How to Plan the Perfect Corporate Event Your Employees Will Love
Did you know that highly-engaged employees are 21 percent more profitable to their organizations than their less-engaged counterparts? Or, that employees who feel “listened to” by their company work, 4.6 times harder than their peers?
What’s one of the best ways to foster engagement and interaction at your company? Through a corporate event for employees where they are made to feel appreciated and understood.
How should you structure such an event? Read on for useful tips to help you plan a successful corporate event that inspires your employees.
Tip #1: Ground Your Corporate Event in a Clear Objective
When it comes to planning a successful corporate event, intent is everything.
If you don’t have a clear objective in place, your event will have trouble getting past the conceptual phase. You may also find it difficult to get your employees to “buy-in.” And there’s nothing worse for an event than lukewarm interest or attendance.
So, what’s the objective of your next event? The answer to this question will inform every aspect of planning. At least, it should.
Do you want to boost morale? Or, help employees get to know one another better? Would you like to increase communication between employees and upper administration?
These all represent excellent reasons to house a corporate event for employees. But you should narrow it down to one primary objective.
Your objective will help you know which speakers to get and what kinds of activities to plan. Just make sure you schedule these speakers well in advance to avoid commitment conflicts.
Not only will this let you start building momentum and interest with your employees sooner, but it’ll help you make other plans associated with the event.
Tip #2: Know Your Audience
Just like defining your objective, you should also make plans based on your employees’ interests and demographics. This represents another crucial component when it comes to just about every aspect of event planning.
Your understanding of your employees should define what types of food get offered, what entertainment should look like, who your speakers are, and more.
For example, if you employ mostly millennials, then you should keep your event fresh, young, and hip. But it should also be rooted in a clear set of principles and values inherent to your company.
Better understanding of your audience will also help you stay within your budget. If you’re drawing blanks when it comes to what your employees would like to see at a corporate event, ask for their feedback through a survey.
Not only will this help you craft the best, most effective event for them, but it’ll also ensure that your employees feel listened to and cared for.
Tip #3: Create a Budget and Stick to It!
This brings us to an important step in the event planning process — setting and sticking to a budget.
As you flesh out this budget on paper, err on the side of overestimating how much various items will cost. That way, you can guarantee your event comes with a price tag that you can not only afford but feel comfortable with.
Remember, too, that negotiating proposals with hotels, venues, and vendors can help you stay within the budgetary limitations that you set.
Tip #4: Think Employee-First When It Comes to Your Venue
When planning a big corporate event, it’s easy to assume that if you like a certain event hotspot, so will your employees. But this represents a major pitfall that could come between you and the perfect event.
Choose a venue that suits your employees and their professional interests. This should be a place that they’ll feel appreciated. But it should also be a memorable venue.
Of course, you’ve got to plan within the constraints of your budget, so don’t take a no-holds-barred approach. Make certain that all of the necessities for your event are provided by the venue.
Here at the Midlothian Conference Center, we can make sure your event stays on budget while providing everything you need to make your employee event a success.
Once you’ve nailed down the spot, you can start thinking about how to endow it with the right ambiance. In other words, it’s time to begin planning your event’s theme and elements.
Where to start? Consider a theme that aligns with your company’s vision and mission. But it should also be a theme that inspires energy and collaboration.
What’s a surefire way to bring the right kind of energy to your event? Besides a great speaker or two, don’t forget about the power of crowd participation. The more you can integrate employees into your event’s activities, the better.
What’s more, crowd participation will drive home your message and ensure that your overall event objective gets met.
Tip #5: Don’t Neglect Advertising and Marketing
Take advantage of as much momentum as possible. Advertising and marketing are both central to achieving this. So, set aside time and resources for these activities.
You should also include your PR team in the mix to get the most bang for your buck.
And don’t forget about social media when it comes to reaching out to your employees to build anticipation.
Social media channels such as Facebook are essential to reaching the right people, particularly if you’ve got a lot of millennials or recent college grads working at your company. But it works well for other age groups, too.
Consistent advertising for your event will also ensure that it stands apart from the competition. Generating the right buzz will also prime your employees for plenty of audience participation during the event.
Create a Memorable Event Like None Other
From creating a solid budget to clearly defining your theme, the tips above will put you on the fast track to planning a corporate event that your employees will be talking about for years to come.
Interested in more tips that’ll ensure a successful corporate event for your employees? Call us today at 972-775-7125 to schedule a tour.