The Do’s and Don’ts of Planning an Event for Businesses and Corporate Events
There are more than 70,000 people in the United States that are meeting or convention planners.
With the many details to take care of for venues, hotels, and dining out, a professional planner could come in handy. Unfortunately, this is not always possible and you must plan an event for work independently.
Continue reading to discover what to do when planning an event for a business, along with a couple of tips on what not to do!
1. Write a List
The first step you must do when planning a business event is to write down a list of the required components of the trip.
Most business events will require you to have many rooms blocked off to the team and conference rooms. You can check with hotels for this availability. The next couple of things that must be taken care of are transportation, dining out, and leisure activities.
Writing a list should be general at first, and then you should go into specific details for each item. Don’t underestimate the time that you need for planning. You can easily fall behind without a list to keep you on task.
2. Get Help
Delegating tasks is crucial if you are planning a larger business or corporate event.
Don’t be afraid to get help from other teammates when preparing for a trip. There are too many aspects of planning a trip to do it all yourself, even if you are efficient.
If possible, you can have an accounting team to help you with event pricing and setting a budget. This will help make the rest of the planning easier. Other ways of getting help can be by contacting trip advisors and online event planners or collaborate with event planning Toronto specialist to ensure the unique requirements of every corporate event is executed with care and attention..
3. Communicate With Attendees
After the major details of the events are made, such as the day, time, and location, you must share it with those attending.
One of the most popular ways of communicating with attendees is by sending them a calendar invite online. In this invite, you can include all of the details, along with RSVP information.
Give plenty of time for attendees to respond. They may have to make special accommodations for kids and previous events. If anything about the trip is changed, you should be keeping everyone up to date.
As you come closer to the trip, you may want to send out more details about the trip, including how everyone can get to their destinations. If you want to stand out, you can find resources for everyone.
4. Stick to a Budget
If you are planning a trip and don’t have a set budget, you should stop planning until you do.
A budget is crucial for event planning, otherwise, you can easily overspend by thousands of dollars. Working with your accounting team can help you budget for the entire event and you can get help with breaking that into all of the details.
You will have to budget for more than dining, hotels, and transportation. Consider your entertainment and venue fees, along with the money that will be spent on leisure activities.
5. Create an Agenda
There is a big difference between your to-do list and a business event agenda.
If you are planning a company event, you should build an agenda with all of the important details. Your agenda should include information about when vendors will be showing up. Also, when food must be prepared by and any other time specifications.
You will want to put details about entertainment and lining up events with a smooth flow. Be sure to plan extra timing between certain events, people may need time to travel or get ready.
The agenda will be your guide for the entire trip and tell you what is going on each day. Without an agenda, people easily forget where they are supposed to be.
What Not to Do When Planning an Event
Planning for a business or corporate event can be stressful with all of the details you must take care of.
There are many things that you must not forget to do, but there are some things you should avoid at all costs if possible.
When planning a business event, one of the most important things that you shouldn’t do is skip the tour of the place. Even if you are planning a trip out-of-state, you can typically do virtual walkthroughs. Seeing before visiting can help you ensure that it is the best place for your needs.
Another don’t when planning an event for work is overlooking other trip details. It is easy to get wrapped up in the small details of where you will be staying and what you will be doing. Don’t forget to consider transportation needs and local restaurant information for eating out.
Pack More Than Your Bags
When you are planning an event for a corporate trip, you will realize that you must pack more than just your bags.
There is a lot of research that you must do to create a successful trip that will put you one step closer to that promotion. You should be sure to visit the event location or do a virtual walkthrough to avoid any unwanted surprises.
Don’t forget to consider small details for all of the trip’s events. Writing a list can help keep the details organized and delegating can help ensure that everything gets done.
Be sure to check out the rest of our blog for more articles about running your small business more effectively to make a greater profit!
