13 Corporate Event Planning Mistakes That Will Cost You Money

Managing one corporate event can be demanding enough, so when it comes to managing multiple events, the time, resources, and details involved can make it a challenging endeavour.

Errors can lead to wasted money, time, and resources. Luckily, having a great event management tool on hand along with understanding the potential pitfalls can help you avoid these 13 costly mistakes.

1. Poor budget accountability

There can be a temptation to go over budget without accountability. Ensure every member of your event planning team negotiates with vendors and makes an effort to get better pricing. Everyone should be aware of the budget and be accountable for the costs they incur.

2. Too many decision-making layers

Too many decision-making layers can compromise the quality of your events. Having small details to go through multiple tiers of decision-makers can be an inefficient way to organize multiple events. Choose one or two leaders who have the final say and remove unnecessary decision-making layers.

3. No defined event goal

All your events should have defined goals, so start every new event planning process by setting out the goals and objectives. Goals guide your corporate event planning team and allow them to stay focussed on what’s to be achieved. The goals can then be translated into measurable objectives like number of registrations or attendees for events.

4. Lack of coherent communication strategy

Plan your overall communication strategy so it’s consistent for all your events. The most successful corporate events – whether they’re internal or external – communicate a consistent value, personality, or message from start to finish. They also address practical needs, like letting attendees know all the essential details (like venue and time) before the event.

5. Underwhelming event agenda

Don’t assume your event agendas will always appeal to attendees. Plan all your event agendas with your attendees’ perspectives in mind. Look for ways to keep attendees engaged and interested with fresh, relevant content and speakers, presenters, professionals or trainers.

6. Poor on-site experience

Pay attention to the on-site experience attendees have for each event. Things like long queues, limited food and beverage options, understaffing, and poor accessibility can make your events frustrating experiences. Plan the on-site experience to optimise attendees’ experience.

7. Using outdated technology

Review your technology tools to see if you could benefit from updating them. For example, if your team is struggling with tasks for multiple events on an outdated event planning platform, you might be wasting a lot of time by not upgrading. Switching to a corporate event planning platform could reduce manual and repetitive tasks, streamline your processes, and save you and your team a lot of time (and money!).

8. Too little set-up time

If you plan and execute multiple events, you’re likely always racing against the clock. However, allowing your team, the speakers, the exhibitors, and the caterers plenty of time to set up can make the difference between failure and success. It could also help you avoid unnecessary delays like presentation or conference equipment not working when the event starts.

9. Not confirming with vendors

You might be working with a range of different vendors – from caterers to training associations – when you’re managing multiple events. Always get verbal or email confirmation from each vendor a day or two before set-up time. By confirming, you’ll make sure they turn up at the right place and right time.

10. Not using a packing list

If some of your events are off-site, you should create and use packing lists to ensure the required supplies are available on the day. These lists are great for sharing with your corporate event planning team so everyone can check each event is adequately stocked.

11. No contingency planning

Contingency plans help you and your team recover quickly when something unexpected happens. Bad weather, emergency closure of venues, or presenters calling in sick can affect your events. Whether it’s a way to contact attendees quickly to let them know not to attend or having a back-up venue, make sure you set out a contingency plan for all your events.

12. Overlooking competing events

Noisy events in the same venue can seriously compromise the quality of your attendees’ experience. Similarly, competing events can increase demand for facilities like bathrooms, which can also affect attendee experience. Check for competing events, and make sure you don’t schedule noisy events next to each other on the same time.

13. No follow-up after the event ends

Think of your events as part of a bigger strategy, whether it’s marketing, training, or something else. Rather than considering each event finished on the last day, take the opportunity to follow-up with thank you messages, survey requests, or social media posts. Get feedback so you can measure ROI and find out where you can improve next time.

Use an event management platform to avoid these mistakes

As a manager of multiple corporate events, you’re responsible for ensuring each event runs smoothly and without unexpected disruptions that can cost you time and money. By having a strategy to address these common pitfalls and using the right event management platform, you can minimize the risk of these unwanted disruptions.

Attendease is a powerful event management software and automation platform designed specifically for corporate event teams. By helping you address the entire event lifecycle, using Attendease can reduce event costs and remove custom development expenses. Find out how Attendease can help manage your multiple events today.