Corporate events are one of the best methods to communicate with your audience. Whether you are seeking to find new customers, cultivate the loyalty of the current ones, or strengthen the engagement of your own employees, a conference is a great solution for companies trying to reach their different target audiences.
More and more companies are choosing this solution and the MICE industry (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Events) keeps growing worldwide. Hosting conferences or events has been proven to be beneficial, not only for big companies but also for service providers, smaller organizations, and the attending delegates. They are the perfect occasion to promote new ideas, launch new products or services, meet and influence decision-makers, engage your employees, or expand your network.
Although there are plenty of event agencies and conference hotel venues which will help you to organize and plan the perfect event, one of the many factors that should never be underestimated is the proper organization of an event. Trying to coordinate things with enough lead time is key to avoid any last minute frustrations and stress and make sure your delegates enjoy a smooth event. If this is your first time trying to organize a big conference for your company, there are a few important things you should consider:
Planning and budgeting
Whether your conference is sponsored or not, putting an event plan and budget together is fundamental. There are vital elements that must be reflected in creating your event plan and budget:
- Cost of venue hire
- Accommodation
- Catering costs
- Speaker fees
- Audio visual costs
- Event materials
- Transportation
- Marketing
Contingency funds
Proper planning and budgeting also cover for unpredictable scenarios. For instance, if a speaker cancels on you last minute or the AV system fails, you should be prepared to face the issue and find a solution as quickly as possible. Remember, it is always important to have a contingency plan as backup in case the initial plan fails.
The choice of the right conference hotel venue
Finding the right conference hotel, event venue, or congress centre is a crucial success factor for your event. The best location should offer not only the right size of conference facilities and meeting rooms, it must also be easy to get to for your event delegates to avoid no shows on the day.
If you’re planning to host your event in Europe, one of the most popular MICE destinations to consider is London. The city offers not only a large choice of conference hotels to choose from, but also has five airports, making it an international hub and an easy city to travel to. Moreover, the city offers a vast range of unique conference hotels, event spaces and attractions, making sure your attendees will have a lasting memory of your conference. To help you find the best hotel meeting rooms, there are great online booking platforms offering cutting-edge conference hotels in London. They take out the hassle of searching for a venue and allow you to quickly receive proposals and reserve the best hotel with conference facilities.
Choosing the right online conference platform is crucial, especially since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Many people today prefer to liaise and communicate virtually.
Theme
A well-organized conference should have a theme. This is the unifying agenda that the speakers are expected to deliver. A corporate theme encompasses a relatable but catchy concept.
It also rallies meaningful contributions from the participants and gives your event delegates the key takeaways from the event. Furthermore, it helps with the promotion and branding of your organization. From the logo design, poster message, to social media hashtags, a corporate theme helps to drive engagement and sign ups.
Marketing and Advertising
Delegates must be well informed about your upcoming conference, and marketing is a very important aspect of every conference. Make sure to maximize the lead time and send out ‘Save the dates’ as early as possible. Follow up with reminders and some extra information about the agenda, new speakers, and the location, and do not forget to share your event on your relevant social media channels to drive more sign ups and engagement. You could create a specific Facebook page for the event and update it with relevant content. This will help to keep the big day at the forefront of the attendees’ minds.
When creating a buzz about your conference, it is very important to consider your target audience. Is the occasion meant for select departments and companies? Perhaps it is an employee-only event. Does it involve top leaders? Important to note is that some conferences should involve the press while others don’t. With the target audience in mind, advertising your event becomes easier.
No doubt, event planning can make or break an event and be a huge success factor. Factors such as securing the right conference hotel, driving sign ups, finding and booking top speakers, organizing event materials, as well as networking activities are all key considerations which you need to think about ahead of your event. Putting a good event plan together will furthermore help you to make sure that your attendees are engaged, inspired, and fully enjoy their conference experience.