corporate-event-planning-myths

Planning corporate events has never been more complicated that it is today. No matter whether your event is to promote a product launch, to throw a party for your clients or to run a conference, getting it right will take a lot of planning and efforts. When it’s your job to get everything right to a strict deadline and within budget, it can be easy to be taken in by some of the myths surrounding corporate event planning. Here, Dakota Murphey and Arabian Tents have put together six of the most common myths and mistakes that event planners make, and how you can avoid them.

1. An event can be organised by one person

Large corporate events take a lot of planning and if you have been tasked with setting one up, you need to accept that you are going to need help. Even professional event planners understand when to delegate, whether that means in finding a venue, managing catering or entertainment planning – it’s virtually impossible for one person to take the lead on all the different aspects of corporate event planning by themselves. That means you need to learn how to delegate. Make sure that you have too much to do or you will be overwhelmed by the task and key things will be missed.

2. Corporate events can’t be casual

Some corporate event planners fall into the trap of assuming that this sort of occasion needs to be exceptionally formal. In a sense, this is actually harking back to a time when a corporate event was gathering a large number of people in a room over the course of three days. In modern corporate event planning, it’s not only possible, but arguably preferable, that the occasion should be casual and flexible. Utilise the internet with virtual facilities and webinars to open up your event to attendees that can’t be there in person. At the heart of the event, no matter whether you are launching a product or promoting a brand, it’s vital that the attendees should enjoy their time here.
events-cant-be-casual

3. The venue is unimportant

If you are going to have a successful corporate event, then you need to put a lot of time into researching the right venue. It’s a myth that event venues are not a factor in their success – in fact, getting the venue right can determine ultimately how well the rest of the day goes. This starts with the location; can attendees easily reach the venue and make their way home from it? Does the venue have fast Wi-Fi and other facilities? You need to be sure that you can get everything you need from the venue or it can make it impossible for your event to run smoothly.
importance-of-venue

4. You don’t need a contingency plan

Some people with little event planning experience will get everything sorted and then just hope that nothing goes wrong. Unfortunately it’s a myth that you don’t need a contingency plan. Even the most rigorously and skilfully planned events can have things go seriously wrong and you need to be prepared for what you are going to do in that moment. That means that even when you are done with the initial planning you need to get some backup ideas in place to overcome any issues, should they arise.

5. Events don’t need to be scheduled too strictly

Your event needs a schedule and it’s essential that you follow it very strictly. Unfortunately many event planners try to run the day without worrying too much about the time limitations. This almost always leads to chaos. Not only will certain aspects of the event overrun, but it can make it almost impossible to keep track of what is supposed to happen next. Set out a schedule for the whole day and ensure that you stick to it.
stress-doing-it-yourself

6. Once the event is over, your work is done

An event is hard work to organise and even harder work to pull off on the day, so when it’s all over there can be a tendency to admire how well it is all done and give yourself a break. But actually this is an important time to be getting all the details together for the performance of the event. Firstly, you’ll want to gather feedback on how attendees felt about the event. This is also a great time to be doing follow-up work to ensure that the message has gotten across.