Corporate events are special occasions that can foster an environment of collaboration, inspiration and positive culture shifts within any organization. With the correct set-up and thoughtful planning, a corporate event can truly inspire any audience to take a desired action. Whether you are an experienced meeting planner or you are just getting started in your meeting planning career, you will find some valuable tips in this brief guide.
Delivering a successful event can frequently be a daunting task. As a meeting planner, you are commissioned to convey the vision of your entire organization. And while every meeting and live event is unique, there are certain elements that will always need your careful consideration.
If you are an event or meeting planner, here is what you need to know to plan an effective event that is guaranteed to captivate your audience.
Venue:
The location of your event is the first thing that must be tackled and is extremely important to ensure the success of an event. Will the venue accommodate the size of the event? Will the ballroom accommodate your audience as well as stage design and AV footprint? (please consult your AV partner before signing agreements with venue!) What does the load-in path look like and do they have the power you need? Is this a prime location for those who may be out of town attending your event? Are you able to set the ambiance and tone that you want your event to achieve? If there will be food provided, does this venue accommodate caterers, and is there ample space to enjoy a meal? As a meeting professional, it is your responsibility to ensure the venue is perfect and secured far in advance to allow for the proper planning.
Audiovisual System:
After securing the venue for your event, as an event planner the next step is to equip. Interestingly, everything might be right, but the absence of one of the most important features could soil even the best-made plans. Small-sized social gatherings can survive without AV production but not live corporate events. Getting a professional AV production company is the job of the meeting and event planner, and the quality of the production matters to make a lasting impact. Even though the venue will likely offer in-house AV you should consider an outside vendor for a better return on quality and apples to apples cost. To learn more about world-class AV production, visit us here.
Names and Other Information of Speakers:
Have you been to a poorly organized event before? If you have, you will know that no matter how brilliant the theme of the event is, it can be disastrous if details as little as getting the names and information of speakers are missed. It will almost be impossible to welcome a speaker whose name isn’t known, and there can be clashes about who to invite at what time. It might not be your role to pick a speaker yourself, but it’s your role to make the event as seamless as possible. It is important to gather information for speakers if you do not have them already.
Good Lighting and Video:
You may have located a perfect hall for the perfect occasion, but ambient lighting, both onstage and offstage, is important to set the tone of the event. IHN Production specializes in all things event production. From AV and lighting to promotional and recap videos. Since 1992, IHN has been the one stop shop for all your event production needs and you can rely on IHN for our single source reliability. Learn more about how IHN is the perfect production company for any and all your event production needs.
Vendors, Sponsors, Volunteers:
Getting vendors, sponsors, and volunteers is an integral part of planning events as a corporate meeting and event planner. Vendors are needed to display their products (provided the organizers approve) if they corelate positively to the event. Volunteers are required, in some cases, to attend to different roles from ushering to playing other ancillary roles behind the scene. Lastly, Sponsors are always needed before the event as their contributions, in cash, kind or services, always go a long way. Whatever the case, as a corporate event and meeting planner, you must work with all or a few of this trio to ensure they know the role prior to the start of the event.
Branding Plan:
As a corporate event and meeting planner, being a stickler for details will set you apart from the crowd. Most corporate events have venues branded with the company’s logo. It is your responsibility to acquire a branding plan or to draft one yourself. When a venue is well branded, it provides optimal visibility for the organization (your client). Preparing ahead of time will lead to perfect execution.
Planning a corporate event is hard work and falls within the role of a corporate meeting and event planner, but what separates the best from the rest is having a “power” guide like this one above and sticking to it.
To learn more on how to plan an impactful event, visit IHN Productions at IHNPro.com and schedule a free consultation to talk about what you need to plan a successful event.