How To Guide for Small Business and Corporate Event Planning

Whether you are preparing to host a small business or corporate event, planning a great event requires strategy.
In this series, we will look at some guidelines for small business and corporate event planning.

Pre-Planning:
Define Your Purpose – Is this event for recognition? Introducing a new product? Team building? Keep your purpose at the forefront so that you focus your efforts where they matter.

Define Your Target Audience – Now that you’ve defined your purpose, define your target audience. You must know who you will be catering to in order to effectively put everything else into place (budget, style, venue, event goals).

Examine the Calendar and Set a Date – Be sure to plan your event far enough in advance to avoid calendar or scheduling conflicts. If you know there are industry-relevant events in your area during certain times of the year, be sure to avoid those too.

Write Down Details as You Go – Begin making a list of details, from lighting needs and parking arrangements down to the appetizers and the napkins on the tables.
Keep this list handy as you continue planning your event, and add to it as you go. This will make sure you don’t miss any little detail. Remember, details matter and can affect your reputation! Be Flexible with Small Business and Corporate Event Planning The pre-planning stage is where you can write down all of your grand ideas for the event, but be prepared if you need to compromise on some of your ideas.
Hiring a professional event coordinator can become a huge asset in this area. They can help you get the most bang for your buck.

Now that you have thepre-planning portion of your small business or corporate event in place, the next part is to analyze your budget.
At this point, you should begin to line up your list of priorities within the context of a functional budget. The following will give you some direction for your small business and corporate event budget planning goals.

Small Business and Corporate Event Budget Planning Tips

Determine How Your Event Will Be Funded – This could be from event ticket sales, sponsors, or self-funded from the marketing budget. Get a good estimate on the numbers before you sign any venue or vendor contracts. Now days, even crowd-funding has become a popular way to raise some money to fund your event if it’s appropriate (offers benefits to public attendees). Be cautious with this approach.
Identify Your Expenses – These include special permits, licenses, venue, rentals (sound, lighting, tables, chairs), food, and entertainment. Look at your list of expenses and determine if there are any appropriate business who might be willing to provide one or more of those needs for your event in exchange for being named an event sponsor.

Prioritize your Event Expenses – Once you have a good idea of what your spending budget and expenses will be, look back at your list of ideas to prioritize those items and decide which ones make the cut and which ones don’t.

Need Help With Small Business and Corporate Event Budget Planning?

One of the most costly mistakes a small business or corporation can make, especially if it’s their first event, is to underestimate their expenses and overestimate their budget. This is why hiring an expert who has knowledge and experience when it comes to small business and corporate event budget planning is a great idea.