Important moments in the corporate event management
When you need to plan a major corporate event, you can quickly feel a bit overwhelmed by the task itself. That’s why we will offer you a checklist that is designed specifically for professionals in the corporate event management so they can plan their event with confidence, whether the event be a party for a client gathering, a major annual trade shows, or a single seminar.
This checklist is not intended to be exhaustive, but it should still help you determine if you are well prepared, and even offer you some helpful suggestions.
1. Set your goals and arrange them in order of priority so that you have a clear idea where you want to go. Do you want to launch a new product or strengthen relationship with clients? Or maybe your event will be training/education oriented? Do you need to recruit business partners or is it done just for publicity? Seek out these answer will help you identify all aspects of corporate event planning. More on Event Management Training.
2. Identify your target audience by industry/sector, company size, role, job title and language.
3. Set your budget and review it regularly. Figure out what you can obtain from sponsorship, along with other registration fee and what will be the fees for a speaker, promotion of the event, audio visual equipment, printed material etc.
4. Create a timeline. Determine what would be the ideal date of the event, taking into account: the preferences of your target audience, events that could overshadow yours, the season, holidays, parties.
5. Choose one or more speakers, considering their knowledge and expertise, their ability to attract crowds and their reputation.
6. Book your room in time taking into account the access to public transport and parking, the accommodation options, especially for events going on for several days. Choose a master of the ceremonies.
7. Work on the text of the invitation – brief agenda, details as date, time, location, and costs if any, enrollment options, sponsors and partners. Choose the format – electronic or printed.
8. Define your promotional distributors – direct mail, web, email, calls, fax, print advertising, online advertising, and social networks, this is very crucial when it comes to building the right image in your corporate event marketing effort.
9. Prepare the event – the final stage of the corporate event management. Check the entries, prepare badges, confirm the speakers and prepare the materials for the presentations. Arrange the decoration of the room and place orders with the caterer. Visit the room personally.
10. And finally, end the corporate event management with preparing the printed material – publications, brochures, videos etc. Work on the evaluation form prospects and choose their format – electronic or printed. Decide on the data you want and on the ranking system. Assign responsibility for monitoring the whole process and regulate the performances. Be prepared with cancellation policies and fees.
Having been in the corporate event management business for a little more than a decade, I hope this checklist will help you plan your next event. And if you still feel overwhelmed, you can always enlist help from event management companies.