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Event Management
February 20, 2024
Attendease
Corporate events serve an important purpose — they boost brand visibility, drive revenue, and strengthen relationships with customers and employees. However, executing successful events takes more than ordering catering and sending invites.
With so much on the line, there’s immense pressure on corporate event planners to get everything right. You have to wear multiple hats and juggle competing priorities: attendee preferences, corporate goals, vendors and suppliers, internal deadlines…the list goes on.
When building out a corporate events program, several critical factors must be considered to ensure the organization’s long-term success and sustainability. Here’s an in-depth checklist that covers the most critical areas to focus on so that you can run your next corporate event with ease!
To successfully execute an event, you first need to know what you’re aiming at. That’s why the first step to running a winning event is clearly defining its purpose and objectives.
This is best done by scheduling a planning meeting with company leadership and other key stakeholders for the event. Consider asking questions like:
Make sure to balance the overarching goals of the event with the company’s overall corporate strategy while also considering attendee preferences and perspectives (more on that shortly).
Next, establish measurable key performance indicators (KPIs) like leads generated, conversion rate, revenue created, employee engagement, and event satisfaction rating to track performance. KPIs provide concrete proof of what’s working and can be used to measure success event-over-event and year-over-year.
Moreover, having crystal clear goals and objectives means you have a definitive blueprint to revisit if disagreements or hurdles pop up during planning. It also enables you to say no to ideas that don’t align with the established vision.
Once you’ve defined clear objectives, the next step is developing an in-depth event strategy and plan that aligns with organizational goals. This includes considering your internal resources (budget, stakeholders, event management software) and external resources (sponsors, vendors, partners).
Effective project management is crucial for seamless execution—AKA your sanity. Here are some tips for managing corporate event planning across multiple teams and stakeholders:
Designate a point person from each department to streamline communication.
Communicate early and often with all stakeholders to resolve issues quickly.
It’s also important to plan for all possible scenarios. Identify potential challenges like vendors bailing or low registration and have contingency plans ready to go, just in case.
Based on your strategic plan, develop a realistic, line-item budget covering all aspects of the event — venue, vendors, security, food and beverage, staffing, swag, and the dozens of other expenses that pop up.
It’s crucial to monitor expenses closely and adhere to the budget to ensure financial stability. Be extra diligent when tracking these common big-ticket items:
Here are some top tips for keeping costs in check:
In general, seek cost-effective solutions without compromising on quality or the attendee experience.
Identify and actively engage key stakeholders from day one, including sponsors, partners, vendors, and internal teams.
For external stakeholders:
For internal stakeholders:
Communicate early and consistently with all stakeholders to align expectations. Have clear escalation processes in place in case of disagreements or delays. Foster strong relationships to enhance support and collaboration.
One of the most important pieces of running a successful corporate event is thoroughly understanding your target audiences so you can tailor the program to meet their goals and preferences.
Conduct audience research through surveys and interviews early in the planning process to gain insights. Ask about their pain points, how they prefer to engage with content, what takeaways they expect, and what type of experience they want to have.
Then, keep that target attendee at the forefront as you make programming decisions. Whether you’re running a large-scale conference, an intimate retreat, or a virtual town hall, implement creative, engaging, and interactive elements to enhance the experience.
The same goes for virtual and hybrid events. It’s important to find ways for remote attendees to feel included and represented and that they’ve gained value from the event just like those there in person.
Finally, gather feedback during and after the event through quick polls or post-event surveys. Analyze results to continually evolve your programming and improve future events.
Next, develop a strategic, multifaceted marketing plan to effectively promote your event across channels. Tactics may include:
It’s also important to create a branded, mobile-friendly event website so prospective attendees have an information hub to visit. Include logistical details, session descriptions, speaker bios, FAQs, and personalized calls-to-action to drive conversions.
(Pssst, event marketing software can help with this.)
Effective event marketing & management means creating compelling content that highlights the tangible value of attending, like thought leadership keynotes, can’t-miss training sessions, pitch competitions, and top-notch networking opportunities.
Finally, make sure you lean on corporate event planning software
to enhance event logistics and attendee engagement.
Event management software like Attendease makes it easy to support in-person, online, and hybrid events seamlessly from one centralized hub.
Say goodbye to repetitive, time-consuming tasks—the right corporate event management technology helps you template and automate workflows for streamlined multi-event management.
It also makes it easier than ever to simplify planning and task management across all event team members, in addition to delivering incredibly branded, consistent experiences across multiple channels.
Registration can be a massive pain point for planners and attendees alike. Look for an event management solution with robust registration capabilities for a smooth process, like:
It’s also important to have access to data and reporting to track performance, such as:
Bottom line: leveraging event technology is no longer optional if you want to plan corporate events like a pro — it’s an absolute must for optimizing logistics, enhancing engagement, and driving event success across the board.
In summary, these seven factors are critical for building a winning corporate events program from the ground up. And leveraging innovative technologies like Attendease makes it easier to work smarter, not harder.
Attendease by Tripleseat is an end-to-end event management platform designed to make every meeting and event an awesome experience—for everyone. Ready to elevate your corporate events? Book a demo today!
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