Preparing Your Business Case For a Corporate Event

Be clear on your objectives

First thing is first, be clear on why you are holding the event, and what the objectives are. When you think about it in business terms, your event is a means to an end result - make sure you know what that result should be before you start planning, otherwise it is easy to get caught up in the logistics of planning and forget what you are aiming to achieve!

Cost implications

Now that you have set clear objectives on what you want your event to achieve, the next thing to do is set a budget. Even if it is only an estimation, it will give you a good indication of the type of event you will be able to plan. This is essential for suppliers so that they can pitch suggestions within your budget. It will also make your life easier when you come to present the proposed event to the management of your company - you don't want to over or under estimate the importance of the event, especially as the event will reflect on the organisation.

Choose a venue

Choosing a venue for your event could be the easiest or hardest decision of the whole event management process! The number of guests you intend to invite will have the biggest impact on your venue decision. If you have large numbers there will be a limited amount of places that can accommodate you. Equally if it is a small event, you will have to seek out more intimate venues. Either way, book a venue well in advance of the event to ensure availability, and always think about its location - is it easy for your guest to get to? Are there reliable transport links and accommodation close by? You will find more advice on choosing the right venue for your event here.

Style for your target audience

Choose a style and format for the event that meets your objectives and appeals to those who will be attending. For example if the event is an opportunity for staff to let down their hair and celebrate a successful year of business, then you'll want something fun for them to enjoy. Perhaps a theme with lively entertainment and a relaxed atmosphere. Or on the other hand if you are organising a conference, your delegates might require a simply and clean style which has a comfortable working environment with available refreshments. Think about the type of people who will be attending and what they will expect to achieve from the event.

Planning and allowing enough time

Planning an event is a very time consuming process. A well received and successful event is a result of a great deal of devoted time, thought and attention to detail. Many people don't realise just how much of their time it will take up until they are well into the planning stages. If you are one of the many who's time is extremely precious, you might want to consider the use of an event management company to deal with all or certain elements of the event, to allow you to get on with doing your job.

Choosing suppliers

Choosing suppliers for an event can sometimes be a bit of a minefield. You never really know what they are going to be like until the event - and by then it's too late! Take the time to research different suppliers, finding our their track record. Ask them for testimonials from other clients to ensure that they will delivery the quality that you expect. The choice of suppliers in the events industry is extensive, but remember, as with anything you buy, if it appears cheap, the chances are you will be sacrificing either quality, service or choice - sometimes all three!

Schedule

Be organised and put together a detailed running order of how the event will run and brief everyone involved in the production of the event. This involves everyone from your venue, caterers, AV technicians to members of your company who have an active role in the event for example, keynote speakers, presenters etc.

Results

One of the most frequent questions that event planners are asked when pitching an event to their superiors is, 'what is the benefit of having this event?' In order to justify the spend on your event, you must be able to answer this question with confidence! Go back to your initial objectives and look at how you can measure their success. Was it to increase awareness of the company? Promote a particular brand? To reward employees? If you can measure the fulfillment of the objectives then you have proof of the success of the event. Give an indication of what you expect the results to be considering the budget etc that you have been given.