Organising official corporate social events can be tough – super tough. It’s hard treading the fine line between fun and entertaining evening, and one which remains in keeping with your company’s ethos and values.
Planning a corporate event is a lot more difficult than the simple get togethers at a bar down the road from the office. There are so many moving parts to keep track of all whilst ensuring you create an engaging event. Here’s a few things to consider when planning your event.
Speeches and speakers
Your corporate social event isn’t just about feeding people or getting them in a party mood. An important element of the planning of a corporate event is making sure you are taking the opportunity to share the successes of the business, or perhaps it can be a chance to boost the motivation of your teams.
Establish clearly the goals and objectives of your event. From there it becomes clear who is most appropriate to speak. And it is important in any corporate social event to take the time to have at least one person to speak. Remember it’s a corporate social event so it is the perfect time to marry having a good time with the successes and achievements of the business.
Location, Location, Location
Planning an excellent event of any kind can live and die on the choice of venue. A venue isn’t just the physical location and building, it is the staff and service they provide. It is the quality of amenities. Start from the basic, geographical location.
Where is going to be best for the team? Your staff may spread far and wide, where is the best place for them to gather? Also though, in these modern days of pedestrianised zones and ultra-low emission zones, you must also be mindful of the accessibility of the venue.
Entertainment
Bear in mind that your event is a corporate SOCIAL event. You most likely want to swerve simply dishing out gallons of alcohol and food. The food element is a given, but obviously alcohol comes with its own downfalls. A good strategy is to incorporate entertainments into your event. This will enable you to provide a fun and engaging time without the over-reliance on letting the booze flow.
There are countless options for appropriate entertainments. For example, there are DJs and bands to provide music (although a decent sound system and a Spotify account can do the job). Close-up magicians are also a good idea, someone who can help to work the crowd and keep people happy is always welcome at a social.
Other entertainment options are comedians or circus themed performers, though they can be quite expensive to hire. Another option is a photobooth! Here at Guestbooth we offer a variety of photography options. You can hire a simple and classic photobooth or explore the magical wonders of the Picture Wizard which takes advantage of smartphone technology. Guests can take and share their photos together, taking the photograph from a simple record of the event to a shared experience.
Planning a corporate social event can be somewhat of a nightmare. There are so many pitfalls to avoid, however with some careful planning and foresight you can ensure that you create something that both entertains and promotes your business. If you are interested in organising a great corporate event, get in touch!