Here’s our complete guide to corporate event planning

Corporate events are a great way for businesses to connect with their employees, clients, and partners.

According to the CMO Council, almost 89% of brand marketers believe that events are crucial to their organizations – 31% see them as essential. Clearly, corporate event planning is an integral part of any successful business strategy.

However, planning a corporate event can be tricky with the huge budgets, complex logistics, and maintaining proper coordination among different stakeholders – all the while aligning the event with business objectives.

In this EventsAir guide, we’ll walk you through all the steps for stress-free (or at least, less stressful) corporate event planning.

What is corporate event planning?

Corporate event planning involves organizing, managing, and executing events for a business.

There are many types of corporate events, including:

• Meetings
• Training sessions
• Conferences
• Product launches
• Team building activities
• Networking events
• Trade shows
• Corporate retreats
• Award ceremonies

While they’re all very different, they are designed to support business objectives and build stakeholder relationships. The goal to align every aspect of the event with the company’s objectives is no easy feat, but one crucial for success.

9 Steps for effective corporate event planning

1. Define clear goals

Every event starts with at least one goal (often multiple). This goal is the first building block of your event planning process – every subsequent decision is designed to directly or indirectly support the central goal.

For example, take the event format.

If your goal is lead generation, your event format should be conducive to networking and connecting with potential clients. For example:

• Hosting a panel discussion with industry leaders would let your attendees engage in meaningful conversations and build connections with them.
• A team-building activity or retreat would be more appropriate if you’re trying to improve employee morale.
• A VIP client dinner would provide opportunities for one-on-one interactions.

Use the SMART criteria when setting event goal(s). For instance, instead of a vague goal like “increase brand awareness,” aim to “generate 500 social media mentions with our event hashtag within 24 hours of the event.”

2. Create a detailed plan

Consider key details like venue, date, time, agenda, and the lineup of speakers or performers. You can also include logistics, attendee registrations, or post-event follow-ups. A comprehensive timeline can help you keep track of important deadlines and milestones.

Develop a risk management plan alongside your event plan. Identify potential risks such as speaker cancellations, technical failures, or even natural disasters. Outline mitigation strategies and backup plans for each risk. 

3. Map out the sessions

Create a detailed schedule that outlines session times, breaks, and networking opportunities clearly. Allocate specific time slots for each session, allowing ample time for Q&A to foster engagement.

Include activities like interactive workshops, panel discussions, and keynote speeches to keep attendees interested and involved throughout the event. Additionally, hold networking sessions to help your attendees build valuable connections.

Add breaks strategically to allow attendees to recharge, grab refreshments, and connect. Diverse session formats should also be incorporated to cater to different learning styles and maintain engagement. 

Consider including:

• Lightning talks: Quick 5-10 minute presentations on specific topics
• Breakout sessions: Smaller group discussions on niche subjects
• Hands-on workshops: Practical, interactive sessions for skill development 
• Unconference segments: Attendee-driven sessions where topics are proposed and voted on during the event
• Fireside chats: Informal, conversational sessions with industry leaders

Our agenda management tools simplify the planning process, enabling organizers to easily plan and update the event schedule as needed. You can schedule sessions, assign tasks, view dependencies and overlaps, and more from a centralized platform.

4. Budget 

When allocating funds, implement a zero-based budgeting approach that justifies every expense from scratch rather than basing it on previous events. Then, allocate funds for specific categories, such as:

• Venue: Rental cost, insurance, setup, and cleanup fees
• Catering: Food costs, beverage costs, service staff
• Marketing: Advertising, promotional items, social media campaigns
• Entertainment: Performer fees, equipment rental, additional activities

Implement a tiered budgeting system to prioritize spending:

1. Must-haves: Essential elements without which the event cannot proceed (e.g., venue, basic AV equipment) 
2. Nice-to-haves: Elements that enhance the event but aren’t critical (e.g., premium catering options, additional entertainment) 
3. If-budget-allows: Luxury items or extras that can be added if there’s surplus budget (e.g., high-profile keynote speaker, VIP experiences)

Tracking your spending throughout the planning process can help you avoid overshooting your budget and making last-minute adjustments. Additionally, include a contingency fund of 5-10% of the total budget to account for unexpected expenses or last-minute changes.

At EventsAir, we provide robust budgeting tools to help you forecast expenses accurately and monitor your spending in real-time. This allows you to make informed decisions and stay on track financially.

5. Choose the right venue

Select a venue that aligns with your event’s objectives and offers convenience for your attendees. Consider how well it suits your event’s tone, capacity, and audience. The venue should reflect your event’s purpose and brand image while offering the right facilities. 

Consider factors like:

• Accessibility for the disabled
• Parking options
• Venue capacity
• Location
• Facilities and amenities
• Ambiance and aesthetics
• Cost and packages
• Staff and services
• Flexibility and customization
• Reviews and recommendations

Taking these factors into account can help you choose the right venue that also offers convenience to all.

6. Promote the event

Promotion helps you attract attendees, raises awareness of the brand, and strengthens connections in the industry. Good promotion creates buzz and excitement, leading to more sign-ups and making the event successful.

Use a range of channels to effectively promote your event, such as:

• Social media platforms
• Email marketing campaigns
• Company website
• Paid advertising
• Community forums and groups

By diversifying your outreach, you can create buzz and excitement around your event, encouraging more registrations. This is where integratable event management tools like EventsAir shine. You can use our Open API and Smart Connectors to link your event data to:

• CRMs
• Email marketing tools
• Social media platforms
• Ad tech platforms

These connections make it easy to personalize your outreach and promotional efforts based on real, historical data rather than best-guesses. 

7. Manage registrations efficiently

When the road to registration starts smoothly, attendees are more likely to continue their journey with ease, paving the way for higher engagement and satisfaction throughout the event. Streamline the registration process with user-friendly forms and secure payment options for greater conversion of payments and overall registrations. Track attendee information, preferences, and any special requirements they may have via these forms.

At EventsAir, we offer customizable registration forms to fit the specific needs of your event, along with native payment processing. This protects any sensitive financial information and makes it easier to manage transactions. 

8. Coordinate on-site logistics

Ensure everything runs smoothly on the event day. 

This involves: 

• Managing check-ins and providing badges: It’s important to establish an efficient check-in process to welcome attendees. Have a dedicated team to assist guests with their registration and distribute badges.
• Coordinating with vendors and suppliers: This means confirming their arrival times, reviewing delivery schedules, and ensuring that all services – from catering to audio-visual setups – are executed as planned. Maintain an open line of communication for quick resolutions to any last-minute issues.
• Overseeing setup and layout of event space: As the event approaches, this becomes paramount. From directing the arrangement of seating, staging, and décor to align with the event’s theme and requirements – to conducting a walk-through before the event starts – ensure that everything is in place and sticks to your expectations.
• Managing room assignments and seating arrangements: This significantly enhances the attendee experience. Create a clear layout for different sessions and make sure that guests are seated according to their affiliations or preferences. This can boost networking opportunities and engagement.

We provide custom badge printing and technology that easily integrates with self-check-in kiosks that significantly streamline these processes. Our technologies enhance the overall attendee experience by reducing wait times and freeing on-site staff to focus on other tasks.

9. Collect feedback

After the event, gather detailed feedback from attendees to understand what worked well and which areas fell short. For example, engaging with attendees through post-event surveys or informal discussions can give you valuable perspectives that would have been otherwise overlooked.

Implement a multi-touch feedback approach to gain comprehensive insights:

• Immediate post-session surveys: Short, focused questionnaires after each major session to capture fresh impressions.
• Overall event survey: A more detailed survey sent within 24-48 hours of the event’s conclusion
• Follow-up interviews: In-depth conversations with key stakeholders, speakers, and a sample of attendees 1-2 weeks post-event
• Social media monitoring: Track mentions, hashtags, and sentiment on social platforms during and after the event.
• Long-term impact assessment: Follow up with attendees 3-6 months later to evaluate the lasting impact of the event.

At EventsAir, we offer post-event reporting tools that track key metrics like participation rates and attendee satisfaction, allowing you to make data-driven decisions for continuous improvement. Using these insights, you can identify strengths and weaknesses and get a roadmap for improvement.

Let’s simplify corporate event planning

Planning a corporate event involves quite a bit of multitasking and organization. From coordinating with vendors to managing registrations and overseeing the logistics, it can be a complex process. But, with the right approach (and tools), you can streamline planning and ensure a successful outcome.

Want to see EventsAir in action? Schedule a demo today.