Corporate events always have a strategic aim. The key to staging a successful corporate event is identifying those aims and designing the event to achieve them. Here are our top tips for any company developing an event management plan for an event:

ASK YOURSELF: Who is the event aimed at?

Knowing your audience is vital. Who is the event aimed? What type of event would appeal to them? How would you engage these people? What will convince them to come along to your event? Before you start planning any event, sit down and ask yourself these questions. It’s only when you know your audience that you can start planning an effective event.

ASK YOURSELF: How will they find out about the event?

Do you know how to reach your audience? They may be existing clients. They may all be located within a particular geographical area. They may all work in a particular industry. They may all engage in the same recreational activity. They may all support a particular club or charity. Knowing who your audience is and how to reach them is essential. Your campaign might be as straight forward as inviting people on your database or it may be more complex including a PR and advertising campaign. Being able to communicate with your target audience is essential.

ASK YOURSELF: What will your guest experience when they attend the event?

Their experience starts from the moment they hear about the event. How will they RSVP? What kind of information do they need to attend the event? What will happen when they arrive? What will happen at the event? How will they know when it is time to leave? What kind of follow up will they receive? This is the time when you start to imagine your event and put yourself in the shoes of the guest. By visualising what their experience will be it will help you to innovate and develop a creative event concept. For educational events or seminars, it is vital to always ask yourself – what would I learn (or want to learn) if I attended this event?

ASK YOURSELF: How will this event contribute to your strategic aim?

The strategic aim of your event might be to build brand loyalty, to showcase new products, to announce new members of your management team, to announce a job creation package, to frighten your competitors, to reinforce your position in the market place … think about how your event will communicate that message to your guests. Design your event in a way that makes this point. It might be made subtly or it might be overt, but either way you need to get the message across.

The success of your event is in the way you design it from the start … asking yourself these questions is a great way to ensure that you have the right building blocks from the start. To discuss these issues in more detail or for assistance with your corporate event, don’t hesitate to call the team at WhiteLight Consulting on 041 9830142 or e-mail info@wlc.ie