Prepare your business case for events

To ensure you get the best return on investment from your event

Hosting a corporate event can be a costly and time-consuming process, so you might ask why so many organisations do it?

The answer is simple; if your event runs smoothly and is a success, giving your guests a worthwhile and enjoyable experience, then the chances are you have created a positive attitude towards your company.

Whether that is from staff, clients or the public, people will associate your company with the good experience that they had at your event.

But how do you get to the point where the event runs seamlessly from start to finish, there are no unforeseen hiccups, and where not only your guests have a great time, but you do too!

Here, we detail some important elements you need to think about when you start to plan a corporate event.

Be clear on your objectives

First things first; be clear on why you are holding the event and what the objectives are.

When you think about it in business terms, your event is a means to an end result – make sure you know what that result should be and who your target audience is before you start planning, otherwise it is easy to get caught up in the logistics of planning and forget what you are aiming to achieve.

Cost implications

Now that you have set clear objectives on what you want your event to achieve, the next thing to do is set a budget.

Even if it is only an estimate, it will give you a good indication of the type of event you can have.

This is essential for suppliers so that they can pitch suggestions within your budget and you can compare like with like. It will also make your life easier when you come to present the proposed event to the management of your company, or if you are the decision maker, make it easier for you to evaluate your options.

Choose a venue

Choosing a venue for your event could be the easiest or hardest decision of the whole event management process! The number of guests you intend to invite will have the biggest impact on your venue decision. If you have large numbers there will be a limited amount of places that can accommodate you.

Equally, if it is a small event, you will have to seek out more intimate venues. Either way, book a venue well in advance of the event to ensure availability and always think about venue location – is it easy for your guests to get to? Are there reliable transport links and accommodation close by?

Style for your target audience

Choose a style and format for the event that meets your objectives and appeals to the target audience who are attending. For example, if the event is an opportunity for staff to let down their hair and celebrate a successful year of business then you’ll want something fun for them to enjoy such as a theme with lively entertainment and a relaxed atmosphere.

Or on the other hand, if you are organising a conference, your delegates might require a simple and clean style which has a comfortable working environment with available refreshments.

Think about the type of people who will be attending and what they will expect of the event. Always consider the impact, positive or negative, any of the above may have on your company’s image especially if it is a client event.

Plan & allow enough time

Planning an event is a very time consuming process. A well-received and successful event is a result of a great deal of devoted time, thought and attention to detail. Many people don’t realise just how much of their time it will take up until they are well into the planning stages.

If you are one of the many who’s time is extremely precious, you might want to consider the use of an event management company to deal with all or certain elements of the event, to allow you to get on with doing your job.

Remember, you still have a business to run, so evaluate the cost of doing it yourself versus the cost of not getting on with other important tasks.

Choosing suppliers

Choosing suppliers for an event can sometimes be a bit of a minefield. If you haven’t dealt with them before, you may be entering the unknown. If there’s a problem onsite, it can sometimes be too late to resolve so make sure you take the time to research different suppliers, finding out their track record. Ask them for testimonials from other clients to ensure that they will deliver the quality that you expect.

The choice of suppliers in the events industry is extensive, but remember, as with anything you buy, you get what you pay for. If a service appears cheap, the chances are you will be sacrificing either quality, service or choice – sometimes all three!

Schedule

Be organised and put together a detailed schedule or running order of how the event will run and brief everyone involved in the production of the event. This involves everyone from your venue, caterer, AV technicians, to members of your company who have an active role in the event, for example, keynote speakers and presenters etc. Stick to this plan to ensure things run smoothly on the night.

Results

One of the most frequent questions that event planners are asked when pitching an event to their superiors is, ‘what is the benefit of having this event?’ In order to justify the spend on your event you must be able to answer this question with confidence! Throughout the whole process never forget what your initial objectives were.

These were the objectives you presented to your management and told them you could achieve from this event. Make sure you record information that proves the success of your event, for example, feedback from guests and attendance numbers.

If you follow these guidelines you are on your way to pulling off a smooth, successful event. All you have to do now is remember to enjoy yourself on the night and bask in the triumph of your event.