We like to think of an event planning checklist as a map – a detailed ‘lay of the land’, so to speak, helping you to get from point A, an idea, to your final destination: a successful event. In order to have a clear, concise idea of the direction in which you’re travelling, you need to ensure that your ‘map’ – your event planning checklist – is easy to navigate and gets you around potential road bumps, speed traps and possibly costly detours.
The bones of an event planning checklist consist of your event objectives, your event venue, vendors and staff. (Of course, these all require attention on a more granular level, which we’ll explore in a future blog.) For now, let’s look at the four often ignored, yet crucial ingredients of an event planning checklist.
Past event and guest data audit
Before organising a corporate event, it’s crucial that you look in the rearview mirror, so to speak. Examining past guest data – from guests who attended, guests who declined your invitation, and guests who showed up announced, to the attendees who went on to become brand ambassadors and customers, and those who were never heard from again. In short, you need to know as much as possible about the way your past events impacted and influenced your attendees.You also need to review the event itself. What went wrong? Which elements were a resounding success? What required more budget, and what costs could have been avoided? Which vendors proved their mettle? How was your event content received? And so on. By objectively scrutinising these details, you’ll be able to proceed in planning an event that capitalises on the successes of past
In short, you need to know as much as possible about the way your past events impacted and influenced your attendees.You also need to review the event itself. What went wrong? Which elements were a resounding success? What required more budget, and what costs could have been avoided? Which vendors proved their mettle? How was your event content received? And so on. By objectively scrutinising these details, you’ll be able to proceed in planning an event that capitalises on the successes of past events and improves on areas that missed the mark.
Wifi, charging stations and all things tech
As we mentioned in a previous post, your guests are heavily reliant on their smartphones. They’re also dependent on their laptops and tablets. And this array of electronic devices relies on battery power and a reliable wifi connection. The last thing a guest wants to hear is that they can’t charge their device or check their social media feed. Make sure your event planning checklist includes making accommodation for a wifi connection that provides adequate bandwidth, as well as the provision of mobile charging stations. In addition, having a designated staff member to provide tech support is crucial, as is testing the network on the day or night of the event in question.
A strategic social media plan
We live in an age where communication relies increasingly on social media. As such, your event planning checklist needs to include an end-to-end social media plan. Map out your content calendar (which content will be posted on which day), your chosen event hashtag, your designated social media manager, and the platforms you’ll be posting on.
Event success metrics
Determining the success of an event is impossible if you don’t have pre-defined performance metrics with which to measure the various elements of your corporate event.The yardsticks you use to measure the success of your event will be dependent on your event objectives. If the aim is to increase engagement and brand awareness, you may want monitor social media metrics and website traffic. If the goal is to increase sales, you’ll need to keep an eye on on your sales pre and post event. If your objective is to motivate staff, a regroup with HR and managers in the weeks following your event is essential.
Orchestrating a successful corporate event requires razor-sharp attention to detail and a team of experienced staff. Get in touch with us today to find out how we can assist you in creating and managing a corporate event that’s a resounding success.
