5 Tips for Planning a Successful Corporate Event

If you plan corporate events, you know how important it is to make your gatherings shine. A well-executed corporate event can foster teamwork and create an inviting company culture. A lackluster event, on the other hand, can leave your employees feeling disconnected or even disillusioned with the company.

Here are five simple tips to help you keep your corporate events fresh and engaging.

1. Set clear goals and objectives.

Before you get too deep into planning your event, it’s important to set clearly defined goals and objectives.

First, identify your target audience. Are you bringing together one team or the entire company? Will you be speaking to a group of new hires or to employees nearing retirement? Understanding your audience will help you identify the desired outcomes for your event.

As you start thinking of goals and objectives, remember that objectives are the steps that help you achieve goals. For example, your goal might be to acclimate new hires to the company and generate positive feelings about the business. In that case, your objective might be to receive at least 70% positive feedback on an exit survey after your event. Be specific but realistic in your expectations.

2. Choose the right venue.

With your target audience and goals in mind, it’s time to get down to details and choose a venue.

Here are a few considerations for choosing the right event space.

• Location. Hosting your event on-site can be convenient for employees and help keep costs down. Other times, an off-site venue can help make an event feel special (think holiday parties and special team recognitions). In other cases, a virtual event lets you reach the widest audience most effectively.
• Size. Can the space comfortably contain your group? Consider whether you need tables where attendees can sit to eat or work together, or if a standing-room-only setup would work for your event.
• Amenities. You might think of extra bells and whistles when you hear the word “amenities,” but we’re not just talking about an on-site spa. Remember to plan for your attendees’ accessibility needs, which can include everything from wheelchair access to gender-neutral bathrooms.
• Virtual components. If you’re hosting a virtual event, you need to cover all the bases, from easy registration and event access to interactive elements to keep attendees engaged through the screen. If you’re hosting an in-person event, incorporating a hybrid virtual component can help you involve people from across the company, regardless of location. (Shameless plug: Our Virtual Events plugin can help you coordinate a seamless, professional virtual or hybrid event.)

3. Plan the program and schedule.

Now for the meat and potatoes of your event. Your programming should be relevant to your target audience and help you meet your event goals and objectives.

At a minimum, you’ll want to think about:

• Event length and format. A two-day retreat will have a very different agenda than a one-hour lunch-and-learn session. Think carefully about the format for your event. Panel discussions, Q&As, small group break-out sessions, and keynote speakers are just a few possibilities.
• Identify speakers and entertainment. This will vary depending on the nature of your event. Maybe you want to hire a local comedian for a holiday party, or you need to determine who should emcee a Q&A with the CEO at the next company-wide meeting. Plan ahead to identify any speakers, presenters, or entertainers and confirm their availability.
• Share your event details with attendees. Update your corporate event calendar and event invitations so attendees will know what to expect. Don’t forget to include organizers’ information so attendees can reach out with questions.

4. Start marketing and promotion.

It’s time to spread the word and generate excitement before your event!

Even if you’re hosting a small event for internal employees, it’s important to think about marketing your event. You want employees to feel energized and excited—not obliged and annoyed—even if you’re putting together a mandatory meeting.

Start by identifying your marketing channels. Email and calendar invitations are a good start. From there, consider the other channels you have for reaching employees: Post about your event on the company intranet or internal website. Make announcements and reminders in newsletters. Add event promos to the agendas on recurring meetings and calls.

You can even promote your event on social media, whether you’re posting on internal networks like Slack or external channels like LinkedIn, where employees often engage with employers.

5. Evaluate your event and follow up with attendees.

You hosted a great event, but your work isn’t quite done. Remember to follow up with attendees and collect their feedback. Ask what they loved and what they thought could have been better. Use feedback to make tweaks and improvements to your next event.

Corporate events can be just as engaging as any other event—all it requires is some thoughtful preparation and planning.

Looking for more inspiration as you go forth and plan your next corporate event? Check out our tutorial on setting up a conference website on WordPress.