Organising a corporate conference can be a daunting task and requires attention to detail. It’s important to cover all bases to ensure everything runs smoothly and you don’t experience any unexpected blips.
Have a clear objective
What’s the purpose of the conference? There can be all kinds of reasons why a conference is right for your business, whether it’s to strengthen relationships with customers, allow for networking or cover internal training, consider what you want to get out of the conference and let this goal guide your planning.
Create a detailed agenda
Once you’ve decided on the goal for the conference, you can start planning a detailed agenda. It’s a good idea to spend quality time getting this perfected as securing guest speakers can take months to plan. When planning the agenda, include variations with various speakers, workshops or interactive sessions to keep things interestingand engaging. For tips on how to create the perfect agenda, working with a professional conference organiser will streamline this process.
Share this agenda with all guests beforehand, especially if you’re bringing external speakers into the event as they’ll need to know the order of events to ensure timings don’t go over or under.
Choose the right venue
The venue should reflect your company’s culture – if you’re looking to encourage networking and create a more relaxed event, choose a venue that’s less corporate and has open-plan breakout spaces to prompt conversations. Always check in with the venue to make sure they can meet your expectations as you’ll likely find they can beflexible to your needs.
Work out the logistics
No matter how big or small the corporate event is, it’s crucial to get the details down as early as possible.
Technology
There’s nothing worse than technology failing at the exact moment you need it. Visiting the venue in advance will help to flag any potential technological issues. Testing equipment like microphonesand projectors is crucial to ensuring the transitions from each agendaitem go smoothly, without any tech failures. It’s also good practice to make sure all speakers send the appropriate files and presentationsbeforehand and keep all assets in one shared drive or USB stick for ease of use.
Accessibility and parking
When planning a corporate event, it goes without saying that site selection is important. You must ensure each guest can access the site easily, no matter their method of transport. Not everyone drives and some rely on public transport, so ensure the venue is connected to a train line or bus route.
If the venue is a little out of the way, it can be a nice idea to send guests directions ahead of time to help them arrive safely at the venue. It shows that you’re organised and considering every detail to make sure all guests are prepared.
Organise refreshments
Every corporate conference needs regular refreshment breaks. Check your guests’ dietary requirements and plan ahead of time to make sure everyone is catered for. Breaks within the agenda are important to ensure people have enough water and hot drinks; you’ll often find it’sin these points of downtime that the best conversations happen!
The importance of financial planning
You’ll need to consider all costs, from venue renting, to staffing, catering and technology. It’s also a good idea to have a financial buffer to cover last-minute or unexpected costs as changes to the plan can happen. Going the extra mile to think about the little details makes the day more meaningful and memorable for all.
How to engage employees
Interactive sessions are great for engaging guests in talks and conversations. Presentations that don’t allow for audience interaction can get repetitive over time and you’ll find guests becoming less and less engaged. Short quizzes, games or Q+As will get people on board and engaged, ensuring they get the most out of the event as possible. If you’re struggling with ideas for interactive activities for your conference, working with a professional corporate planning company like The Events Company will streamline this process to help you plan the perfect day.
It’s good practice to have breathing space within the agenda and allow some time after each item in case things run over. Questions anddiscussions usually happen at the end of presentations and there’s nothing less inspiring than having a rushed agenda where attendees don’t get the opportunity to ask questions and network.
Gather feedback for continuous improvement
An evaluation process at the end of our conference will allow you to measure the success of your event. There are plenty of digital feedback tools such as SurveyMonkey and Typeform – users can scan a QR code which takes them to the survey at the end of the day.
Even if constructive criticism is received, this is super valuable to refine further corporate events. To take the pressure off organising your own event, choose a professional conference organiser to take the lead and plan your perfect conference.
