Corporate events can be complex to execute. Schedules, speakers, room and board, meal planning, the list goes on and on. Sometimes these events can be fun, especially if your company is celebrating a successful fiscal year. They can also be quite tedious, with the monotonous conversation, and stuffy conference rooms. Event planners are often hired to help with this process, but even a ”successful” event may become a forgettable experience. In Texas, everything is bigger, and that’s also true for our events. If you’re ready to begin your corporate event planning in Dallas/Fort Worth, we have a formula for making it safe, successful, and more fun for every attendee.
Should I Hire a Corporate Event Planner?
Event planning professionals are often able to think a little more outside of the box. If you can get a team of your most organized personnel together, they can whip up any type of corporate event whether it be a re-training conference, a networking event, or a sales seminar. One thing that event planners do remember, that most corporations forget, is how to have a good time. Keep comfort, convenience, and creativity in mind when planning so your event is informative, streamlined, and, most of all, exciting! Follow these corporate event planning steps and people will still be buzzing about how fantastic it was, and leave them excited for the next one.
Corporate Event Planning Tip #1:Focus On The Purpose Of Your Event
Most corporate events are informational or educational, relating to training, new systems and processes, and maybe even to rebrand. Other events can be entertaining, showing recognition to high performing teams, celebrating the company’s anniversary or new mergers. Some can also be related to fundraising for a charity or a member of the company. Identifying the purpose of your event can help you identify the overall tone of the event, whether it’s one night or a long weekend. The purpose of the event should be condensed into a 30-second elevator pitch. Then, brainstorm the conferences, meet-and-greets, luncheons, etc. around this goal. When you’ve solidified your “Why”, it will be that much easier to figure out your “How.”
Corporate Event Planning Tip #2: Identify Your Attendees
Once you’ve identified the purpose of your event, you should then identify your audience. Who will be invited to this event ( In person and virtually)? A corporate event takes a little bit of savvy to prepare, but when it’s all said and done it’s a convenient way to get a large group of like-minded people in one room or virtually. Because you’ve already made the goal of your event clear, you know who needs to be in attendance. Will your guest list be comprised of the upper management only? Or will you be inviting whole branches to the show? Remember that the more guests you have, the most costly it will be for venues, catering, and room & board. When making your guest list include the “must-haves” first, then work your way out from there.
For example: If your company is planning an exhibit for new training, do you need to invite every single employee? It might be just as effective to invite supervisors and managers only and have them return to work with all of this new information to share with their branch. If you have the funds and space to invite a few other choice employees, this can boost the overall effect of your event when it’s shared and talked about back at home-base.
Corporate Event Planning Tip #3: Create (and Stick to) Your Budget
Before settling on a venue, lodging, catering, etc. you need to have a solid budget on what the company can spend in total. Advanced budget planning will help you to stay in line, and help you to avoid tough cuts at the last minute. Be sure to include some of the often forgotten items such as staffing, speakers, marketing/signage, entertainment, audio/visual, decor, and transportation. You may not need all of this for your corporate event, but it’s better to get a comprehensive list and omit what you don't need versus realizing last minute that your guests need transportation to the venue.
When considering your budget, think about the components that are crucial for the purpose and can be measured. How many people? How big of a space do you need? How long will you need to reserve the space for? The venue and transportation often require the largest portions of the budget. Once the major necessities are taken care of, you can allocate the rest of your budget to the smaller ticket items. By doing this, you can ensure the best outcome for your corporate event, and stay within budget, which your company will appreciate.
Corporate Event Planning Tip #4: Choose Your Venue According to Your Needs
This is why Tip #1 and #2 are at the top of the list. Without those first two pieces of information, it’s highly difficult to move onto other parts of your planning process. If your corporate event is only for one night, then maybe you can afford a larger venue with a nicer backdrop. If your corporate event will be more than one night, you might consider booking with a hotel so your guests can lodge within the same grounds as where the events will take place. Hotel conference rooms are great for corporate training, but your guests shouldn’t feel like they’re stuck on a college campus. Find a space that will provide a practical use for your event, as well as entertainment. Depending on your purpose, you can find a creative venue to set an exciting mood for attendees.
Corporate Event Planning Tip #5: Every Exciting Corporate Event Needs a Theme
Get your coworkers out of their cubicles and offices for a good time! Even though it’s a corporate event, you can still make it feel like a party or getaway. This is what makes an event memorable and gets your team excited for the next one. An event theme can be as abstract or solid as you want it to be. For example, if you’re celebrating your company’s 50th anniversary, you can have staff and organizers dress in vintage clothing, have decor and opening music related to the time of the company’s first opening. Use this opportunity to make an impression and make your guests feel excited to be a part of the festivities. Use your theme throughout the planning process, including decisions for invitations, speaker topics, the menu and post-event happy hours.
Corporate Event Planning Tip #6: Build a Masterful Team and a Timeline
There are so many moving parts to corporate event planning. You’ll need help with setting up and following schedules. Event setup, audio/visual, concierge, registration and support can get very hectic on the days leading up to, and the day of the event. You need a strong team to help execute it professionally. You’ll want this team to also remain in contact with each other throughout the event, all the way through to the break down of your decor. So make sure everyone on your team is on the same page, has their roles, and knows the timeline.
Whether you’re planning a social networking event, or you have back to back conferences scheduled for the weekend, make sure your final event timeline and logistics are documented clearly for you and your guests to understand. Your master timeline should include meals, breaks, and locations for everything. This is also very helpful for your vendors to know, so they can be prepared for the breaks and meals you have planned.
Corporate Event Planning Tip #7: Make Your Contingency Plans
In a perfect world, everything would go according to how you planned it on paper. However, we live in a world of human error - miscalculations, running late, technical difficulties, and much more can cause rifts in your timelines. Don’t panic when this happens. If you want to follow the rules of the professionals, allot at least 10 - 15 extra minutes to the main parts of your event to allow for these occurrences to happen. You also want to make sure that you have a professional Audio Visual company for production. If your renting equipment, be sure to account for backup speakers, microphones, monitors, additional equipment, and extra lodging just in case you need them. Event attendees and keynote speakers can often be stuck in traffic, and experience delayed or missed flights. Make sure you account for these possibilities as well and have a backup plan in place. You might not have every possible scenario figured out, but you can save time and face with a little extra preparation.
Corporate Event Planning Tip #8: Music Makes Strong Memories
Just like how a certain song can take you back decades, or dancing can get you out of your mind and into your body, having musical entertainment at your event can turn a dull, dreary affair into a joyful, exciting experience. Musical entertainment can fit any corporate event style, whether it’s a fundraiser or a series of mini-conferences. Remember: keeping your guests entertained and comfortable ensures that your event is enjoyable for everyone. Guests will be laughing and sharing stories long after they’ve returned home, and you’ll be commemorated for your successful event planning.
When hiring musical entertainment, make sure you ask about their experience with corporate events, if they require a deposit, and about other services they can offer. The more experienced and well-rounded your DJ and MC is, the more fun you can provide your guests and colleagues.
Hire Be Entertained DJs For Your Next Corporate Event
While your event guests must leave with knowledge and inspiration, it’s also crucial to ensure they have a good time. One of the most commonly overlooked aspects of corporate event planning is creativity and ingenuity. If you’ve been placed in charge of your corporate event planning in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, you can get all your creative entertainment needs in one place.
Be Entertained Events is a team of female music DJs that also provide audio/visual, lighting, photo booth, live stream broadcast and high energy entertainment for any occasion or event. Our DJs have decades of experience with various styles of parties, corporate events, and more. Be Entertained can supply all of your musical and entertainment needs. Learn more about booking with Be Entertained, our entertainment services, and how we can boost the positive vibes of your corporate event by visiting our website. We look forward to entertaining you!
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