Planning a corporate event? Here’s what event planners have to say [Infographic]

Whether it's a large-scale conference designed to set the standards for the next phase of industry growth, or a trade show to give prospective clients a reason to work with you, these events require detailed planning

Annual conferences and trade shows are must-attends for every business. From product launches to thought-leadership from industry insiders, conferences and trade shows are some of the hottest events of any season, and the most defining for the future of business.

Whether it's a large-scale conference designed to set the standards for the next phase of industry growth, or a trade show to give prospective clients a reason to work with you, these events require detailed planning.

These events are crucial to representing your brand and image and set the stage for business development and growth. They give clients a sneak peek of the unique customer experience that your company and the rest of the industry can provide. As such, a successful event rests on proper planning at every stage.

Event success

The biggest challenge for any event host is working within a set budget to produce results. You want to bring to life unique ideas and set your brand apart from the rest while also measuring success in the form of event turnout and reception from prospective partners and clients.

Companies like yours on the cusp of growth are challenged continuously to engage industry partners and valued clients by providing memorable experiences in corporate events. For your guests, these experiences translate to networking, skill-building, a much-needed break from their daily routine, and valuable experiential learning opportunities that allow them to innovate in decision-making roles and generate ideas for their enterprise using your products and services.

From hype and buzz to actual smiles

What's an event without the people whose reactions and opinions will shape the future of your latest product and service offerings? On the other side of planning the perfect event is generating hype to draw crowds to your highly anticipated launch or conference.

With successful outreach initiatives, you can ensure that both prospective and current clients, industry partners and vendors mark their calendars well ahead of your event and interface with your latest product line and exciting new offers as they launch.

This means deploying an integrated marketing strategy across a variety of platforms, such as social media, email, video, and over the phone, as well as partnering with influencers and even dabbling in experiential marketing initiatives to give attendees a sneak peek of what they can expect at the actual event. Combined with outreach to existing contacts, successfully leveraging the features of each marketing platform guarantees an unbeatable turnout and countless opportunities to grow your customer base.

Logistics: the backbone of every event

At the core of every event is the very space where it is expected to take place. Each venue offers various possibilities for physical setup, decoration, and the flow of foot traffic; the right space sets the stage for successful client and partner engagement.

Most popularly, events are held in hotels and conference centres; for the less traditional, unusual venues open up opportunities for one-of-a-kind pop-up experiential events. Each type of venue offers a suite of features, so make sure to check these against the program flow and attractions that you plan on offering to ensure that your chosen venue can comfortably accommodate guests as they move through the event.

Before site visits and test runs, you can gather the information you need to decide on a particular venue through word-of-mouth recommendations and online listings. Just be sure to take note — accessibility is the hottest trend in any venue right now, so be sure to check for features that make your chosen venue a truly accessible space for all.

Your event by the month

Counting down to your event is an exciting time — the closer you get to the date, the more all the details, logistical arrangements, and guest list firm up. But none of these happen overnight; in fact, successful corporate events are laid out over a ten-month period.

Whether it's a one-day product launch or a week-long trade show, the best way to get ahead of all the components of a successful event is to break down the preparations by the month. Not only does this help you stay on track for deciding on a budget and fundraising, outreaching to prospective attendees, and making all logistical arrangements, but it also helps to avoid overwhelming the entire team with half-done tasks as crunch time approaches.

An efficient monthly schedule includes gathering feedback from the last event to build on its success and implement improvements based on suggestions, setting the theme and determining the budget, and booking the event venue. Once these core arrangements are in place, it's time to blast event promotions and outreach to prospective attendees; alongside this is making arrangements for their accommodation, entertainment, food, and other activities.

It's also important to liaise with vendors who will provide products and services to complement your latest offers and provide networking opportunities to clients and partners alike while demonstrating the endless possibilities that they can tap into with your help. Finally, make sure to have a detailed event timeline and day-to-day schedule on-hand — because it's go time!

To find out more about what you should consider when planning an event and how to ensure success, take a look at this infographic from Chateau Le Jardin.