Event planning has many moving parts. As a result, it helps to have a checklist that tracks each task, so you have a clear view of where everything stands throughout the planning process.
In this blog, we will share the ultimate checklist for planning a corporate event with precision time management that keeps you organized every step of the way.
Establish Your Goals
Establishing your goals ensures everything that follows helps you achieve them. In some cases, an event business plan might exist, or you might consider creating one to have a strategy that provides more purpose to your plans.
Whether it’s gaining market share, celebrating your vendors, awarding your team, making connections in the community, becoming an industry leader, or launching a new product or service, knowing why you’re holding the event will ensure you can measure everything you plan against your goals to keep things on point.
Create a Budget
Whether it’s your own business or you’re planning for a large corporation, you must create a budget for every stage of your plan. Having an overall budget number helps, but it can also get lost in the works if you don’t consider how much of the budget you should allot to each element of the event.
Creating a list of all the expected expenses and maintaining a contingency of about 20% for unexpected costs is a good place to start. You can then try to allot a certain budget for each item on the list so you have a better idea of how much you can spend on major things like:
- The Venetian Vaughan event space
- Catering
- Additional staffing costs
- Entertainment and speakers
- Equipment
- Travel/accommodation
- Marketing
- Invitations
- Giveaways/prizes
Consider Your Audience or Guest List
Considering which type of attendees you’ll include in your event allows you to understand attendee numbers. Corporate events can be directed at an audience you wish to attract, be more exclusive with a guest list, or, in some cases, both.
You’ll need to consider your budget to determine how many tickets or seats you can fill or how many people you can invite.
From there, you can work on invitations or set up an event enrolment page. Knowing who your guests are helps you select a date. Also, guest numbers are needed to book the right-sized venue.
Select a Date
Setting a date should be done at least 8 to 12 months in advance to ensure you have time to plan the event and that everyone you want to attend can fit it into their schedules. To improve attendance numbers, consider your audience and avoid anything that might keep them from attending, such as busy industry periods, social seasons, holidays, etc.
Book a Venue
With the guest numbers and a date confirmed, you can book a venue. Some considerations when choosing a venue include the following:
- The capacity is based on guest numbers and the event format, such as a banquet, conference with booths, seminar with presenters, etc.
- Budget
- Services available such as event planning, catering, Wi-Fi/AV equipment, servers, etc.
- Location for transportation and accommodation for the average attendee
- Level of catering required (for example, coffee, tea, and snacks, or a full formal sit-down meal)
- Type of venue such as the Venetian Vaughan event space in a banquet hall, something trendy like an art gallery, or a large conference centre.
Research Speakers, Panellists, and Entertainment
If you plan to have speakers or presentations, it helps to research the experts you have in mind before you send out invitations or set up your marketing.
This way, you can include details about keynote speakers and other scheduled opportunities such as sessions, networking, award presentations, entertainment, and things like the meal to attract more people to attend. Your speakers and entertainment should be confirmed three to four months out.
Create Bios and Information Blurbs About Speakers/Panellists
Once you have your speakers and panellists confirmed, ask them for bios and headshots that you can use to promote their participation at the event. You want this completed before you send out invitations or marketing, so you can include it as an enticement.
Create a Guest List
Creating a guest list allows you to send invitations about 6 to 8 months before the event date. Inviting guests is a lot easier than hoping to attract a particular audience, as you’ll have their names and contact information either in your personal contacts or through industry contact lists.
If you’re not using a guest list, you can still use your contact list to invite people in your industry, clients, vendors, etc. However, you should also invest in some targeted marketing with a landing page on your website, or even an event-specific website that provides details and an enrollment form/payment page.
Build Your Event Website and Social Media
With everything booked, you can build your event website about 6 to 8 months out. Social media pages can be a little later, at about the 4-month mark, so you can start providing updates as exciting developments occur.
If you are using your existing website, make sure it can handle additional traffic and that any sign-up forms and payment methods (if this is a paid event) are working properly.
Review Your Budget Status
As things start to come together, review your budget to make sure everything is on track. You’ll need a handle on your spending to help determine what extras you can afford for things like decor or the menu.
Consider whether you’ll need to dip into your contingency funds if anything unexpected comes up, such as keynote speakers being more expensive than planned.
Ramp up Marketing
If this is a public event, ramp up the marketing at the 3 to 4-month stage, including:
- Email blasts with event updates
- Social media posts and live feeds
- Paid advertising if your event is a paid-for public event
- Blog posts such as interviews with speakers or guest blogs written by speakers, news about the event, etc.
- Send out reminders about two months out
Finalize Everything
Two months before the event, confirm all the details with the venue, including the menu with the caterers, the space set up, details like floral arrangements and decor, A/V needs, etc. Also, confirm attendance with speakers, entertainers, and vendors to make sure everything is still going as planned.
Call the Corporate Event Venue Specialists
The above checklist will help keep you on track so you can enjoy a flawless event that dazzles attendees and ensures your success.
Are you planning a corporate event? Click here to learn more about the Venetian Vaughan event space at Château Le Jardin. You can also call us at 1-888-529-8573, or book a consultation online.
