How to Organise Successful Corporate Events

Corporate events can be powerful tools in building relationships with clients, bonding staff and increasing morale. Here are 10 steps to help you organise a successful event.

1. First of all, you need to think about what the event is for. Is it a Christmas party? A leaving do? Is it a party for clients to celebrate or to say thank you? The nature of the party will help you choose the right venue.

2. Next, consider how many people you are likely to invite. If it's for staff, then this may be straightforward and you can probably guess what the final numbers will be, give or take a few.

3. You'll also want to consider the location you want the corporate party to be held in. You may want somewhere close to the office or where will be convenient for clients and other guests to get to.

4. Another thing to consider with the venue is whether you want food and what type of dining will be appropriate. Will you want a buffet or do you require a sit down meal?

5. Now you know what the party is for, the type of place you want, the size of the room you'll need, the location and what food will be required, you can start to scout some places out. You may want to do this by phone, the website or in person. However you do, make sure the venues you look at can provide the corporate event you need.

6. If you're happy with one of the venues, your next step should be to check availability. They will need to know the date you want to hold the party, how many people will be coming and your food requirements.

7. Providing that's all okay, you'll now want to secure the booking. Depending on the venue and the food situation, this may require a deposit or just a name.

8. You'll then want to send out invites to your guests. If it's staff, a simple email may suffice. Otherwise, you may want to send out printed invitations through the post.

9. Once you have final numbers, let the venue know and make sure all the guests know where to be and when.

10. It may be that you need to arrange transportation for the guests, in which case, you'll need to find a taxi, coach or mini-bus firm that can offer you competitive rates.

Corporate events offer fantastic opportunities to build relationships and celebrate successes. And, if you want help with your corporate event planning, the venue in question may be able to provide this for you.