Whether you like it or not, planning a corporate event isn’t quite like organizing a party event with your friends, regardless of how aloof and comfortable your office atmosphere might be. Although the event itself doesn’t need to feel too uptight, there does need to be a note of seriousness, which requires at least some degree of knowledge in event planning. This guide will help you get started.
Planning to throw a Startup Party? Read – How to throw a fabulous Startup Party.
You can’t really do it a couple of days before the big event
In fact, three or four months prior to your business party should be your planning start date. Why? Well, you can expect that you’ll need to book the venue and caterers if necessary. In order to get the best possible deal, booking a couple of months before the event will save you a ton of trouble.
Party planning committee
A party planning committee might seem like a bit of an exaggeration, but you will not be able to do everything by yourself, even if you had all the time in the world. Enlist at least one or two of your employees with a strong creative side to help you tackle the whole thing – brainstorming is always an excellent option and you can’t brainstorm efficiently without a couple of brains to help you out.
Set a theme
A themeless party is destined for failure. Additionally, setting the theme will give the event its tone, which is somewhat essential for throwing a decent party. It will also give you an excellent starting point for picking your food, music, décor and other “trivialities”.
Of course, picking a theme that is appropriate for the target crowd that you’re planning on inviting is an absolute no-brainer. For example, a backyard barbecue will never be a good choice if you’re having your investors over, unless you are completely certain that they would appreciate being invited to such an event; this is exactly why knowing your attendees-to-be is such an important entrepreneurship quality.
Set a preliminary budget
Knowing how much you can spend is the key to planning in advance, especially for events that are best organized a couple of months ahead! Determine how much you can spend on food, room rental, entertainment, invitations and leave some wiggle room for extra costs (it is a preliminary budget overview after all).
If you are planning on organizing an outside event, we recommend that you plan in accordance with the weather conditions typical for your climate during the target time of the year. A rough outline of what you may need is likely going to be enough and you can use the budget that you’ve designated for extra costs to get cheaper, yet useful options once the weather forecast becomes accurate enough. Some options can work no matter the climate or weather conditions; for example, getting a commercial shade sail is an excellent option, regardless of whether you need protection from rain or intense sunlight.
Start browsing for locations and meet the vendors
Once you’ve chosen what type of an event you’ll be making, you’ll significantly narrow down the choice of potential locations. However, this is the exact moment that you need to start making appointments to view locations and meet other vendors.
Firstly, start discussing rental costs and everything that the fees include. Secondly, determine the time of the day that works for you. Next, if the food doesn’t come from that location, think about bringing an outside caterer. Finally, address other requirements, such as potential outdoor security, bartenders and decorations.
Planning a business party is not a last-minute thing – you’ll need plenty of time to get everything in order. Rely on your employees and colleagues to help you make the most out of the planned event, determine your preliminary budget, set a theme and start making appointments as soon as possible!
