Sheri gill
Your business is in a pickle. You’re a few hundred dollars short of meeting your production goals. If you want to continue keeping your doors open, you’re going to have to step things up.
One of the best ways to get your product’s name out there and run a fundraiser at the same time is to set up a huge event.
Planning a corporate event such as this isn’t as easy as it seems. There’s a lot that you have to keep in mind before the big day.
We can help you get everything together on time. Keep reading to learn how to plan a corporate event that will leave a lasting impression in the minds of your guests.
- Understand the Reasoning for the Event
The first rule of corporate event planning is figuring out why you want to have one in the first place. Would you like to show off a new product? Do you need to run a fundraiser to raise money?
Once you have your reasoning down, you can start coming up with a list of objectives and goals for the event. How much money would you like to raise? How many people do you want to get to preorder your product?
It doesn’t sound like much, but knowing this bit of information will set you up for event success.
- Research Your Target Audience
Now that you know why you’re throwing the event, it’s time to figure out who you’re having it for. Your target audience, if you will. Determine who your demographic is.
Figure out what their interests are, where they work, and how old they are. This will help you cater to their needs during the event and put you in their favor.
We will say that knowing your target audience is the easy part. Reaching out to them to tell them about the event is the hard part. Social media and email marketing are two of the best ways to go about it.
- Choose the Best Venue
The next step is choosing your venue. The first thing you need to think about is the size. If the venue is too small, it won’t be able to hold all your guests.
Having a venue that’s too big, is also an issue. It’s hard to drum up hype and interest in a place that’s only half full. It will drag down the energy.
You don’t want to alienate a single member of your target audience. To this end, make sure that it’s handicap accessible. The message of your event will be lost on the crowd if nobody can hear you.
Test the acoustics of a venue before you commit to booking it. Some venues don’t allow for outside food or drink. The problem with that is many people attend an event for the message and stay for the snacks.
A venue that doesn’t allow for said snacks is a no-go. You should also think about how everyone is going to get to your event. Consider the benefits of hiring a chartered bus.
- Set Your Budget
As you can imagine, putting together a huge party like this is expensive. The more corporate event ideas you come up with, the more the price is going to shoot up.
Put a budget in place before you start brainstorming. Keep track of the food, venue, any goodies that you plan to send home with guests, and entertainment. This way, you don’t accidentally bite off more of your finances than you can chew.
- Decide on a Food Menu
Again, people stay at events for the food. If your shindig takes place during the usual breakfast, lunch, or dinner hours, your guests are going to expect there to be a meal prepared.
If your budget is a little on the smaller side, choose a different time of the day. You’ll still have to provide food, but snacks are a lot cheaper than a full meal.
Prepare to accommodate a wide range of dietary needs. Provide vegan and vegetarian options. If you plan to serve alcohol, you might need to get some type of license ahead of time.
- Hire a Guest Speaker or Two
Corporate event entertainment is optional but helpful if you want to bring in a crowd. Once you’ve determined who your key speakers are, stay in contact with them.
This is to make sure that all their needs are being met. You don’t want to hype up your guests only to have your main entertainment back out at the last minute because they didn’t have a way to the venue, for example.
- Get Your Staff on Board
It doesn’t matter how small or large an event is, you need staff members to walk around and tend to your guests. When you get enough people on board, create a document that highlights all their responsibilities. This will give them something to go by at the event.
Once everything is over, show your appreciation with a thank you. If you’re pulling from your own staff rather than volunteers, consider giving them a gift card or a small pay raise a compensation.
Keep Things in Mind Before Planning a Corporate Event
No matter if you need to raise some extra money or sell one of your products, planning a corporate event is a perfect way to go about it. That is if you do it the right way.
Make a plan well in advance that you can go by. Set a strict budget so you don’t spend more than you can handle. Don’t forget about food and entertainment.
Do this, and we promise that your event will go smoothly.
Throwing an event isn’t the only way to make people interested in your business. Check out our blog daily for more tips that will help you keep your doors open.
