Many businesses increase their customer and client base by holding a classy corporate event. If you organize a few different events throughout the year and invite people in the same industry as you, word will eventually spread about your company, and you will start to attract a lot more clients to your books. But that only works if your events are a success, of course!
If you are hosting an event for your staff or clients, you want to make sure it is an evening to remember (for the right reasons!). It can be tricky to throw a great party together, though, especially if you are stretched for time. Don’t worry – as long as you include these six ingredients, you are sure to be the host of a classy corporate event.
Strategies and tips to hold a classy corporate event
Ready to host a classy corporate event? If so, here are some tips to ensure its success…
1: The Perfect Venue
The venue is everything. If an event takes place in an amazing location, everything else often falls into place quite easily. Depending on the weather, you could choose to throw an outdoor event with a gorgeous view of hills or water in the background. For inside events, make sure that the place is spacious enough and is already decorated beautifully. That way, you will not have to spend as much time getting the venue guest ready.
2: Beautiful Background Music
For a classy corporate event, you probably want to stay away from rock or pop bands, unless you are going down a more alternatively classy route. Instead, look out for classical performers or jazz musicians for some beautiful background music to accompany the whole evening. If you need help finding the perfect band, Alivenetwork.com have a great selection of jazz and blues bands for you to take a look at.
3: A Single Theme
A theme brings an entire event together. It doesn’t have to be something too niche – a simple black and white event can work well. Some other great examples include wine tasting, masquerade, and spring style. A dress code can also be incorporated into this.
4: A Dress Code
Your event must have a dress code if you want it to be classy and professional. After all, you do not want a guest showing up in jeans when everyone else assumed it was suit and tie! To make it easier on both yourself and your guests, make the dress code strict and understood. Smart casual is often interpreted differently, so consider being a little more specific on the invites and stating what type of outfits you expect to be worn, for example, dresses and shirts with ties.
5: Delicious Nibbles
No event is ready without delicious food. As a classy work event, this is your moment to impress, so spend some time considering the menu and the caterers. Small plates and nibbles always work well, as it allows people to graze throughout the party. Plus, some of the best food often comes in small packages!
6: The Ultimate Guest List
The guest list is potentially the most important aspect of any event, so make sure you do not mess it up. That means ensuring that you invite everyone you mean to – you do not want someone getting annoyed that you forgot them! If you are planning on impressing clients/stakeholders, you should also focus on creating a guest list that shows the best of the business.
Extra things to consider
Stick to your budget
It is very important that you figure out a reasonable budget and stick to it. Spending too much will only put your whole business in financial trouble. When you are calculating your budget, there are a few things you need to include, such as venue hire, catering, entertainment, and other incidental costs. You might also want to include marketing costs into your budget, especially if you are planning on setting up an entire marketing campaign for the event.
Be flexible with the date
If you want to hire a specific venue for your event, you might find that it is more expensive to rent out on some dates compared to others. For instance, some venues might be expensive at the weekends or during the holiday seasons. Because of this, you should try and be flexible with the date of your event. That way, you can book the venue on the cheapest date available.
Assign everyone roles for the day
It’s important that you have all hands on deck for the big event and assign all of your employees roles. However, you might have to outsource some tasks to certain firms and companies. An effective rubbish removal service will ensure the area is kept clean and tidy, and will be able to take this job out of the hands of your employees. You might also want to outsource the event security to a specialist firm. If you have quite a big budget, it could also be worth hiring a catering company for the day.
Look early for a great guest speaker
Most events will host a specialist guest speaker to give a talk to all the attendees. Normally, this guest speaker is the biggest attraction so it is very important that you find someone who has what it takes to bring big crowds to your event. You can always find a keynote speaker online if you are struggling to think of someone suitable. Once you have an idea of who you would like to invite, be sure to book them early. Otherwise, they might get booked up on the day of your event.
Get some sponsorship
One way to increase your budget for the event is to find some sponsorship. You can ask other firms and businesses which are closely affiliated with yours if they would like to sponsor the event in exchange for extensive advertising on the day. Most companies won’t be able to refuse!
Throwing a fancy corporate event takes work, but by nailing these factors, all guests are sure to have a great time. Hopefully, all these tips can help you plan a classy corporate event!