business meeting event planning

Your Guide on How to Plan a Corporate Event

Do you have a corporate event to plan this guide will help you pull it off with ease..

• Corporate events can be key to developing important business and customer relationships. 
• Start your planning process by knowing what your objectives are, whom you are trying to reach and what resources you have.  
• Once you have a better understanding of what you’re working with, make sure you execute your plan to perfection.
• This article is for small business owners organizing a corporate event to help grow their business and strengthen bonds with customers.

Any business that wants to build lasting relationships , which is crucial for your company’s growth, needs to know how to produce professional events. Hosting a corporate affair allows you to strengthen bonds with current clients and partners, while developing genuine connections and attracting future ones.

“Events provide businesses a personal way to build relationships with their target audiences [as well as] build brand recognition and loyalty,” said Myke Nahorniak, co-founder and CEO of Localist. “LinkedIn messages, Facebook status updates and tweets cannot replace the meaningful connections made through in-person communication.” 

Whether you’re hosting a product launch for 300 people or an employee training for 15, it’s key to approach each gathering with an understanding of the basic elements of event management: research, design, planning, coordination and evaluation. Once an event is broken up into these manageable stages, it is much easier to conceptualize it and pull together the many moving pieces needed to bring it to life. Here are 10 tips on how to plan an event that your attendees won’t soon forget.

1. Understand the purpose of your event.

Once you decide you want to host an event, your first step is to define what you hope to accomplish.

“It is important to know the goals and objectives of the event you are trying to produce before you can do anything else,” said Brian Worley, creative director and owner of B. Worley Productions.

Start by asking yourself why you are hosting the event and what you expect from it. Once you’ve identified your goals and expectations, you can then determine what kind of event will resonate with your intended audience.

“Rather than thinking of it as just a corporate event, think about it like you’re delivering an interactive brand experience,” said Serena Holmes, CEO of Tigris Events. “You want it to be meaningful and engaging.”

2. Decide on your audience.

An important part of the planning process is defining your target audience. Is it your company’s executives and upper management, business partners, or community members? Is it for longtime clients or potential clients? Maybe it’s a combination of some or all the above. Figuring out your target audience and understanding how to reach them is essential to a successful event. Once you can name your audience, you can cater the program to their needs and interests. 

It’s always stressful to determine how many guests to invite to these events. However, according to Julian Jost, CEO and co-founder of Spacebase, it’s better to invite too many people than too few. 

“For small businesses, empty seats and uneaten snacks look bad and are a waste of money,” he said. “In most situations, having too many people show up isn’t really going to spoil an event – with some exceptions, like venues with very limited space or where a three-course meal is planned. If too many people turn up, it’s also great marketing. You’re sure to create a buzz the next day, and it will add to anticipation about your next event.” 

Regardless of how small or large the guest list is, what people will remember is how they were treated. “Every person attending the event is a potential brand ambassador or word-of-mouth spokesperson for … your business,” said Valerie Gernhauser, owner and principal planner of Sapphire Events. “It is important to make a significant impact on the guest experience by not overlooking the finer details that each attendee will appreciate firsthand.”

3. Set a realistic budget.

You need to know how much money you have to work with to determine what sort of event you can produce. According to Worley, decide early on how much you want to spend, and then plan on spending at least 10% more. 

“Things are always changing, and you should have a cushion for added and unexpected expenses that pop up,” he said. 

Once you have a budget, knowing where to allocate most of your resources is essential. For example, if you spend more on fancy decorations than you do on a skilled tech crew or personable speakers, your event might be lacking in substance. 

Additionally, don’t skimp on food or beverages, and take into account attendees with dietary restrictions. Though this may not seem as important as other aspects of your event planning, audiences are more forgiving of missteps when they aren’t hungry or thirsty. 

4. Choose a theme and format.

Once you have set your objectives and defined the audience, it’s time to choose a theme or topic for the event and determine the best format for presenting it to your guests. 

For example, coordinating a client event with an industry expert, such as a guest speaker, can position your company as a trusted advisor, instead of just a vendor. Peer-to-peer learning with client panels, keynotes, roundtables and breakout session speakers are other popular options. 

“Always offer opportunities for attendees to do something fun, memorable and entertaining that they wouldn’t typically do anywhere or anytime else,” said J.J. Barnes, chief marketing officer at enVista. “This might include hearing from a famous speaker, comedian or band; playing on an incredible golf course; or trying something new, thrilling or exclusive for the first time.”

A successful corporate event is both immersive and educational, according to Worley. 

“The ones that are interactive – rather than sitting in a ballroom watching a speaker all day – are more successful, informative and fun,” he said. “We really try to create experiences these days that go beyond theater-style seating, and put the attendees in situations and in front of the right people for networking and learning.

“Determine what you are going to do to make this an ‘out of the box’ event,” Worley added. “Spend the time now to figure out what will differentiate your event from similar ones in your industry or even ones you’ve previously produced.” 

5. Establish a project timeline.

Designing the event requires you to keep track of a broad range of tasks. This can be facilitated by creating a master detailed checklist. Online project management software can streamline all of the tiny details and help you stay organized. 

“The overall planning checklist serves as a tool for the duration of the planning process,” Gernhauser said. She said her team starts with a list for 12 months out and works in checklist increments at nine months out, six months out, four months out, two months out, the month of, two weeks out, the week of and the day of the event. “Breaking down the task list like this helps our team foresee the schedule of milestones we need to target.” 

Even without dedicated software, you can keep track of your checklist by creating a spreadsheet and using individual tabs for each event category, such as venue, speakers, schedule, agenda and travel. This way, you can list each activity or task, the people responsible for each part of the process, and all the relevant deadlines. Though Microsoft Excel is usually the go-to spreadsheet program, there are other options. We compiled a list of free alternatives to Microsoft Office for you.

Your project timeline is linked to your budget. If you are working with a tight budget, giving yourself more time to put together the event will help with costs and services. If you have a bigger budget, you can have a truncated project timeline.

6. Select an appropriate location.

Once you’ve determined the type of event you’d like to create and outlined a budget, it’s time to find a venue that allows you to bring your vision to life. It’s tempting, at times, to jump ahead and book a venue you’ve heard good things about or that you know is an up-and-coming hot spot, even if you haven’t quite honed in on the mission of your event. This is a mistake, according to Worley. 

“It is always hard to fit a round peg in a square hole, so the same goes for an event,” he said. “Build the event architecture first, and then find the venue that fits all the specs you need to have for success.”

According to Barnes, “location is key to attendance.” She recommends booking a venue in a convenient area with a vibrant atmosphere so that attendees feel comfortable and willing to make the commute. 

If you have a tight budget, Jost suggests reducing your costs by holding the event at a less popular time when the venue is more likely to be available, such as hosting a media breakfast on a Monday morning. 

“Be sure to involve the local community as much as possible,” said Gina Argento, president and CEO of Broadway Stages. “We always use local vendors for catering needs, various rentals and many other crucial aspects. By doing this, we are supporting the local community and giving them the opportunity to network and expand their businesses.” 

7. Plan the logistics of the day.

To have a successful event, you will have to identify, vet and contract all the necessary event specialists. This may include caterers, audiovisual technicians, printers, decorators, photographers, florists and security personnel, to name just a few. Of course, you must also book speakers and presenters, including prominent figures, experts or influencers, who can best communicate the ideas you’d like to circulate throughout the gathering. 

To assure everything goes according to your plan, determine an agenda for the event, and make sure everyone on your team knows what aspects of the day they are responsible for managing.

You have to work intentionally to create a balance between keeping attendees engaged and giving them some freedom in their schedule. “People get bored easily,” said Jonathan Chan, former head of marketing at Insane Growth. “If there isn’t enough variety to keep them interested, then you’ve basically spent a lot of money on a vanity event.”

However, you don’t want to jam-pack the schedule either. There needs to be leeway in the itinerary to deal with unexpected occurrences that may arise. Additionally, your attendees need time to themselves to process what they are learning, recharge and connect with other attendees. 

When deciding how to wrap up your day, skip the typical promotional giveaways with the company logo, and think of gifts that have a big impact with a small footprint. A much better idea is a digital take-home, according to Jost. 

“That could be a promotional code, which gives guests a discount, or it could give access to online content from the event, like photos and videos,” he said. “It could also include the chance to register in advance for the next event. Give guests an incentive to stay in contact.” 

8. Make use of technology.

Gone are the days of cumbersome mile-long lists to track all the moving parts of an event. Today, there are tons of event management software platforms and apps (some of which offer a free base product) that do everything from providing seamless on-site check-in of attendees to enhancing the appeal of workshops and presentations with simulations and virtual reality games. 

The use of event apps can help you significantly streamline planning and increase engagement among attendees, according to Nick Jackson, Digital Marketing Manager at BrandX Agency. 

“Event details can be populated quickly via spreadsheet templates and published instantly into an existing event container app, or event teams can create their own custom-branded event app to use for multiple events and conferences throughout the year,” said Jackson. “Most event apps have features that keep attendees up to date with all the info they need leading up to the event and during it, and it allows them to provide feedback to the speakers and organizers.”

Interactive features, such as live polling and session Q&A, can be easily displayed on large screens in the venue, and some apps have gamification features, such as scavenger hunts. You can make speaker slides available to attendees, as long as they are in the correct format, by simply uploading them to the event app. 

Event management software keeps your affair on track, but it also makes it easier to work collaboratively with vendors and other creative partners. 

“Streamlining communication among all the parties by using a project management system we can all collaborate on has been tremendously helpful in cutting down the frustrations of relying on email communication alone,” said Gernhauser, who uses Basecamp, a popular cloud-based project management system, and Social Tables, another web-based event planning platform known for its event-diagramming and seating capabilities. 

In the planning and execution of your corporate event, you can use a plethora of software, apps and services to streamline the whole process.

9. Promote your event.

If people don’t know about your event, no one will show up, so it’s imperative to find creative ways to get the word out. For a small event with a limited guest list, you can simply send out invitations, but you need to be bolder for larger events. 

“In today’s digital age, a variety of promotional methods are required to generate attendance,” Barnes said. “We typically start by emailing our database, placing ads in industry newsletters, adding our event to industry listings and directories, and encouraging our sales teams to promote [our conference] when visiting clients or partners on-site.” 

For your event and its timeline, you want to treat the promotion of your corporate event as if you are making a marketing plan. Granted, marketing plans are typically done on a more general/macro scale to help drive your resources to bring awareness. Applying this to your specific event can be beneficial to its success. We laid out tips on how to create a great business marketing plan to give you a reference on how to translate these skills on a more micro level.

From there, you can promote on social media and have your team spread the word. Create an event website or, at a minimum, a new landing page on your current site. Your social media marketing can also include promo videos, guest blog posts, and Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter updates. Maintain uniformity by using the same handle and hashtag across platforms and consistent messaging so it’s always clear that the buzz is about one particular event. 

You can also explore possible sponsorship opportunities for your event. Sponsors can fund a portion of the event, which helps you defray the costs. More importantly, sponsors have a vested interest in promoting your affair. Brainstorm a list of ideal sponsors whose brand, mission or services complement your event in some way. You can develop a range of sponsorship packages and reach out to them about potential partnership opportunities. This works best if you focus your pitch to highlight the value of attendees to potential sponsors. 

“We partner with media sponsors to speak at our events,” Barnes said. “It’s a win-win situation, as they receive ‘free’ publicity and mindshare in return for publicizing our event.”

10. Celebrate and evaluate your event planning success.

If your event went off without a hitch, congratulations! You aren’t done yet, though. Now is the time to wrap up any loose ends, such as sending final payments to vendors, reconciling your finances and conducting a post-event debrief with your team. 

Most importantly, you want to gather feedback from guests. If you used an event-planning app with a feedback option, you can use it to ask attendees questions. This information will help you determine if the event met your original goals and what impact, if any, it had on the attendees. You can then share this information with all the relevant stakeholders so an appropriate follow-up can be planned. The lessons you learn will help you refine your planning for the next event. 

If you are managing or are a part of a team in the process of making these events, some of the feedback you get may not be positive. It’s important to understand how to give or take this type of feedback, and we broke down how important giving and accepting constructive criticism is . 

Bassam Kaado, Sammi Caramela and Nicole Fallon contributed to the writing and reporting in this article. Source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.

The Complete Guide to Corporate Event Planning in 2022

Does the word ‘corporate’ scare you? How about ‘corporate event planning?’ Are there visions of clipboards or dull keynotes dancing in your head?

While anything dubbed ‘corporate’ might conjure images of pantsuits and cubicles, fight the urge to equate it with ‘stiff’ and ‘boring’ –– especially when it comes to corporate event planning.

After all, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series –– or any Red Bull event for that matter –– is a corporate event. And we can probably all agree planning that experience was anything but boring.

In simple terms, corporate event planning is the process of organizing events for a brand or business to achieve business goals.

Here are a few examples of areas a business might be looking to make progress in by hosting a corporate event:

• Brand awareness : A branded pop-up or conference session can make a splash. Take Bala’s Disco event for SXSW 2022 . The workout brand hosted a party with exercise classes, cocktails, and dancing to capture attention and increase brand recognition.
• Thought leadership : Gatherings like The Atlantic Festival are designed to position event hosts as experts, leaders, and shapers in their field.
• Lead generation or customer retention : Ever been to a car show like the North American International Auto Show ? Big companies like Ford and Toyota use those spaces to reimagine the sales process, reach new customers, and retain current ones.
• Employee engagement : Whether you’re reinforcing company values or fostering collaboration, internal corporate events can go a long way in making your company a stand-out place to work. Holiday parties, milestone celebrations, and team offsites are all corporate events.

Ready to start planning? We’ve outlined a corporate event planning roadmap and a free checklist to help guide you through the process. But first, let’s do a deeper dive on different types of corporate events and how to think about your planning timeline.

In this guide:

The many faces of corporate events, how to make sure time is on your side, how to plan a successful corporate event, your corporate event planning checklist, how technology can uplevel your corporate events.

Before looking at the planning process, it’s important to set clear goals and objectives so you understand what type of corporate event might be right for your business needs.

Corporate events, like the corporations they’re associated with, come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and types. They can be internal, geared toward employees or internal stakeholders, or external, delivered to a broader audience or the general public. They can also be in person, hybrid, or virtual –– the format largely depends on the goal of the event.

Let’s run through some common types of corporate events:

• Conferences : These experiences typically happen annually and they’re big-name, big-effort events that can take months to plan. They often involve sponsors , and usually include packed agendas featuring thought leaders and expert commentary. As an example, check out how the World Wide Fund for Nature chose a virtual conference format to bring debates on ecological issues, expert presentations, and a sponsor expo to their international audience.
• Product launches : If you’re introducing a new product or service, a launch event can help build excitement and drive adoption or sales. That’s what marketing agency N6A found when they helped their client launch a product — a cannabis-focused careers platform — via a virtual event.
• Trade shows : These tend to work best when companies want to demo products, meet prospects, and network with peers all at once.
• Internal meetings : Internal company meetings can be focused on specific teams –– think training sessions or offsites. But they also include company-wide experiences (an all-hands meeting, for example) and events designed for a company’s key stakeholders, like board meetings or investor updates. They can happen at scale: GitHub’s company-wide event featured more than 1,100 virtual attendees around the world.
• Training workshops : From internal security trainings to external product workshops, training events are often designed to be hands-on and participatory. The Flemish Department of Education and Training , for example, runs cultural education training events for students and teachers.
• Fundraising events : With galas, benefits, danceathons, silent auctions, food drives, and more, the corporate events side of charitable giving or fundraising can take many forms.
• Webinars : These events are focused on conveying information to an audience, whether it’s a presentation, walk-through, demo, or video.
• Team-building events : These events typically focus on building morale and positive rapport across a team — from scavenger hunts to talent shows, there’s no shortage of ways to bring employees together to help build bonds.
• Customer Advisory Board events: Customer Advisory Board events (also known as CABs) — and other kinds of focus group-centric gatherings — bring consumers together to give feedback, perspective, and advice to a company.

When planning any corporate event, there’s one thing you’ll want to make sure you have enough of: time.

When do you need to start planning your corporate event?

That depends entirely on how complex it’s going to be, the amount of people you’re expecting, the size of your team, and the format of your event. Note that completely virtual corporate events won’t require physical spaces, travel arrangements, and other logistics specific to in-person experiences, so they can take less time to plan.

Consider the below as broad guidance:

And this breakdown of key components you’ll need to tackle:

• Getting universal buy-in : Stakeholders will need to be on the same page about the goals of your event, which can take time.
• Marketing your event: From email campaigns and social media messaging to paid advertisements and beyond — even if it’s an internal event — you’ll want to build excitement and rack up registrations for the big day.
• Sourcing speakers . Need a big name that can live up to the expectations of your 100,000 attendees? Start planning early. Even for small events, subject matter experts are in high demand and need quite a bit of notice.
• Landing sponsors : Sponsors don’t just fill out an expo hall; they can make events profitable . But finding good ones takes time, especially considering that companies often have limited budgets for sponsorship. Seek to secure sponsors as early as possible.
• Locking in your technical setup : You don’t want to be dealing with technical difficulties on event day . So, you’ll want to work through your setup long before showtime — everything from how you’ll handle audio and video for speakers to how you’ll respond to audience tech issues.
• Branding your event : Event branding makes it clear to would-be attendees what your event stands for. For virtual events, key branding elements will be entirely digital, like designs for your virtual event platform . In-person event branding will require even more time, as you’ll need to consider things like signage and other physical materials. No matter what type of corporate event you’re producing, make sure your brand shines on your event website .
• Planning food and beverage : Food and beverage , especially at an in-person or hybrid event, takes time to organize as there are multiple factors to consider: menu, pricing, catering company, sustainability, health and wellness, and more.

Remember, the amount of time it takes to bring your event to life also depends on the size of your team. If it’s just you, aim to give yourself the gift of plenty of buffer room.

If there are a few dozen corporate event planners and organizers working with you, it’s possible you’ll find yourself speeding through your timeline.

Now that you’ve moved through some prep, you’re ready to start planning in earnest. Let this step-by-step tutorial help you conquer corporate event planning.

Step 1: Define success

You can’t know the right format for your corporate event until you know what your desired outcome is.

So, ask yourself a few questions: What’s the intended outcome of this event? What business objective are we driving toward?

Write your goals in the S.M.A.R.T. framework :

• Specific : A specific goal narrows down the type of success an event organizer seeks.
• Measurable : A measurable goal typically relates to how you’ll evaluate the goal in a quantitative way.
• Achievable : Once a goal can be measured, you’ll be able to define what will indicate the goal has been achieved.
• Relevant : A relevant goal ensures buy-in from your various stakeholders.
• Time-bound : Setting a time-bound goal means that the goal is aligned with a specific timeframe so anyone reviewing it or acting upon it knows the deadline.“

Step 2: Develop your budget

Once you’ve nailed down the results you’re aiming to achieve, it’s time to build out your event budget .

An event budget helps you determine if you have the financial resources needed to bring your event to life and achieve the goals you’ve outlined.

You’ll break your budget into expenses and revenue.

Primary expenses will include:

• Venue (whether virtual, via a tech platform, or physical)
• Food and beverage
• Speakers and entertainment

And your main sources of revenue will usually come from:

• Sponsorships
• Ticket sales
• Product sales

Before you finalize your budget, add a contingency cost buffer (10-15% of the total is usually advised) for unexpected expenses.

Use a free event budget template to collect all your numbers in one place, then send the final draft off to your stakeholders for final approval.

Step 3: Do a deep dive on what your audience wants

An event is almost always about the audience.

Whether your audience is primarily prospects, customers, employees, or industry peers, it’s full of people looking for value. That value could be emotional, social, educational, or something else altogether. And the success of an event is often determined by how much value it drove for its audience.

So, first you need to figure out what your audience really cares about.

If you can, go directly to the source by sending surveys to your email lists, asking for feedback on social media, and hosting focus groups with would-be attendees.

Or take a more quantitative approach and build a picture of your audience’s motivations, needs, values, and goals using platforms like Google Analytics , Facebook Audience Insights , and Nielsen .

Consider questions like:

• What motivates your audience members?
• What problems do they need help solving?
• What kind of people are they interested in learning from or connecting with?
• Are there community leaders who could bring them together?
• What’s most relevant for your audience right now?

Add an audience demographics layer, too. Look at:

• Geography : Where does your audience come from? Consider countries, cultures, and languages.
• Career : What industry does your audience work in? What experience levels do they have? What do they already know and what’s most relevant to their learning?
• Gender : What is the gender breakdown? Do you have equal representation?

Constantly ask yourself: Are there things you can do to make sure everyone who’s part of your audience feels comfortable and included? Consider how you’ll make your event as accessible as possible.

Step 4: Design for engagement

Events are experiences.

Think of the most magical events you’ve been to: maybe it was a wedding that felt like a fairytale, a championship game where you were swept up in the collective energy, a product launch party where you met your new business partner.

Events become magical when they are grounded in the audience’s values, and when they’re designed to engage people .

When designing your event, think about:

• Theme : Tie your event together with a fun event theme that will resonate with your audience.
• Stand-out content : If your content falls flat, so will the rest of your corporate event. Focus on providing the very best event content so all your attendees are passively engaged during less active sessions.
• Participation : What opportunities are you giving your audience to interact with your content? Can you add in workshops, breakout Q&A sections, or even get people started with some thought-provoking pre-written questions?
• Community : How will your attendees get to know one another? Consider adding a networking session in the middle of your event to encourage conversation and debate on your first set of topics.
• Co-creation : You want your audience to feel like they are owning the success of your event right along with you. According to industry experts, a key trend for successful events in 2022 and beyond is giving attendees the chance to make something they can take home with them — whether literally or figuratively.
• Technology : You have no shortage of tech options at your fingertips to make your event something folks will remember. Will you add a virtual reality expo space to explore? A digital photobooth? Artificial intelligence-enabled matchmaking for networking?

Step 5: Choose the right venue

You want people to feel welcome at your event. So choose a space that conveys that message.

In-person space considerations include size and cost, as well as:

• Wi-Fi and technical support : Do you have what you need to make sure the technical side of your event runs smoothly, and that attendees will be able to stay connected throughout the experience?
• Food and beverage options : What can you offer attendees and how does it meet dietary, wellness, and sustainability expectations?
• Health and safety : Returning to in-person events requires a lot of forethought, and a key consideration is the level of health and safety policies required and desired.
• Location : How easily will attendees be able to get to your event?

Virtual and hybrid venues have their own set of considerations:

• Capacity: How many attendees can participate at once?
• Customization : A virtual venue should be easier to customize than an in-person one (no architects or interior designers needed). Can you add custom graphics? Names? Spaces?
• Tech : Are live-streaming capabilities built into the platform of your choice? What about networking options? Live chats and polls?
• App integrations : Can you combine your marketing software with your virtual event management software? What about gamification tools, data analysis, and more?

Virtual events tend to open up possibilities for attendees and speakers since the potential audience becomes anyone with an internet connection. You can bring together a diverse audience and give them multiple ways to interact with one another and your content, including:

• Networking spaces
• Virtual expos and fairs
• Games and challenges
• Options to rewatch content after the event

Step 6: Promote your experience

Effective event marketing and branding can play a big role when it comes to filling up your registration list and getting attendees excited for your live event. These tools help illustrate what your event will be about and convince audience members of the value it will deliver.

When marketing to your audience, call on the knowledge you uncovered about their values, motivations, and goals.

For example, if you’re promoting a fun employee event like Greenhouse’s employee offsite , you might do a text-heavy drip campaign of emails explaining the various games that await participants: in this case, Zombie Battle, Salty Telephone, and Beg, Barter, Solve.

But if you’re promoting a more serious event, like the UN Climate Change Conference , you might lean on sparse graphics with provocative messaging to create eye-catching advertisements.

It’s not just emails and advertisements, either. Event promotion often requires an integrated, layered effort featuring an event website, email marketing, social media marketing, influencer engagement, and more.

However you decide to approach event marketing, get started early. You’ll want attendees to have time to plan –– and you’ll want to give yourself some runway in case you need to tweak your approach along the way.

Step 7: Tackle logistics for the live show

It’s all in the details.

Running through potential scenarios could be the difference between your audience struggling to hear a speaker whose microphone died, and said speaker delivering the most engaging presentation of your corporate event.

While event promotions continue running to drive registrations, it’s time to coordinate the rest of the event’s logistics.

Logistical to-dos might include:

• Finalizing your event’s agenda
• Creating your run-of-show document
• Setting up your virtual event environment
• Coordinating presentations with speakers
• Completing your on-site venue coordination
• Confirming and organizing audio/visual (A/V) production needs
• Doing dry runs and tech checks with presenters and hosts
• Nailing down any remaining experiential elements and things that might need to be mailed out to attendees, like swag

The list goes on.

Step 8: Put on a memorable experience

This is where it all comes together. Months of hard work, planning, and coordinating all culminate in attendees gathering for your experience.

Day of, you’ll want to make sure your team members are on the same page regarding their roles and responsibilities. Make sure you talk to:

• On-site staff , including event producers, emcees, hosts, reception workers, speaker liaisons, lead event managers, A/V technicians, guest relations coordinators, sponsor coordinators, and more
• Virtual staff , including producers, emcees and moderators, speaker liaisons, technical support, and chat managers
• Hybrid staff , including anyone supporting the coordination between experiences

Make sure the lines of communication stay open as your event is happening in case anything goes awry and needs to be addressed in the moment. Coordinating through software such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, or Walkie Talkies (for those in a physical venue), will make sure you’re on top of any issue.

Step 9: Evaluate your event’s results

As you celebrate a successful corporate event, remember to debrief with your team and complete post-event reporting for your stakeholders. Take a look at data and analytics to measure your event’s performance.

Look at event data like:

• Attendance : The percentage of registrants who actually attended the event
• Average time spent in the event : How long participants stayed at your event
• Visitor numbers : Unique visitors to different areas of the virtual venue, like keynotes and sponsor expos
• Connections made : How many participants connected with one another
• Event Net Promoter Score (NPS) : A number from 1-10 that tracks how satisfied attendees were with an event and how likely they are to refer that event to others or attend again

If you use a virtual event platform , the above data should be easy to pull together. Once you have your data, collect it in a post-event report to help you — and importantly, your stakeholders — evaluate how well your event performed relative to its goals and objectives.

Follow up with thank you notes and surveys to make sure you get feedback on what your participants enjoyed –– and what you can improve next time.

A corporate event planning checklist is a simple tool that can help you keep track of all the details in front of you, and make sure you’re ahead of the game when it comes to organizing your next corporate event. Consider these tasks as you navigate the process:

6-12 months out

• Determine your event’s goals and objectives
• Set your objectives, key results, and metrics
• Decide what type of event would best meet those goals
• Decide on theme and creative direction
• Create a budget and get approval from your stakeholders
• Set a date and time
• Start planning your location or venue

5-6 months out

• Finalize venue and vendors
• Identify speakers and start reaching out to them
• Start looking for sponsors and reach out to them
• Kick off your event branding, create a style guide, and start designing assets

3-5 months out

• Build event website
• Start event marketing and promotions to drive registration
• Finalize speakers
• Finalize sponsors
• Update your budget

1-3 months out

• Finalize details and logistics
• Source physical and virtual swag
• Update safety protocols, if necessary

0-1 month out

• Do final run-of-show rehearsals
• Get in sync with your event team on roles and responsibilities during the event
• Communicate final details to attendees
• Run final teaser campaigns
• Run last-minute promotions to fill any unclaimed spots
• Send attendee survey and thank you notes
• Send speaker gifts and thank you notes
• Schedule debrief with stakeholders on event performance against goals
• Update budgets, run-of-show, and processes for your next event
• Use event content to fuel marketing activities and branding campaigns

Want to learn more about hosting and marketing events? Read other Event Marketing Guides from Hopin.

You don’t have to go it alone when it comes to planning corporate events.

The right event technology can simplify the corporate event planning process and support you as you create the best attendee experience possible.

See how Hopin’s leading event platform can help you achieve success with every type of corporate event –– whether it’s virtual, hybrid, or in person. Contact our team of corporate event experts today to learn more.

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Corporate Event Planning

Planning your upcoming event for your corporation requires the expertise of a seasoned corporate event planner. At GPJ we have the knowledge and experience to insure your success from business meetings to corporate events. We are the industry leader in event management and organizing events. We have helped corporations foster strong relationships with their audiences and employees around the globe.

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Event planning for corporate events requires the full understanding of logistics, entertainment, audio visual, fabrication, catering, presentations, breakout sessions, social engagement and the marketing leading up to and following up after your corporate event. We’ll handle all the logistics associated with Corporate event planning for optimum results. Our scope of services ranges from executing on the program topics designed to resonate with your audience and developing the schedules for presenters and catering staff. Our Corporate event planners are also pros at venue selection. Event Marketing is right in our wheel-house from creating event websites to creation of programs including speakers, agenda, social media, venue and registration.

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Our team of corporate event planners have the full scope of skills needed to organize and manage the full spectrum of events. Wether it be virtual events on the Internet, or large scale venues. Our corporate planning team are veterans in planning conferences,industry award ceremonies,shareholder briefings,social events,product launches, press conferences,and annual company meetings. Work with GPJ to maximize attendance and provide a memorable experience for your audience. You can rely on our successful track record in Corporate Event Planning.

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Business Meeting and Event Planning For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Business meeting and event planning for dummies.

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And, if you can do all this and keep costs down — and you can! — you'll be a hit with your boss and your clients.

Planning effective business meetings and events

Always have a plan if you want your meeting or event to run smoothly! Consider the following as you make your plan:

• Make sure meeting objectives are clear and concise.
• Determine whether it’s necessary to meet at all, or whether you can accomplish your objectives in another way.
• Choose the right meeting location — one with the right number, size, and shape of meeting rooms.
• If hosting a virtual meeting, select the correct platform for the size and function of your meeting.
• Ensure you know and understand all the services provided by the facility or virtual platform, as well as its cancellation policies.
• Invite only the people who need to attend.
• Gather exact contact information for everyone involved in the event.
• Stick to the set meeting agenda.
• Evaluate the meeting or event after it’s over.

Finding great speakers

Other than the food you serve, the program you put together is likely to be the most memorable aspect of your meeting or event. Hiring the right speaker(s) to address participants is crucial. Here are the basics to keep in mind:

• Know the program objectives.
• Understand audience needs.
• Ask for references.
• View a demo video.
• Don’t assume that all celebrities know how to deliver an effective speech.
• Be wary of grandiose claims.
• Provide speakers with your expectations and the audience demographics so they give you what you want.

Negotiating your needs

One of the most important skills any planner must have is the ability to negotiate. The basic rules of negotiating are:

• Start with a plan. Know exactly what you want.
• Do your homework. Understand the value of your business.
• Be methodical and meticulous. Make careful notes of everything discussed and agreed upon.
• Use bargaining power. Have another supplier in the wings to help influence negotiations.
• A void vague and confusing language.
• Question preprinted contracts.
• Read the fine print.
• Insist on shared responsibility. Avoid any agreements that are one-sided.
• Assume nothing. Ask questions, more questions, and still more questions.
• Exercise silence. Be a champion listener.

Hiring vendors

Your success as a planner depends upon your ability to hire the right people to help you shine. How do you find them? Here are my tips:

Keep an eye out for good vendors when you attend parties and business events.

Ask trusted friends and industry colleagues for recommendations.

Ask contacts at your meeting location for a list of approved vendors.

Contact a professional association affiliated with the industry in which you need to find a vendor.

Search the Internet, and keep in mind that you need to check references for the companies you find.

Scan trade/industry publications and sites for potential resources.

Quiz the local Convention and Visitors Bureau in your destination city.

Consider using a destination management company, which could save you time, money, and aggravation by assisting with part or all of your planning.

Controlling costs

Want to make your boss happy? Know your budget before you begin planning, and stick to it! Here are some tips to help you accomplish that:

• Avoid surprises when renting a facility or working with vendors by getting all agreements in writing.
• Build a 10 percent contingency into your budget to accommodate unexpected expenses.
• Check all invoices against written quotations.
• Question all charges that don’t seem to compute.
• Limit the number of people authorized to charge items to your master account at the facility.
• Review hotel accounts daily to avoid major surprises on the final bill.
• Don’t sign off on any bills until you are totally satisfied.
• Keep an eye on hidden expenses such as overnight shipping, taxes, or overtime charges.
• Watch out for currency conversions when planning meetings overseas.

About This Article

This article is from the book:.

• Business Meeting and Event Planning For Dummies ,

About the book author:

Susan Friedmann is President of The Tradeshow Coach, which works with national and international exhibitors planning trade shows and special events.

This article can be found in the category:

• Exploring Special Presentation Situations
• Avoiding Common Meeting Mistakes
• Creating the Right Environment for a Business Meeting
• Working with a Catering Manager
• How to Find Great Speakers for Your Meeting or Event
• View All Articles From Book

An Essential Guide to Corporate Event Planning

Are you thinking about volunteering to plan your company's next corporate event? Or maybe you're seeking a career as an event planner. Depending on the company's size, you're wondering if you can pull it off.

Don't let planning corporate events intimidate you. You can have a lot of fun and learn some unique skills in the process.

Building business relationships that last are essential to a company's success. It doesn't matter if you're trying to reach clients, internal or external customers. Getting creative and bringing people together in the same room is still a great way to network.

One way to engage industry partners and help teams build relationships is through professional events. Attendance can range from a few people to a few thousand; it all depends on the type of event.

At its core, your corporate event checklist has five key elements. Each fits into the full scheme of things and will get you on your way to understanding how to plan a corporate event.

This article will provide an essential guide to help you create a memorable experience. Keep reading to discover our essential corporate event planning tips .

Five Elements to Use When Planning Corporate Events

Before committing to plan a corporate event, you must first understand the intended outcome. Each event is different, and depending on the objectives, you'll need to determine how to approach each phase.

Managing an event comes with different responsibilities. If you're not an event planner by trade, become familiar with the following stages of organizing a corporate function.

1. Research

When given the task of planning corporate events do your research. Learn what's trending in corporate events. Is there technology you can use to enhance the experience?

Most importantly, gather information on the five Ws.

Who is the intended audience?

Networking events are often for industry partners and vendors. Are these local attendees, or will people need to travel from different cities and states?

What is the purpose of the event?

Are you hosting a product launch , or is the company celebrating a remarkable achievement? Knowing the purpose of the event will guide everything from decorations to speakers.

When is the event taking place?

This question will have a direct on how to plan a corporate event. The more time you have, the more strategic you can be in planning the event.

Where will you host the event?

Securing the perfect corporate event venue is one of the key features of your event. However, securing your dream location can get tricky depending on the time of year the event is held.

Why is the outcome important to the company?

Companies often have good size budgets for corporate events. They want to ensure they receive a positive return on investment.

At the end of each event, you'll need to justify expenses. The company will look at whether the event produced the desired results, which will dictate future corporate events.

Design requires a creative person to help bring the event's vision to life. Before you reach this point, you'll need to have a theme. The theme allows your team to visualize the corporate event venue once everything is in place.

A corporate event checklist is good to have when hosting a themed party. The checklist will help you keep track of the important details and assign tasks.

Remember, the company's goal is to create an experience that attendees will remember long after the event is over.

3. Planning

Event planning is where your project management skills come into play. Planning an event for a small number of people isn't as intense as planning for 100 or more people.

Regardless, you'll need analytical skills and the ability to motivate others. If you're forming a team to work on the planning phase, choose individuals with a wide array of event planning skills.

Having the ability to multi-task is an excellent trait to have when in the planning phase. You'll also need to be able to work well with others.

Take your event to the next level with one of our live corporate bands

4. Coordination

Event coordination comes with different phases. Once the event planning is complete, the next phase is coordinating the event. The event planner and event coordinator can be the same person.

The coordinator oversees the event and ensures everything goes off as planned. The individual in this role is on-site before, during, and after the event ends.

Whereas most event planner duties are internal, the event coordinator will work more with outside vendors.

5. Evaluation

The final element is evaluation. Always inspect what you expect. Evaluate results as you progress through each phase of corporate event planning. Refer to your corporate event planning checklist to ensure all tasks are completed on time and to a high standard.

After each event, host a debriefing with team members to discuss the event and brainstorm ways to improve. Ask for feedback and share your assessments.

Types of Corporate Events

Now that we've gone over the basics of corporate event planning, let's get into the different types of corporate events.

Internal Events

Internal events can range from a leadership breakfast to the company's holiday party. The larger the corporation, the more opportunities exist for events. These events include:

• Shareholder meetings
• Executive retreats
• Training sessions
• Employee recognition
• Employee appreciation week
• Product introduction
• Benefits fair

Internal events are typically held on campus and are limited to employees, with a few exceptions.

External Events

Working with internal customers is easier because you're familiar with your company's team members and culture. Plus, most of your events will be held on-site. When it comes to external events, the likelihood of hosting off-site events increases.

Here are popular external corporate events.

• Trade shows
• Conferences
• Networking events
• Charity events
• Client appreciation dinner

The pandemic impacted both internal and external events. Event coordinators had to shift their event planning skills to incorporating virtual elements. Expect to see virtual event trends continue.

Later, we'll get into how technology streamlines event planning.

Hard vs Soft Skills

Event planning, in general, comes with hard and soft skills. However, as you focus on the type of event, you'll realize some skills are utilized more than others.

Soft Skills

The soft skills you'll need include a basic understanding of event planning. These are the five elements we discussed earlier.

Planning corporate events also includes being a good communicator. You'll need the ability to communicate well with both internal and external customers. Good communication skills are essential when it comes to negotiating with vendors.

Being a good listener is another great asset. To plan an amazing event, you'll need to understand the purpose of the event and the expected results. Good listeners can focus on the expected outcomes and understand each event is intentional and serves a purpose.

Possessing over-average organizational skills is a must. In addition, event planners must maintain order throughout the event planning process, and this is where having a checklist for corporate event planning comes into play.

Working well under pressure may seem like a difficult skill to master, but it's a characteristic that all event planners should possess naturally. When you're spearheading the event, you understand anything can go wrong without a moment's notice.

Your team depends on you to think fast and develop quick solutions to keep the ball rolling.

Hard Skills

Hard skills are your technical skills used to streamline the event planning process. Today, event planners must be tech-savvy, and they also need to be great communicators.

Written skills are vital to your success. You want to be able to communicate effectively to executives and team members. Possessing good written skills also ensures you're expressing things clearly and concisely.

Understanding the latest technology will go a long way in making your event run smoothly. When planning an event having the ability to use mobile devices to communicate and update your corporate event checklist is a must.

Social media is a great tool for event planners if the company utilizes it in business communications. Event planners can use social media to promote trade shows charity events and run targeted ads.

Utilizing Technology for Event Planning

There is a lot of software available today that wasn't on the market twenty years ago. Incorporating applications that help teams communicate is vital to the success of your event, and it's also a great way to keep track of progress and spending.

Event planning software is proven to impact corporate event planning positively. The right software can improve attendance, enhance productivity, and help keep tabs on your spending.

The key features to look for in event planning software include:

• Accessibility
• Event diagramming
• Event registration
• Group registration
• Online payment processing
• Global payment options
• Event analytics

There are plenty of event planning software options on the market. You may need to invest in more than one app to ensure you have everything you need. Determine which features are important to your industry and choose which products fit your needs.

Conceptualizing the Event

It's time to put your design elements into play.

In other instances, there isn't a theme, like trade shows and stakeholder meetings. You'll still have a list of bullet points to check off.

Here are the fine points of conceptualizing corporate events.

Stakeholders

Understanding who the stakeholders are for the event is vital to your success. Stakeholders aren't only the company hosting the event. They are the participants, sponsors, media if it's a community event, plus the community.

Your goal is to impress the stakeholders with your knowledge and expertise. When they leave the event, you want to rest assured all of the intended outcomes have been met.

Team Members

Corporate event planners can't pull off events alone. They require a team of individuals that are reliable and have specific skills.

Building your team to create the perfect event is a talent of its own. You'll want people who understand your work ethic and share your commitment.

Roles to consider include:

• Admin assistant
• Decorations/Props designer
• Set-up/breakdown crews
• Social media manager
• Cleaning team

During the conceptualization portion, you'll create a schedule and outline where every team member is during the process. Include the duties they'll perform.

Choose a Theme

The fun part of planning corporate events is planning themed events. Just because it's business-related doesn't mean the event can't be imaginative.

Quickly increase participation and engagement by hosting an event centred around something trendy. For example, a popular movie, pop culture, or a national holiday.

Themed events are not only for large gatherings. Raise the bar at corporate board meetings and take the edge off the serious matters being discussed.

The theme for the event may be given to you, or you might be responsible for creating one. Always consider your audience and corporate culture . Stay away from controversial themes that could offend guests.

Creating a Realistic Budget

All event planners would love access to a Black Card when planning corporate events. Companies have budgetary restraints for a good reason. Corporate events are intentional, and all have an underlying goal that benefits the company.

The cost of the event cannot exceed the goal. For example, an employee appreciation event celebrates employees for the company exceeding their financial goals. You don't want to spend the entire excess in revenue on the event.

The company will provide the event planner with a budget in most instances. Any amount over the figure given will need approval. It's to your benefit to create the best event with the monies allotted to you.

Ensure there are checks and balances in place. Use accounting software so you always have detailed financial records.

Establishing a Timeline

Understanding how to plan a corporate event weighs heavily on your organizational skills. Establish a timeline for accomplishing tasks leading up to the event. Don't be afraid to delegate duties.

Having a timeline is a way to get your team to commit to staying on task. This is where having event management software can help your teams. As deadlines approach, send reminders and follow-up to ensure goals are being met.

Address issues as they arise. Once you start falling behind, it becomes harder to get back on track.

Check-in personally with your team. Don't always rely on emails, text, and instant messaging. Pick up the phone and have conversations.

Interpersonal communication is a valuable asset when working with a team. It allows you to feel the pulse of your group and understand if people are feeling overwhelmed and being upfront about their progress.

Secure the Perfect Venue

As mentioned earlier, securing a venue is a high priority. Your corporate event venue can make or break the best-planned corporate function. Early in the process, consider locations for off-site events.

If you're planning a holiday party, you may need to book the location a year or more in advance. Read your contracts for cancellation fees and other incidental costs. Deposits are required to hold reserve venues.

Make sure the venue can accommodate your maximum number of attendees. Ask if they can move the event to a smaller room if you cannot reach your attendance goals.

Prepare an event venue checklist to ensure you're asking pertinent questions. The event could require audio and visual set-ups, a stage, kitchen access, outdoor lighting, and electrical outlets.

Accessibility to the event space for set-up and breakdown is in addition to the event times.

Choose a Caterer

Other key elements of creating concepts for your event include planning out your menus. Will in-house food services cater for the event, or will you need to bring in a caterer?

Themed events require a menu that matches the theme. The menu should fit the occasion and the theme. Choose cuisine that's appropriate for the time of day.

If you're hosting a Mardi Gras-themed event, the menu must include popular New Orleans-style dishes. You'll also need to make considerations for attendees with dietary restrictions.

Select the Entertainment

Entertainment for a corporate event can range from a laid back jazz band as guests arrive, to a lively function band in the evening. With the formalities of the day over, it's essential to reward your guests with an evening of entertainment, ensuring your event is fondly remembered by all involved.

Choose your entertainment early in the process so you can secure the best talent, many musicians and bands take bookings over 12 months in advance.

Create a Guest List

When companies host events centred around employees, they may have certain restrictions. These events could be geared towards certain groups. Defining the guest list is the responsibility of the company hosting the event.

A holiday party will include everyone working for the company. However, a marketing event is limited to sales and marketing team members and executives.

Planning corporate events like trade shows or conventions will attract industry partners, vendors, and business owners. A community event is open to the public, but invitations are sent to key people.

Create the guest list at least three months before the event and verify you have updated information.

Send Out Invites

There are numerous ways to send invites. Personal invitations still require a card sent in the mail. Less formal methods include emails, social media, and invite apps.

For company functions, it is standard to send invitations via email. The company will also want to post information on their intranet and company newsletters.

Community events will require extra work. If the company can land local interviews, that will boost attendance for the event. Methods like press releases, radio, television, and print ads, are important.

Invitations go out three to six months before the invite. You'll want to have a process in place to follow up with invitees that haven't RSVP'd at least a month before the big day.

Verifying attendance early allows you to notify the venue of changes in your original count.

Arranging Accommodations

Corporate event planning that requires guests coming in from out of the area will need accommodations. As part of your duties as the event planner, you'll need to assure travellers have airfare, transportation, and lodging set-up.

Corporations generally have relationships with various vendors to ease the process.

Market the Event

The event planner for corporate events may not be responsible for marketing, but they should have input. As the planner, you want your concepts to transfer to every aspect of the project.

Corporate event planning tips for marketing an event include:

• Social media
• Email marketing
• Print advertising
• Digital advertising

You can't plan a successful event if no one knows about it. Use marketing mediums that fit your event structure. Here are a few corporate event planning tips for marketing.

Social Media

A corporation's social media channels are a perfect platform for marketing community events, trade shows, and conventions. Social platforms offer businesses various tools to cater their ads to a specific audience.

Facebook allows users to create event invites. They encourage businesses to create groups from their business page . You can create a group for attendees and share important updates.

You can also live stream on several platforms, which is a great way to promote the event.

Email Marketing

Use email marketing to announce your event. Emails are a great way to keep attendees updated and to send reminder messages. Include features that allow registration and payments when required.

Print and Digital Marketing

Create engaging high-resolution images and videos to market the event. You want to give all marketing pieces the who, what, when, and where. Include the company's website and contact information.

Repurpose content to cut costs. Use images in print material, social posts, and email marketing. Videos can also go on social posts , emails, and digital ads.

Cheers to a Memorable Corporate Event

Planning corporate events is both challenging and rewarding. These tips are sure to get you well on your way to becoming a prominent corporate event planner.

A week after the event, schedule a debriefing. This is where you'll discuss the event and brainstorm what improvements are needed for future jobs.

Need entertainment for your next event? Get in touch to discuss your requirements, and our team will be happy to help.

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Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners

What They Do

Work environment, how to become one, job outlook, state & area data, similar occupations.

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What Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners Do

Meeting, convention, and event planners arrange all aspects of events and professional gatherings.

Meeting, convention, and event planners work in their offices and onsite at hotels or conference centers. They often travel to attend events and visit meeting sites. During meetings or conventions, planners may work many more hours than usual.

How to Become a Meeting, Convention, or Event Planner

Meeting, convention, and event planners typically need a bachelor’s degree. Some experience related to event planning may be helpful.

The median annual wage for meeting, convention, and event planners was $49,470 in May 2021.

Employment of meeting, convention, and event planners is projected to grow 18 percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations.

About 16,600 openings for meeting, convention, and event planners are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Explore resources for employment and wages by state and area for meeting, convention, and event planners.

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of meeting, convention, and event planners with similar occupations.

More Information, Including Links to O*NET

Learn more about meeting, convention, and event planners by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.

What Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners Do About this section

Meeting, convention, and event planners arrange all aspects of events and professional gatherings. They arrange meeting locations, transportation, and other details.

Meeting, convention, and event planners typically do the following:

• Meet with clients to understand the purpose of the event
• Plan the scope of the event, including its time, location, and cost
• Solicit bids from venues and service providers
• Inspect venues to ensure that they meet the client’s requirements
• Coordinate event services such as rooms, transportation, and food
• Monitor event activities to ensure that the client and the attendees are satisfied
• Review event bills and approve payments

Meeting, convention, and event planners organize a variety of social and professional events, including weddings, educational conferences, and business conventions. They coordinate every detail of these events, including finances. Before planning a meeting, for example, planners meet with clients to estimate attendance and determine the meeting’s purpose. During the event, they handle logistics, such as registering guests and organizing audiovisual equipment. After the meeting, they make sure that all vendors are paid, and they may survey attendees to obtain feedback on the event.

Meeting, convention, and event planners search for potential meeting sites, such as hotels and convention centers. They consider the lodging and services that the facility can provide, how easy it will be for people to get there, and the attractions that the surrounding area has to offer.

Once a location is selected, planners arrange the meeting space and support services, such as catering and interpreters . They negotiate contracts with suppliers and coordinate plans with the venue’s staff. They may also organize speakers, entertainment, and activities.

The following are examples of types of meeting, convention, and event planners:

Meeting planners plan large meetings for organizations. Healthcare meeting planners specialize in organizing meetings and conferences for healthcare professionals. Corporate planners organize internal business meetings and meetings between businesses. These events may be in person or online and held either within corporate facilities or offsite to include more people.

Convention planners plan conventions and conferences for organizations. Association planners organize annual conferences and trade shows for professional associations. Convention service managers work for hotels and convention centers. They act as liaisons between the meeting facility and the planners who work for associations, businesses, and governments. They present food service options to outside planners, coordinate special requests, and suggest hotel services that work within a planner’s budget.

Event planners arrange the details of a variety of events. Wedding planners are the most well known, but event planners also coordinate celebrations such as anniversaries, reunions, and other large social events, as well as corporate events, including product launches, galas, and award ceremonies. Nonprofit event planners plan large events with the goal of raising donations for a charity or advocacy organization. Events may include banquets, charity races, and food drives.

Exhibition organizers are responsible for all aspects of planning, promoting, and producing a display. They are also called exhibit managers, show managers, or show organizer.

Work Environment About this section

Meeting, convention, and event planners held about 128,200 jobs in 2021. The largest employers of meeting, convention, and event planners were as follows:

Meeting, convention, and event planners spend time in their offices and at event locations, such as hotels and convention centers. They may travel regularly to attend the events they organize and to visit meeting sites.

The work of meeting, convention, and event planners can be fast paced and demanding. Planners oversee many aspects of an event at the same time and face numerous deadlines, and they may coordinate multiple meetings or events at the same time.

Work Schedules

Most meeting, convention, and event planners work full time, and many work more than 40 hours per week. They often work additional hours to finalize preparations as major events approach. During meetings or conventions, planners may work on weekends.

How to Become a Meeting, Convention, or Event Planner About this section

Meeting, convention, and event planners typically need a bachelor’s degree. Although some colleges offer programs in meeting and event management, other common fields of degree include business , communications , and social science .

Planners who have studied meeting and event management or hospitality management may start out with greater responsibilities than do those from other academic disciplines. Some colleges offer continuing education courses in meeting and event planning.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

A number of voluntary certifications are available for meeting and convention planners. Although not required, these certifications demonstrate specific knowledge or professional expertise.

The Events Industry Council offers the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) credential, which is widely recognized in the industry and may help in career advancement. To qualify for the CMP, candidates’ applications must include proof of experience and education. Those who qualify must then pass an exam that covers topics such as strategic planning, financial and risk management, facility operations and services, and logistics.

The Society of Government Meeting Professionals offers the Certified Government Meeting Professional (CGMP) designation for meeting planners who work for, or contract with, federal, state, or local government. This certification is helpful for candidates who want to show that they know government purchasing policies and travel regulations. To qualify, candidates must have worked as a meeting planner for at least 1 year and have been a member of SGMP for 6 months. To become a certified planner, members must take a 3-day course and pass an exam.

The  International Association of Exhibitions and Events offers the Certified in Exhibition Management (CEM) designation, which demonstrates meeting professional standards for exhibitions and events management. Candidates obtain this credential by completing nine courses.

Some organizations, including the American Association of Certified Wedding Planners , offer certifications in wedding planning that may be helpful for attracting clients.

Other Experience

Meeting, convention, and event planners may benefit from having some experience in meeting and event planning. Working in a variety of positions at hotels, convention centers, and convention bureaus provides knowledge of how the hospitality industry operates. Other beneficial work experiences include coordinating university or volunteer events and shadowing professionals.

Important Qualities

Communication skills. Meeting, convention, and event planners exchange information with clients, suppliers, and event staff. They must have excellent written and oral communication skills to express the needs of their clients.

Interpersonal skills. Meeting, convention, and event planners must establish and maintain positive relationships with clients and suppliers.

Negotiation skills. Meeting, convention, and event planners must be able to secure quality products and services at reasonable prices for their clients.

Organizational skills. Meeting, convention, and event planners must multitask, pay attention to details, and meet tight deadlines.

Problem-solving skills. Meeting, convention, and event planners must be able to anticipate potential issues and prepare creative solutions that satisfy clients.

Pay About this section

Median annual wages, May 2021

Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

The median annual wage for meeting, convention, and event planners was $49,470 in May 2021. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $30,170, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $96,230.

In May 2021, the median annual wages for meeting, convention, and event planners in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

Job Outlook About this section

Percent change in employment, projected 2021-31

Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program

Much of the projected employment growth in this occupation is due to recovery from the COVID-19 recession of 2020.

Event planners' services are expected to be in demand by people who want help organizing personal events, such as weddings. In addition, demand for professionally planned meetings and events will stem from businesses and organizations that host events. However, virtual meeting technology may dampen employment growth as virtual meetings continue to replace some in-person events.

State & Area Data About this section

Occupational employment and wage statistics (oews).

The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link(s) below go to OEWS data maps for employment and wages by state and area.

• Meeting, convention, and event planners

Projections Central

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For more information about professional planning for meetings, conventions, exhibitions, and events, including information about certification and industry trends, visit

Events Industry Council

International Association of Exhibitions and Events

Society of Government Meeting Professionals

For more information about wedding planners, including information about certification, visit

American Association of Certified Wedding Planners

Association of Bridal Consultants

Occupational Requirements Survey

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Meeting, convention, and event planners (PDF)

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook , Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/meeting-convention-and-event-planners.htm (visited March 03, 2023 ).

Last Modified Date: Friday, September 30, 2022

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An event manager’s guide to corporate event planning

18 MIN READ

Corporate events by size

Corporate events by type.

• The challenges
• A checklist
• Event manager skills
• Event companies in the US
• Event companies in the UK
• What is event management software
• Do I need to use software
• Top features to look for
• Top 20 event management tools
• Corporate event planning: a 19-step checklist for success

Corporate event planning is a huge undertaking.

You want to inspire internal and external stakeholders while leaving a lasting, positive impression. Successful events efficiently manage people, dates, ideas, numbers, and more—but, how do you ensure you don’t miss a thing?  

Spoiler alert: it’s with a comprehensive approach to corporate event management.

If you’re creating an event roadmap, or simply exploring where to begin for the next business event, this corporate event planning guide is for you. 

You’ll learn to navigate everyday challenges, implement best practices, create must-have checklists, and even manage post-event engagement strategies—everything you need to create show-stopping events.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at:

What is corporate event planning?

The challenges of corporate event planning.

• The 5C’s of corporate event planning
• 6 steps for seamless corporate events

Corporate event planning: a checklist for success

Let’s dive in and explore what it takes to make corporate events successful.

Corporate event planning involves organizing business events to engage with customers, employees, and other stakeholders. Common reasons for hosting corporate events include:

• To educate employees or the public about new initiatives and offerings
• To reward staff for their contribution to the company’s growth and success
• To celebrate milestones with clients, employees, and other members
• To announce organizational changes and potential impacts
• To facilitate collaboration and networking among different business teams

Be it a client hospitality event or an internal training seminar–the ultimate aim is to bring people together and help them develop business relationships.

Booming businesses usually have several events on the horizon. You can categorize them into the following types, depending on their size. 

1. Small events 

Small events host smaller groups of up to 250 people and are flexible with venues or activities. Common examples include training days, seminars, or departmental conferences.

Small event planning requirements:

• Lunch : depending on your needs, this could be ordering food or bringing in a caterer.
• Transport : you need to ensure attendees are able to get to and from the event, especially when entertaining external stakeholders.
• Refreshments : keep everyone hydrated and alert throughout the day.
• Online registration : make sure attendees can easily access event information, such as timings and location.
• Breakout sessions : you’ll need to organize space–be it online or in-person—to host breakout sessions.
• Audio-visual facilities : find a space that can accommodate your tech needs for presentations and speakers.
• Main stage itinerary planning : enable attendees to keep track of the main events, such as speaker timings and Q&As.

Some small events could be twenty people on a training day, or it could be 150 people attending a company mixer. Either way, event planners need to prepare and accommodate all attendees.

2. Midsize events 

Midsize events include conferences or leadership summits for up to 1,000 attendees. Such events rely on technology to create and execute well-oiled plans and bring together employees from all over the organization, valuable customers, and senior leaders. 

In addition to the requirements for smaller events, midsize event planning requirements include:

• Pre-event orientation : get everyone settled with event onboarding and orientation.
• Post-event entertainment : corporate events are often a mix of business and pleasure—ensure guests are kept entertained throughout their time at your event.
• Pre-event communications: whether this is with sponsors or attendees, you want a way to communicate event-related changes and updates quickly and easily.
• Hotel accommodation and transport: if you’ve got guests coming from far and wide, you’ll need to organize accommodation and event transport. 
• Event mobile app : an event application enables you to keep guests informed on any updates, and manage guest lists and ticketing.

3. Large events 

Large corporate events are complex and can be incredibly tricky to handle. These events often take place over multiple days and attract thousands of attendees. 

Comprehensive event planning is vital for successfully managing these events. Typical examples are multi-day conventions, business conferences, award ceremonies, and trade shows. 

In addition to the requirements of a small and midsize event, large event planning requirements include:

• Speaker management: effectively find, book, and manage keynote speakers for your corporate event.
• Delegate management: keep stakeholders happy by providing a top-notch experience to delegates.
• Event registration: for big events, you’ll need a streamlined way to accept and manage event registration. 
• Staffing: you’ll need to keep a close eye on your staffing capabilities to ensure you’re never run off your feet.
• Flight and hotel room reservations: big events can often mean reserving full hotel floors for the expected guests. You need a way to manage these bookings and ensure a smooth experience.

Large events require months of planning and precise coordination. You’ll need to approach these events with ample time to plan and execute your ideas—or you risk things going wrong.

Now we’ve looked into the different-sized events you can host, let's take a look at the different types of corporate events.

There are many different types of corporate events—some more common than others. Here are some of the types of events you can expect to encounter in the corporate world:

• Trade shows: reinforce a company’s image as an industry leader and help them generate leads. Trade shows are a great way to gather key players in your industry to discuss industry trends and figures.
• Product launches: release new products to create buzz among customers and the media. A great example of this is Apple Events, where the company gathers industry leaders and press to learn about new products and features.
• Appreciation events: celebrate employees with events to motivate and appreciate employees.
• Team-building events: organize indoor and outdoor activities to boost employee confidence and morale. This can be a large offsite event or a smaller on-site team-building session.
• Seminars and conferences : invite speakers to enhance employees’ or internal stakeholders’ knowledge on specific topics. This can be a great way to engage employees around a certain topic.
• Board and shareholder meetings: bring together board members and shareholders to review business performance and make crucial decisions. A professional event helps reassure your higher-ups that everything’s running smoothly.
• Organizational milestone celebrations: celebrate major milestones or anniversaries, such as financial accomplishments and company milestones. For example, you might want to celebrate ten years of your company’s existence with a fancy event for all stakeholders.

Corporate event planning takes your events to the next level—but it doesn't come without its fair share of challenges. 

Your event can fail despite your super-human organizational skills. That’s why corporate event managers need to expect the unexpected and prepare accordingly. 

Let’s look at the common corporate event planning challenges you want to avoid running into.

Understaffed events

There’s no bigger problem than having too few staff for an event. Understaffing increases work pressure on the event day and leaves your team scrambling to meet attendee expectations. 

Consider your event and the expected numbers, and how many members of staff are required to ensure you’re never run off your feet. Be clear on roles and responsibilities—managing your events should be similar to managing your company.

You want to err on the side of caution when it comes to staffing—if you’re unsure, be generous. If you’ve run past events, look back on how they were staffed—did you have too few or too many staff on the event? Get in touch with an events company to source staff for your event—they can advise on the optimum staffing levels.

Sticking to your event budget

Event budgeting can set you up for success—or failure—when planning an in-person, virtual, or hybrid event. Budget is an issue that troubles even the most experienced event planners—costs quickly add up and, before you know it, you’ve blown the budget. 

Things change all the time, and you may have additional requirements just before the event. For example, supplier costs may go up based on the actuals or you may encounter an unanticipated expenditure. That’s why it’s wise to keep your expenses modest and ensure you budget a contingency fund. 

You can even analyze previous research and data to identify the specific spending on each occasion. For example, compare event lifecycle budget line items—such as venue, food, beverage, travel, accommodation, speaker fees, staffing, and marketing—with those from your previous events. 

You can also use dedicated corporate event management software to plan event budgets, create budget reports, and uncover the total return on investment (ROI). These tools will help you track spending, and help ensure you’re making budget-friendly decisions.

Finding the right venue

Pinning down the right venue is crucial for event success. 

You want your venue to fit the event, but you often need to secure a location before starting to plan. Venues require a lot of advanced notice, which is why it’s essential you’re organized from the get-go.

You want to consider multiple factors before choosing a venue, such as:

• Location: can attendees conveniently reach the venue? Is it accessible for all employees?
• Availability: is the venue available on the dates you’re planning? Can it be booked for the entirety of your event?
• Capacity: will the venue fit the number of attendees you’re expecting? 
• Budget: does the venue cost fit your event budget? Do they offer any special rates for large-scale events?
• Safety and security: does the venue maintain standard safety and security protocols? Will guests be safe during the event?

There is no easy way to source the perfect venue—but there are a couple of ways you can make sure you’re not scrambling to find a venue at the last minute:

• Prepare a list of venues once you understand what type of event you’re looking to host, and what type of venue you need to do it. Consider what other events venues have hosted, and what attendees have to say about the experience.
• Write requests for proposals (RFPs) based on your understanding of event objectives and requirements. Don’t forget to add budget requirements and RFP submission deadlines. You can also use a venue sourcing tool to filter venues and send them RFP requests one by one. You’ll get lots more information directly from the source than you will online. Plus, venues want your business—they might offer additional services to win you over.
• Evaluate RFPs based on how well they meet your requirements. Consider venue layouts and venue managers’ responsiveness too. If some venues take weeks to reply, you’ll likely also encounter communication issues further down the line.

If you’re flexible with event dates, look for venues with seasonal pricing. You might get a better deal since some venues offer lower prices during certain times of the year. 

Attendee engagement and communication

A solid attendee engagement plan is key to exceeding attendee expectations. That’s why it’s vital to consider your prospective audience and understand their preferences.

You also need to avoid information overload, which can quickly disengage participants. Here are a couple of ways to ensure that your attendees remain engaged throughout an event.

• Organize plenary sessions with engaging speakers to ensure delegate participation and high attendee engagement. You can also arrange table discussions or real-time Q&As to keep attendees involved in the event. 
• Create interactive content for conference breakouts with targeted and interactive content to help keep everyone on their toes. 
• Create networking opportunities to make sure there are enough ways for attendees to connect. Connecting with others in their field is a top benefit for employees when it comes to corporate events.

You want to learn from feedback— use technology tools to run live polls and gather data that’ll help you adjust priorities. That way, you can continue to learn as you organize more and more events.

These are the common problems you’ll face regardless of the type of event you’re hosting. Even smaller events can run into these issues—so, how do you avoid them?  

Let’s look at the five C’s of corporate event management for tips on how to ensure your events are a success—from attendee registration to post-event reporting.

The 5C’s of corporate event management

Let’s explore the 5C’s of event management before discussing best practices for organizing show-stopping corporate events. These 5C’s will help ensure your event runs smoothly from start to finish . 

• Concept: make sure you’ve got clear event objectives to ensure both stakeholders and the event planning team have a good idea of what’s going on.
• Coordination: consider how you’ll plan your event, including logistics, strategy, plans, and budget. Event planning requires precise plans and coordinated efforts, so starting sooner rather than later is a must.
• Control: assign roles to the members of your team to ensure all bases are covered. Establish a hierarchy for approval—event management software can speed this process up and simply assign responsibilities.
• Culmination: all your hard work leading up to the event day is worth nothing if you’re unable to execute your plans. Ensure everything's in place for a seamless event when the day arrives.
• Closing: measure your event success to improve on future event planning. Consider aspects such as attendee engagement, attendee satisfaction, and event KPIs for measuring event success. 

Keeping track of the 5C’s of corporate event planning enables you to break your event up into stages, and seamlessly manage your event management process.

Having trouble mapping out your corporate event? Try TravelPerk’s Event Management Solution to find out how you could speed-up your event-based business trips by managing attendees, booking travel, scheduling meetings, and choosing a location—all on one platform.

Corporate event management best practices: 6 steps for seamless corporate events

Now, onto the dos and don’ts of event planning. Whether you’re a new or a pro event manager, follow these steps when planning your next big corporate event. 

1. Outline event objectives

You can’t create a compelling event plan without knowing what you’re looking to achieve. Discuss even objectives with your senior leadership team and develop a solid understanding of why this event matters. 

Consider the following when setting your event objectives: 

• Research the target audience and understand what they want from events.
• Decide whether you want to educate, motivate, or inspire with your content.
• Have a clear purpose to align your event with organizational objectives from the outset.
• Zero in on the metrics that you want to measure for determining event success.

Once you identify the focus of an event, you’ll be in a better position to tackle the event budget.

2. Set your event budget

Budgeting is one of the top challenges of planning and executing events. It’s essential to map event costs beforehand to ensure you don’t overspend. 

Here are some event budgeting best practices to create a successful corporate event. 

• Make a list of everything you’ll need throughout the event lifecycle to estimate event expenses, including taxes and overheads.
• Research event budget costs for estimated pricing close to the actual cost.
• Look back on previous events for an idea of costs.

You can manage the event budget on a simple Google spreadsheet, or use event management software for added capabilities.

You’ll often have a set budget for your event—you need to make it work. Don’t hesitate to ask vendors for several quotes and choose those that fit your vision.

3. Develop an event marketing plan

For your public events you’ll need to allow time to market your event—all your planning is for nothing if nobody attends, after all.

Ask these questions to better understand your audience:

• What are the demographic trends of your attendees?
• What social media channels do they use?
• Which digital touchpoints are necessary for reaching them?
• Does the event solve a specific problem?
• When are your attendees usually online?

These answers will help you lay the foundations of your event marketing strategy. Think of every touchpoint you can use to reach attendees throughout the event lifecycle—be it with in-office displays or company-wide emails. 

4. Consider sponsors and how you’ll find them

Finding the right sponsors for your public events can be a win-win for both you and your chosen sponsor. Event sponsors provide you with key event resources in return for promotion—you can have more than one sponsor at a time, especially for bigger events

Here’s how you can go about finding a sponsor for your event:

• Identify a list of target sponsors capable of providing the resources you need.
• Align sponsor interest with event objectives to gain interest.
• Create different sponsorship levels to cater to sponsors of all sizes.

Building relationships with sponsors helps your long-term corporate events plan—one successful event could easily turn into a dozen.

5. Monitor attendee experience

Once you’ve taken care of the event goals, budget, marketing, and sponsors—take time to think about attendees.

How can you ensure all attendees enjoy the experience? The answer lies in personalizing the attendee experience with mobile experiences and engaging content. 

Here’s what you can do to ensure interaction among your audience:

• Drive audience engagement with interactive maps, quizzes, feedback surveys, polls, and other forms of gamification.
• Use mobile apps to send last-minute event change notifications or discounts.
• Allow attendees to personalize schedules and attend different networking sessions.

Lots of these features are made a whole lot easier with event management software. Many event management solutions offer a mobile app to facilitate the experience for attendees.

6. Post-event engagement strategies

Your event isn’t over once the last guest exits the venue—there’s still lots of work to be done. This is where the post-event engagement phase begins. It’s a key stage for gathering feedback to improve future events. 

Consider these post-event engagement strategies to provide a great post-event experience for your attendees:

• Create a post-event survey: to measure attendee satisfaction and offer an incentive to increase participation.
• Set up a follow-up networking event: to create a community and facilitate conversations among returning guests.
• Create text and video blogs: to repurpose valuable conference content. You’ve likely gathered ample information, both from speakers and attendees.
• Send a thank you gift: to appreciate attendees’ time and participation. This can also be a great way to promote sponsors and satisfy agreements.
• Host a social media contest: to generate buzz and get more user-generated content by getting attendees to share their experience.
• Offer discounts and deals: to promote products in the days following your event, when attendees are most engaged.

Planning corporate events can be overwhelming even when you know what it takes to bring events to life. 

We’ve put together this corporate event checklist to take the guesswork out of planning and free up your headspace. When planning your event, make sure you:

• Develop event objectives that align with organizational goals.
• Develop and stick to a corporate event budget that accounts for all aspects of your event.
• Source venues months in advance to secure your ideal location.
• Talk with sponsors about how you can work together on your corporate events.
• Consider food and beverage, transport, and accommodation for attendees. If this requires making arrangements with third parties, make sure to do so in advance.
• Organize a multichannel approach to event marketing materials.
• Use an app or website to communicate event details with attendees.
• Gather post-event data through surveys, follow-up calls, and social media activity.

Our number one item on any event planning checklist, however, is to ensure you’ve got a powerful corporate event planning tool on your side. This makes every step of the corporate event planning process a whole lot easier. 

TravelPerk’s event management solution can help you take your corporate event to the next level. It allows you to get all your attendees and employees from wherever they are right to your event–safely, fast, and seamlessly. 

With TravelPerk’s event solution you can manage everything you need from the same platform:

• Manage invites: invite attendees and track their responses and status of their bookings.
• Keep everyone in the loop: share trip details like attendee names, logistics, agendas, and everything needed for the event to run smoothly.
• Every detail matter: keep attendees and participants updates with real-time information and changes to the plan.
• Visibility and tracking: view attendees’ travel plans, including arrival and departure times and accommodation details.

Forget the constant back and forths, and rest easy knowing your event-based business trips are under control.  Get in touch with the TravelPerk team today to find out how you can start mastering your corporate event planning process and more.

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