the start or end of the event. That way, you will be able to avoid any distractions and keep your attendees focused on the corporate event.
• Don't mix entertainment activities with business discussions. You should keep them scheduled at separate times, as doing otherwise might affect the objective and goals of your event.‍

Cultural Sensitivity‍

• Your entertainment activities should not be insensitive to different cultures. Hence, take cultural variations into consideration; otherwise, you may hurt the feelings of guests there.
• Ensure that the entertainment is inclusive and considerate to people from every culture.‍

Post-Event Follow-Up‍

• Ask for the guests' comments to find out if the event was successful or not.  
• These comments will help you revamp your event next time.

Your business visitors can have an unforgettable experience if you plan their entertainment and invites wisely, which will reflect well on your company.

How to Effectively Use Concierge Service for Investor Meetings

Good hospitality always wins the hearts of guests. When you are hosting investors, use the event concierge services efficiently. This may alleviate your brand image and impress your investors. Here are some tips for using concierge services during investor meetings in an efficient manner:

Pre-Meeting Planning

Understand Investor Preferences:

• Do proper research about your investors and understand the likes and dislikes of investors. So that you can target their business priorities while presenting your idea or a product.
• Look into their goals and objectives and find a way to co-relate your idea with their business ideology. Prepare a speech that would hit the investors and help them understand how your idea can be fruitful for them.

Coordinate Logistics:

• Since you know investors' choices, you can guide the concierge to arrange a stay, travel, and other needs according to your investor's preferences.

Provide Detailed Itinerary:

• Inform your concierge about the outline of the program, like where the meetings will be held, the agenda, the timetable, and the relevant details.
• As a result, you can avoid any confusion and mismanagement and not waste the investors' time.

Transportation Services In Corporate Meeting Planning

• Airport Transfers: Make sure you arrange for a professional chauffeur to receive the investors at the airport.
• Private Car Services: A luxurious car waiting for the investors to pick up and drop them off for the meetings will make them feel valued and honored.
• Local Transportation Information: Your concierge should be well aware of local transport as well in case of any emergency.

Accommodations

• Select Premium Accommodations: Research what type of accommodation your investors prefer and share this info (like the preferred room style, preferred floor, hotel stay timings, etc.) with your concierge. Details like these are essential to impress investors.
• Special Requests: Think about the amenities that the investors would like. It may be a personalized note, a gift, or a bouquet. Communicate these special requests to the concierge on time.

Dining and Entertainment

• Reservation Assistance: Have your concierge make reservations at a fancy bar or restaurant to hold the dinners and business meetings. You must be mindful of any food allergies or diet restrictions that the guest may have.
• Local Recommendations: List all the entertaining sites and locations, local and musical events, and recommend them to the investors.
• Private Events: You can also arrange your own private events to get close to the investors and have a more personalized and exclusive experience. It can also help in building relationships and allow you to have a more focused dialogue. Arrange private events or dinners for a more personalized and intimate setting. This allows for focused discussions and relationship-building.

On-Site Support

• Meeting Room Logistics: The meeting room must be prepared a day before the meeting. Inform the concierge in advance about the place where the meeting is going to be held. You should double-check all the technical details like screens, projects, speakers, and microphones in their places.
• Immediate Assistance: During the meeting, the concierge must be present. It is necessary to cope with any unexpected situation or a sudden requirement.

Follow-Up Services

• Post-Meeting Services: After the investor meeting ends, arrange for follow-up services such as transportation back to the airport or any additional assistance they might need.
• Feedback Collection: Get a feedback note from investors about their experience with the concierge service. Use this information to improve and tailor services for future meetings.

By integrating concierge services effectively into the planning and execution of investor meetings, you can create a seamless and positive experience, demonstrating your commitment to professionalism and attention to detail.

Post-Event Marketing

• Follow-Up Campaigns: After the event, companies can leverage the gathered leads for targeted marketing campaigns. Follow-up emails, newsletters, and personalized communication can generate leads and move them through the marketing process.
• Content Creation: Content generated during events, such as presentations, interviews, or panel discussions, can be repurposed for advertising to extend reach beyond the event itself.

In short, corporate events are a powerful tool for revenue and lead generation as they foster relationships, showcase products/services, build brand recognition, and provide valuable networking opportunities. Strategic planning and effective follow-up are essential to maximizing the impact of these events on business growth.

Do’s and Don’ts

While arranging or planning a corporate event, there are some Do’s and Don’ts that you must always consider to conduct a successful corporate event. Here, I have listed down a few Do’s and Don’ts that will help you achieve your goal without a glitch.

Do’s

Clear Objectives: Starting off, you should set some goals and objectives for your event. These goals will help you to plan and execute certain things that will turn your corporate event into a success.

Plan Your Budget: You should allocate enough chunks of your funds for different expenses of the event and plan the expenditure wisely. Your budget plan should cover the nitty-gritty of the company event planning. Trust me on this!

Book Your Venue Early: To book the desired spot for your event, you must book the venue ahead of time. Booking the venue early will help you get the location that suits your event and is available on your desired dates.

Assemble Your Team: Inform your team members about the intricate details of your event plan and explain everything to avoid any unsolicited incidents.

Select Vendors Carefully: You should be picky about the vendors and should consider their reliability, reputation, and ability to meet your event’s requirements. You can also consult your corporate client for suggestions and add vendors related to their business.

Use Technology Wisely: For a better event experience, you can use technology where needed. For instance, you can use an online software for the event management and planning process to avoid any inconvenience.

Set Deadlines: You must have a timeline that sorts different activities in pre-event, on-site, and post-event categories. I recommend assigning a deadline to each task and strictly following your timeline.

Marketing And Advertising: To market your product, you need to draw as many attendees as possible. To attract more attendees, you must spread the word about the event on social media platforms.

Proper Communication: You must put out important event details and updates to the people in a way that is vivid and easy to understand.

Attendee Engagement: For the on-site task list, you should put all your events to keep the attendees' attention on the event. You can do so by planning engaging and interesting activities and sessions.

"Make people feel important, appreciated, and connected. That's the key to an engaging event." - Michael Hyatt, author and motivational speaker

Post-Event Evaluation: Feedback plays a crucial role in your redemption and growth. Hence, conduct a post-event evaluation survey regarding the highlights and shortcomings of the event.

Things to Avoid (Don’ts)

Compromising Comfort: You must be very precise and vigilant to ensure attendees’ comfort, from seating arrangements to accessible facilities and climate control, never compromising on comfort.

Eleventh-Hour Planning: You should plan the event beforehand. That way, you will be able to cover the loopholes and look for replacements in case of emergencies. For instance, if your chief guest is busy on particular dates, you can either change the date of your event or look up another guest.

Unprepared for Contingency: You should never neglect the potential risks and should prepare a plan B for any foreseen risk.

Ignoring Legalities: You must never ignore the documentation and necessary permits that comply with local and state laws. While managing an event, you must never surpass a law; it can cause you significant damage.

Unprofessional Staffing: Corporate event management is teamwork, and it won’t work if your team isn’t efficient enough. Thus, avoid staffing unprofessional people.

Technological Glitches: You must test all your audio and visual equipment while booking for the setup and before the event starts. Take it from me; you really don’t want your speakers or mic failing you when your guest speakers are on stage.

Overlooking Crowd Management: You should be prepared for orderly registration and disciplined seating arrangements for the attendees. For instance, you would never want to keep your guests waiting in the registration line and for your ease you can use event registration system.

Corporate Event Planning Checklist

Conclusion

Corporate events play an essential role in building a firm's image and help businesses grow by connecting with clients and motivating employees. Furthermore, through corporate events, you can create your corporate identity and leave a lasting impact on your potential clients. You can get from corporate events only when you have meticulously prepared for the event, communicated with the clients, and given a lasting experience.

After going through all my carefully curated tips and tricks for planning a corporate event, do you feel ready to make your event a success? Let me know your thoughts or any questions in the comments.