Planning an event can be a very stressful experience. Understandably, you want everything to go smoothly, but when it comes to a corporate event, there can often be the added stress of ensuring that it’s both professional and appropriate for your guests. With a corporate event, there is a greater need to get everything organised and completed to the best standards as there may be investors and other important members of the business attending.
So, if you’ve not started planning yet, this handy checklist should be able to help. The first decision will be the venue, but if you live in Nottingham, venue hire might be the easiest thing to tick off your list.
Set the Budget and Pick a Venue
You will need to set the budget and allocate a set amount to each thing you need to get organised. Decide how much you’re willing to spend on the venue and then split the remainder between the catering, transport, accommodation and any other costs.
When choosing a venue, make sure that it will not only be big enough for all your guests but will also suit the right tone of your event. For those living in Nottingham, venue hire may be easier to decide on as there are simply more options available. Here at Goosedale, we offer various rooms for your event and our décor is classically stylish in order to work well with any business’ requirements.
Sort the Food and Drinks Menu
Once the budget and venue have been organised, the menu will need to be next on the agenda. As most corporate events last all day, there will need to be food and drink available for guests. If your event includes activities during the day and entertainment in the evening, serve sandwiches and snacks during the day and a sit-down meal in the evening.
In addition to food, you will need to serve drinks to your guests. Again, if your event is an all-day affair then you will need to have a variety of drinks to serve. During the day you can serve tea, coffee and soft drinks, but in the evening you could perhaps offer alcohol with dinner.
Find the Right Activities and Entertainment
Depending on the type of event you will be hosting, you may need to plan some activities. Think about fun ways to break the ice, or maybe even some team building activities. There’s no reason for your guests not to enjoy themselves so it might also be worth considering games that can be played by everyone.
If your event lasts into the evening and you are serving dinner then you may need to consider some form of entertainment. You could hire a band to play music while your guests eat or even think about hiring a comedian or table magician to ensure that everyone has a good time.
Plan Transport and Accommodation
Your guests will need to get to your event and while they may be able to drive themselves, as it’s a corporate event it might be beneficial to organise transportation. Not only will it give guests a definite way of getting to and from the event, but it will also help to clarify who will be attending.
While your event may not be far for some guests, others may need to travel further in order to attend so you may need to offer accommodation. If your event lasts all day then some guests may be too tired to drive and while it is an added cost, it ensures that everyone stays safe.
Think Security
For a corporate event, it’s recommended to have some sort of security in place to ensure all guests are safe throughout the duration of the event. Depending on the scope of your event it may be a necessary cost and while it may seem excessive, it’s far better to keep all of your guests safe.
So, if you’re starting to plan a corporate event, follow this helpful checklist to ensure you don’t miss anything important. Here at Goosedale, we can also offer accommodation and catering options for your event, so rather than planning each step individually, why not pick a venue that can offer everything you are looking for in one complete package? For more information on Nottingham venue hire, you can view our brochure.
