7 Tips for a Successful Corporate Event

Organizing events is like building a sand castle: The foundation must be solid, the structure anchored, and if the result is successful, it's the best feeling in the world. And to achieve this, we need to build the castle on multiple sides, using different tools. So let's take a look at how to build a successful event for your current and future clients, so it doesn't fall apart and we can keep building on it.

1. Set the right goals

Before finding speakers and catering, you need to sit down with the organizing team and set the goals for your event.

Try to answer these questions:

• Why are we organizing the event?
• Who should attend and what should they get out of it?
• How will we measure the success of the event?
• Are these metrics aligned with our company's vision?

The answers to these questions should determine the direction and agenda for your event. If the entire team agrees on these, the collaboration will be much easier, and if you disagree on some issues during the organization, you can always come back to these goals.

2. Connect the program with your goals

Creating a good program is a challenge. With your goals, however, you have already taken a step in the right direction. We also recommend thinking that people should leave your event enriched, either with information (that will benefit them) or with new contacts.

Of course, it depends on the length and type of event but always think also about taking long enough breaks so that participants can talk with each other and switch off their brains for a while after the more demanding parts of the program.

3. Choose a suitable registration system

Sending invitations in the mail is a great personal approach to inviting your clients to the event. But include a link to registration so you can keep track of who's attending in the end. Otherwise, you may not estimate things like the number of refreshments, the size of the venue, or additional materials.

Registration also serves to make clients more committed to your event. If they go through the registration process, it's obvious that they are genuinely interested in the event. The invitation in the mail may simply fall through or they may forget about it.

You may also want to consider a registration fee (which can be really symbolic) to really "hook" your visitors. It's certainly easier to not show up to an event that's free to me than to spend my money to get in.

For this purpose, try our BOOM Events platform, where your clients can get tickets and other products. You can launch the registration or pre-sale yourself in minutes and add the event link to your invitation.

4. Keep your visitors on their toes

Reveal the program gradually, add surprises, highlight the value of your event or develop methods to include visitors in communicating about the event before it starts. Today, there are plenty of event apps where people can meet each other, share their experiences, plan the agenda, etc. So don't be afraid to get creative and engage them before the event.

5. Get ready for the worst scenarios

The program is planned, participants are invited, communication is working and the event is coming up. At this point, it is a good idea to look at the possible weak points of the event and work with the organizing team to figure out what to do in case something unexpected or unpleasant happens. Each team member should know what they are responsible for and who to go to if a crisis comes up. For example, if you know that one of your speakers might have trouble getting to the venue, prepare an alternate program.

Once you have all the weak spots covered, everyone will feel calmer, and if something does happen, you'll be able to respond astutely.

6. Gather feedback

You probably won't end up organizing just one event. That's why it's important to get feedback on your organization, the main and side program and the refreshments. If you have the opportunity to collect feedback during the event, be sure to take advantage of it. You can place QR codes with questionnaires, put up a voting board in the venue or talk to people directly and ask them for their opinion (but make a note of it so you don't forget it). An event app could help you a lot in this respect too.

Plenty of organizers send out feedback surveys after the event. But then it is much more likely that participants will not fill it out. They'll forget, they're no longer in the thick of things, or they simply have other things to do. That's why it's better to work with feedback during the event.

7. Analyze the success of the event and send a follow-up

The end of the event itself is certainly not the end of the work on your side. It's time for evaluation:

• Did we meet the goals we set at the beginning of the planning process?
• What did we accomplish? What went wrong?
• How did the feedback from visitors turn out?
• What do we need to remember for next time?

This information will certainly be useful as you start planning your next event and will help you improve your event organization from one event to the next.

Don't forget about your visitors. Send them a thank you note for their participation, additional materials, photos or any poll results (e.g. who was the best speaker). If you already know of another event you can start attracting them to, this is a good time to spread the word. And always remember to keep the tension up!

Now you should be ready to organize an event for your existing and potential clients. It's a beautiful job, but often full of stress, unknown waters and confusion. But with these tips, you'll be able to build a solid foundation for your sand castle and then enjoy success once it's complete.