Part of doing business these days is being able to plan out events that help to strengthen a company internally as well as inform and educate people about the purpose and place of the company within an industry. One of the most effective ways this can be accomplished is to have an ongoing corporate event program.
Essentially, a corporate event program has to do with planning activities, conferences, community projects, and other events that are all aimed at accomplishing the overall goals of the organization. Some of the events that fall under the broad umbrella of a corporate event program focus on internal needs and functions. As an example, companies with a number of locations may choose to have an annual or semi-annual conference for officers and key managers, providing a forum for education and sharing information of upcoming events and goals for the company.
Another example would be participating in business expositions and conferences where the company and its product line have a chance to attract the attention of new clients. A third variation of corporate programs has to do with involving the company with some need within the community where the company or a facility of the business is located.
Regardless of which type of corporate event program is involved, there are several essential aspects that must be addressed in order to make corporate events successful. One good place to start is defining the purpose and mission of the event. Arriving at a clear understanding of the reasons for the event will make it much easier from the perspective of corporate planning.
As an example, if the upcoming event that needs to be planned is a weekend getaway for the top five customers of the company, then the focus will be on making travel arrangements for the clients, including airfare, ground transportation, and hotel accommodations. From there, factoring in arrangements for meals and amusements, such as cocktail parties, golf, or concerts will be in order. In the event that the company wishes to formally recognize these clients, a testimonial dinner will need to be planned.
On the other hand, if the corporate event program planning is geared more toward an internal training conference, the focus will be somewhat different. An internal conference will involve planning the agenda, arranging for the speakers and facilitators for the sessions, determining if exhibits will need to be included, planning for meals and hotel rooms, and setting up a registration process. While pulling together a weekend event for a few valued clients may only take a couple of months, planning a large conference may be a process that could take six to eight months at the least.
Many larger corporations have personnel devoted exclusively to managing any and all of their corporate event program planning. These creative and organized persons will be called upon to handle everything from dinners for visiting prospects and customers, to planning events involving national exposure for the company. For companies that may limit their corporate event program to a few events of varying sizes each year, there is always the option of keeping a corporate event planner on retainer. As long as the corporate event program can achieve the goals desired by the company and remain within budgetary limitations, everyone will be happy with the results.
