Corporate Events

Corporate Event Considerations Imaginative Proposals and Themes Venue Location Party Organizing Flights, Transfers, Accommodation, Menus, Entertainment, Team Building Registration and Badges Online Registration Corporate Hospitality, Hostess and Event Management Charity Events Audio Visual Support/Speaker Service Stage and Exhibition Set Design

Reasons for corporate events  Stockholder meetings

Board Meetings and Management Meetings

Training Sessions Product Launches Incentive Trips

Objectives for corporate meetings… . What is the purpose of the meeting? Can we create a clear written statement of why this event is to be conducted? Does it agree with the top priorities of our organization?  Can we establish quantifiable goals for this event and clear thresholds of achievement by which we can determine its success? Make the objective specific, measurable, attainable and realistic, relevant, and time-based.

 Identify all stakeholders in the meeting (attendees, organization leaders, facilities professionals, etc.), and set priorities. Which group's needs come first?  What do I want attendees to remember most about the event? Can we summarize the experiences our attendees should have?

 What can prior history teach us about this meeting? Is there information that would be useful to us in determining the potential for success - or failure - of this meeting?  Who else has conducted the same type of meeting, and what can we learn from their experiences? Talking with meeting planning peers can be a big help in setting effective and realistic goals.

 Do we have the resources necessary to achieve our goals? Can we successfully conduct the event with the staff we have, or do we need to consider outsourcing part or all of it?  How will we monitor and determine the success of this effort? Develop measurement tools that address the pre-meeting process, all on-site meeting elements, and the various post-meeting outcomes.

Determining a Location for the Corporate Event  Often the success of a meeting will relate directly to where it is held

When  When choosing a date for the meeting, check school holidays locally and in your proposed meeting location. For example, spring break is a bad time to consider a beach resort. Also, find out when religious holidays fall. After you have chosen your ideal dates, consider the geographic location that works best for your attendees.

Where  For a two- to three-day event, look for facilities close to the airport or office, ideally no more than two hours away. No attendee appreciates spending much of the first day traveling, possibly arriving tired or hassled, and then anticipating the same return trip on the last day of the meeting.

 For an all-day meeting, don't choose a resort. It is very frustrating to see a wonderful golf course, beach, or spa and know that you will never get to enjoy them.  On the other hand, if you want your attendees to spend time together at play, a downtown hotel might not be the wisest choice. Decide how the time will be spent, then determine the type of facility to match your needs.

Site Selection  Check out the names of conference centers, resorts, and hotels in the area. Each facility will have its own characteristics, but all will be able to provide for your basic needs. Some can provide recreational activities and fellowship settings on-site, or the staff might be able to help find other facilities available to your group.

 Is the site easily accessible by car or plane? Is the location affected by the weather at the time you have chosen?  Call each place and make a list of the amenities, availability of dates, room rates, and general information. Just by looking at the list and matching it to your needs, you can easily choose the right site.

 Negotiate for some additions to your event, if possible. Ask if the facility will give you a complimentary guest or hospitality room based on the total number of rooms you book. Some facilities will negotiate their listed prices if you book during a particular time or on special days of the week. You may want to change your dates to get those favorable rates.

 Have an accurate list of all extra charges as part of your negotiations, such as your meeting room, audiovisual, bellhops, housekeepers, service charges, taxes, parking.  Plan a site inspection to give you a feeling for the facility and its staff. If that is difficult, ask for the names of some recent clients and check out with those references all the things that you would see if you could be there in person.

First impressions count.  During your pre-event visit, keep your eyes open. Does it look the way that it did in the brochure? Are the grounds neat? Were the directions correct? Do the front-desk personnel, wait staff, housekeepers, etc., smile and greet you? Are the public rest rooms clean? Are the sales and marketing people organized and ready to visit with you?

Work with only one person  If you will be working with more than one person, ask that they all meet with you at the same time. Make detailed notes of everything you have discussed, and send a copy to every person you will be working with. Try to do it as soon as you return to the office and before they have filled out any contracts.

When you receive the contract  make sure that all arrangements match what you have planned. Find out about check-in and check-out times. Are they flexible? Do they match your travel plans? Can they make rooms available for early arrivals? What rate will they quote for those coming a day early or staying later?

Details  Establish final dates for guarantees of rooms and meal functions.  Finally, ask about billing procedures. Can you pay by check or credit card? Will they bill you later? How much later? What goes on the master account? Can they give you copies of the daily charges for each event? Be sure to provide the facility with a written list of those who are authorized to charge on the master account.

Site Inspection  Available sleeping and meeting rooms. A 500- room hotel might have only 380 rooms available because of agreements with airlines or other customers.  Meeting-room charges. Don't assume that meeting rooms in a hotel are going to be free. Conference rooms might be, but ballrooms might not.  Attrition clauses. Negotiate these with great care.

 Other groups in the house. Ask about this early.  Exclusive contracts with service companies. It's very possible that the hotel has an exclusive contract with a florist or business center, for example. But you might be able to negotiate rates.  Complimentary-room policies. One complimentary room for 50 paid is typical, but the ratio can slide, depending on how badly the hotel wants your meeting.

 Remodeling. Ask what's being planned at the property and in the area. Will a wrecking ball be crashing into the building next door during your board meeting? (This has happened.)  Security. Will you need it at the exhibit hall, the front door, the parking lot? What will it cost?  ADA. Ask to see the facility's certificate of compliance.

 Cleaning and maintenance policies. What are their schedules for the exhibit halls and the room corridors?  The back of the house. If you see swinging doors, walk through them. Go look at the loading dock and the kitchen. Its appearance could give you insight into how the facility as a whole operates.

 The meeting rooms. Are there chandeliers in the ballroom that will affect projection? Are there beams that will affect availability? Is there a room suitable for a board meeting?  Parking. Are there enough spaces, and where is the lot?