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Organising corporate events entails careful planning and thoughtful effort. Only then can you or your company reap the fruits of your labour.
Meetings, conferences, exhibitions, and other company affairs are becoming more dynamic in the United Arab Emirates.
Just look at the major events organised in the country – from the Dubai Expo 2020 to the 2019 Special Olympic World Games in Abu Dhabi.
Want to create the same kind of event magic? Here are the top six corporate event planning tips you need know to ensure your success:
Define your purpose.
With any event, defining your purpose is the initial step towards planning. After all, how can you say that it was successful if you don’t have any goals set for it?
Have a clear idea of the event’s purpose. Define why you’re doing what you’re doing and why you think that event is the best choice.
Is it for a product launch and introduction? Or perhaps you’re after building better camaraderie and teamwork across your firm?
Maybe you’re holding the event to remind people that you’re the better choice in the industry, or you want to reward and motivate your team.
The goal should be based on what your company’s stakeholders are looking for. This means you need to have a good grasp of the desired deliverables when coming up with an event proposal. Once you do, you can quickly pinpoint the best strategy for the project and identify key metrics to determine your event attendees and whether the results are as expected based on their expectations.
S-M-A-R-T is a popular acronym in identifying goals in event planning you can use as a guide:
- S – Specific
- M – Measurable
- A – Achievable
- R – Relevant
- T – Timebound
Have a plan, a checklist, and a budget.
Besides your goals, you also need three things for your event to become successful: a project plan, a checklist, and budget allocation.
Checklist and Project Plan
Your project plan and checklist serve as your guide in organising the execution of the event for your company. Revisiting these lets you see whether everything is going according to plan or if any adjustments need to be made.
Budget
When creating a budget, you can set a preliminary amount and update it as soon as more details of the event have been worked out. This includes the number of guests and participants, vendor estimated costs, contingency, among others.
Budget allocation is crucial to the event’s success. It can impact all the aspects of the planning and execution – from the venue and speaker selection process to the catering, technology, staffing, and entertainment details.
You may also need to consider whether the budget will include cash outflow only or outflow and inflow of revenue from event sponsorship, exhibit, or other external revenue-generating aspects.
If the event is recurring or has already happened in the past, you can also choose to use the previous budget as a baseline. Just remember to consider inflation and the changing needs of your company and adjust accordingly.
Take note: Every event budget needs flexibility for unexpected expenses and costs higher than supplier estimates.
Pick an event venue with your goals and budget in mind.
Once you have your objectives and budget, the next thing you need to do is to choose the appropriate venue with those two in mind.
For example, the goal is to create an excellent impression on clients; your venue should play its part in making sure that the “wow” factor comes across while staying within the allotted budget.
Of course, you also need to consider the following details when choosing corporate event venues in Abu Dhabi and anywhere else in the UAE:
- Location
- Audience capacity
- Availability on the preferred event date
- Logistics
These requirements will help you shortlist the candidates for the event venue, request proposals, and arrange visits to the site based on your needs.
Here are some of the potential vendors you can look into to get started:
- Etihad Arena – Formerly known as the Yas Bay Arena, the Etihad Arena is the largest indoor multipurpose venue in the UAE. It is located in Yas Bay and is built with sustainable technology to cater to entertainment, sporting, and other big events.
- Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) – This encompasses 133,000 square metres of exhibition and conference space. It also has an expansive parking area that can accommodate almost 7,000 cars.
- Arabian Nights Heritage Village – Nestled at the heart of the Abu Dhabi desert, this venue has a total of 30 rooms and suites within its 85,000 square metre floor area. It also has a 3,000-square-metre event space for meetings of 18 people, an Oasis pool you can hire, and a Bedouin-style catering for your corporate event.
Consider featuring a prominent personality as a guest.
Besides hiring a professional emcee for your corporate event, you also need to invite a distinguished guest to the gathering.
Even if you are not planning an event that features Hollywood artists and personalities, it would be wise to have someone notable on your guest list to pique interest and add excitement to your event.
Bonus Tip: Book your keynote speaker in advance to ensure that he or she is available for your event.
Delegate tasks to different people.
Delegation is something that event planners should never underestimate, especially for conferences and corporate gatherings.
This is because assigning different individuals specific tasks helps ensure that every aspect of the event is executed seamlessly. Doing this also prevents the tasks from piling up.
Set aside enough time for the items on your agenda.
No matter how much you want to cover more ground during your event, you must remember to set aside enough time for the items on your agenda.
For example, recreational activities done off-site need at least half a day. Meanwhile, you need at least one day and a half for facilitated team building activities that incorporate outdoor games and challenges.
This way, you can make the most out of what the event venue can offer. After all, what’s the point of setting the company event at a magical place if the participants won’t even get to see it?
Plan for Success
The successful execution of an event lies in thoughtful planning and preparation. Follow the tips listed in this article to ensure your next corporate gathering goes above and beyond expectations.
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