Business Event Planning Guidelines

[This article was written by Michael Deane.]

When it comes to planning a business event, there are plenty of organizational tasks required to ensure that everything runs smoothly.

Hiring an event planner might be a great option for you, especially if you run a large corporation and you need to ensure everything is planned and finalized to the very last detail.

This guide provides you with detailed insight into the business event planning guidelines that you need to be aware of.

Know your purpose

The first objective when it comes to business event planning is knowing the purpose of the event.

Are you holding the event to attract new customers, to gain potential new clients or to host a networking event for your current staff?

Are you hosting a business event to train new members of staff or to launch a new product?

Whatever it is, you need to have a clear focus in mind and know exactly why you’re hosting the event.

Have a budget in mind (or stick to the one your boss has given you)

If you’ve been assigned the task of planning a business event at your place of work, then you’ll probably have been assigned a budget too.

Having a clear and concise budget in mind allows you to allocate an allotted amount of money to things such as catering, venue and gift bags for attendees, for example.

Choose a suitable location, venue and time

Choosing a suitable location, venue and time are all imperative factors to consider when planning a business event.

The location needs to be ideal for almost everyone attending the event. Is it near a train station, airport or other easily-accessible means of public transport?

Your venue goes hand in hand with the location selection, but you also need to ensure that your venue of choice is big enough for everyone attending. It also needs to be able to cater to your needs and wants.

Consider catering options

Depending on the type of business event you plan to host, you might want to consider food and catering options.

For example, if you’re hosting a networking event in the evening, then you might want to serve canapés or even a sit-down meal if the occasion warrants it.

Enlist speakers or lecturers

The next stage of planning a business event is to enlist guest speakers or lecturers for the event.

This might not necessarily apply to the type of event you plan to host, or you might be using people from your current place of work, but it’s still good to think about.

Market your business event

Once you have almost everything organized for your business event, you will need to market it and promote it.

If the event will just be held within the company’s employees, then make sure you send out an email invitation a couple of weeks before so people are aware of it and can put it in their diaries.

If you’re hosting a networking event for potential new clients, then you should work on creating social media posts, email newsletters, and even fliers well in advance of the event.

Put together a schedule/itinerary for the event

Next, you will need to put a schedule together for the event; think of it as a kind of program that everyone will follow throughout the morning/evening/whole day.

This might not be a necessary step for you to take, depending on the kind of business event you’re hosting, but a whole day event consisting of lectures and motivational talks, for example, will require an itinerary of some kind.

Send reminders to attendees a couple of days before

In the business world, people are often very busy and can sometimes miss emails and notices so some people might not even be aware of your business event.

Therefore, it’s a good idea to send out a reminder a couple of days before the event to all the intended attendees so they’re reminded of the upcoming event.

Ensure you have all the necessary equipment for the event

Once you feel that everything is in place and finalized for the business event that you’re planning, you should still double-check everything a couple of days before and then again on the actual day of the event.

Make sure you familiarise yourself with the venue so that you can point people in the right direction when it comes to the day of your highly-anticipated business event.

Enjoy!

While your business event is first and foremost a corporate occasion, it is still important that you enjoy the day somewhat and that you can finally relax in the enjoyment that you’ve pulled everything off.

Remember not to put too much pressure on yourself when organizing the event and always ask for assistance and clarification if you’re not 100% sure of something.

Author Bio:

Michael has been working in marketing for almost a decade and has worked with a huge range of clients, which has made him knowledgeable on many different subjects. He has recently rediscovered a passion for writing and hopes to make it a daily habit. You can read more of Michael’s work at Qeedle.