Planning a Corporate Event

If you cannot afford to hire an event planner for your corporate event, do not despair. With a calendar and good organizational skills, you can successfully plan and execute your own corporate event.

If you have attended a conference, trade show or corporate event in the past, think about the fundamental issues and the little touches you found impressive or the things you did not like. Make note of those and be sure to consider them when planning your own event. 

If the event is already scheduled and you know how much time you have to fill, you can start by laying out the days and nights, if you plan to hold evening events or dinners. Consider the blocks of time available and the speakers you will need to cover the topics. If you are not sure what topics you want to cover to appeal to the audience and you have enough time in advance of the conference, you can afford to open an online survey or send a hard copy survey to your target audience. Ask them what they want to see and hear. If you are offering a conference for certification or education, you will already know what you need to cover.  

Look for speakers who have a reputation and whose skill and knowledge you can promote in the marketing and registration brochures for your corporate or company event.

Schedule in plenty of breaks so that the participants do not lose interest or get tired. Allow several networking and interactive activities during your corporate events. These kinds of activities are often the most important for those attending the event. Attendees will register for the chance to strengthen their personal and professional network. 

If you plan evening activities, dinners or parties, ask the catering hall, restaurant or event location to plan the details of that event, tailored to your requirements. These kinds of facilities always have planners and their assistance will be welcome when you have so many other details to consider.  

If you are the event planner, meet with the business services staff at the location where your company event will take place. They will walk you through the questions about supplies, chairs, conference rooms and other facility issues and help you make appropriate decisions.  

Finally, you should give your corporate event participants an evaluation form and ask them to complete the form before they leave the event. In this way, you can improve your event management skills and be more successful in planning your next corporate event.