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Event Planning Company Business Plan

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Event Planning Business Plan

You’ve come to the right place to create your event planning business plan.

We have helped over 10,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their event planning companies

Below is an event planning business plan sample to help you create each section of your Event Planning business plan.

Executive Summary

Business overview.

Special Occasions Event Planning is a startup event planning business located in Des Moines, Iowa. The Company is founded by Jennifer Brown, an experienced event planner who has been planning themed weddings and birthday parties as the manager of a local event venue for the past ten years. Now that Jennifer has gained valuable experience managing an event venue and planning special events of various sizes and styles, she is ready to start her own event planning company, Special Occasions Event Planning. Jennifer is confident that her event planning skills, combined with her understanding of business management, will enable her to run a profitable event planning company of her own. Jennifer is recruiting a team of highly qualified professionals to help manage the day-to-day complexities of running an event planning business – sales and marketing, supply sourcing and procurement, customer relationship management, budgeting, financial reporting, and vendor relationship management. 

Special Occasions Event Planning will provide customized event planning services for special occasions big and small. Special Occasions will specialize in themed birthday parties, but will provide planning services for other types of events such as weddings, parties, and corporate gatherings upon request. The Company will be the ultimate choice for unique and memorable themed birthday parties for clients of all ages. 

Product Offering

The following are the event planning products and services that Special Occasions Event Planning will provide:

  • Venue Sourcing 
  • Tables & Chairs
  • Dinnerware & Utensils
  • Caterer Coordination
  • Entertainment
  • Party Favors
  • Photography/Videography
  • Lighting/Sound
  • Bartending/Liquor 
  • Set-up/Clean up

Customer Focus

Special Occasions Event Planning will target individuals, families, and social groups in Des Moines, Iowa. The Company will target people looking to plan a one-of-a-kind birthday party for their child, significant other, friend, or other relative. No matter the customer, Special Occasions Event Planning will deliver the best communication, service, and attention to detail. 

Management Team

Special Occasions Event Planning will be owned and operated by Jennifer Brown. Jennifer is a graduate of Iowa University with a degree in Business Management. She has over ten years of experience working as an event planner for another local venue. Jennifer will be the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and the Head Event Planner. She will lead the more complex events and oversee the event planning staff. 

Jennifer has recruited an experienced administrative assistant, Patricia Smith, to help manage the day-to-day business operations. Patricia has been an administrative assistant in the event planning industry for more than 15 years. Jennifer relies on Patricia’s organization, attention to detail, and punctuality when organizing her schedule, managing clients, and maintaining her files. 

Jennifer and Patricia have recruited an experienced marketing director, John Jones, to become a member of the Special Occasions Event Planning management team. John is a graduate of the University of Iowa with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing. Jennifer and Patricia rely on John’s expertise to execute the Company’s marketing plan and advertising strategies.  

Success Factors

Special Occasions Event Planning will be able to achieve success by offering the following competitive advantages:

  • Skilled team of event planners who will ensure every client receives exceptional customer service and that all reasonable requests are met. 
  • Special Occasions Event Planning’s leadership team has established relationships with local venues, vendors, and entertainers, thus providing customers with a wide selection of options to choose from when planning their special event. 
  • The Company specializes in the themed birthday party niche and is well-versed in the latest trends in the industry. 

Financial Highlights

Special Occasions Event Planning is seeking $200,000 in debt financing to launch its event planning business. The funding will be dedicated towards securing an office space and purchasing equipment and supplies. Funding will also be dedicated towards three months of overhead costs to include payroll of the staff and marketing expenses. The breakout of the funding is below:

  • Office lease and renovation: $80,000
  • Office equipment, supplies, and materials: $20,000
  • Three months of overhead expenses (payroll, utilities): $90,000
  • Marketing costs: $10,000
  • Working capital: $10,000

The following graph below outlines the pro forma financial projections for Special Occasions Event Planning.

Company Overview

Who is special occasions event planning .

Special Occasions Event Planning is a newly established event planning company based in Des Moines, Iowa. Special Occasions will be the first choice for unique themed birthday parties for people of all ages in Des Moines and the surrounding communities. The company will provide customized event planning services for parties large and small. 

Special Occasions Event Planning will be able to provide all the essentials for any special event from highly rated caterers to the hottest entertainment due to the Company’s existing relationships with industry professionals and vendors. The Company’s team of highly qualified event planning professionals will manage the entire planning process from ideation to execution. Special Occasions even provides clean-up services. Clients can opt for full-service event planning services or purchase specific aspects (such as decor or catering) a la carte. 

Special Occasions Event Planning History

Special Occasions Event Planning is owned and operated by Jennifer Brown, an experienced event planner who has been planning themed weddings and birthday parties as the manager of a local event venue for the past ten years. Now that Jennifer has experienced managing an event venue and planning special events of various sizes and styles, she is ready to start her own event planning company. Jennifer is confident that her event planning skills, combined with her understanding of business management, will enable her to run a profitable event planning company of her own. Jennifer is recruiting a team of highly qualified professionals to help manage the day-to-day complexities of running an event planning business – sales and marketing, supply sourcing and procurement, customer relationship management, budgeting, financial reporting, and vendor relationship management. 

Since incorporation, Special Occasions Event Planning has achieved the following milestones:

  • Registered Special Occasions Event Planning, LLC to transact business in the state of Iowa. 
  • Has signed a contract to lease the office space. 
  • Reached out to numerous contacts to include local venues, catering companies, entertainers, and decor suppliers to spread the word about her new business opportunities. 
  • Began recruiting a staff of accountants, event planners, sales and marketing associates, and office staff to work at Special Occasions Event Planning Services.

Special Occasions Event Planning Services

Industry analysis.

The Party and Event Planning industry in the United States is valued at approximately $4B, with 70,000 businesses in operation, and over 82,000 employees. The market for event planning services is expected to grow over the next several years due to an aging baby boomer population, many of whom have children and grandchildren who will have weddings, birthday parties, graduations, anniversaries, and other special events in the coming years. Additionally, the corporate event planning segment is expected to grow due to more companies pursuing team building opportunities and hosting events that can serve as marketing for the business. 

The event planning market is split into two broad segments: corporate and social. Corporate events such as holiday parties, meetings, trade shows, conventions, fundraisers, and receptions are just some of the events included in this segment. Corporate customers include companies, non-profit organizations, and charities. The social segment includes a wide range of special occasions such as weddings, bridal showers, birthday parties, anniversary parties, reunions, and more. The largest and most lucrative category in the social event planning segment is wedding planning. 

Industry operators can specialize in one or two niches such as wedding planners or corporate planners. Alternatively, industry operators can provide planning services for a wide range of events. Industry operators that specialize in a specific niche and even narrow their niche to a specific type of event, such as “kids’ parties” or “fashion shows” may have more success because they can become an expert in one area and target a highly specific customer segment. Industry operators who provide a broad range of services to a variety of customers can be successful if they provide high levels of organization, customer service, and unique or highly customized services. 

Customer Analysis

Demographic profile of target market.

Special Occasions Event Planning will target individuals, families, and social groups in Des Moines, Iowa. The Company will target people looking to plan a one-of-a-kind birthday party for their child, significant other, friend, or other relative. Special Occasions Event Planning will also target young adults looking to plan a memorable, themed 21st birthday party. No matter the customer, Special Occasions Event Planning will deliver the best communication, service, and attention to detail. 

The precise demographics for Des Moines, Iowa are:

Customer Segmentation

Special Occasions will primarily target the following customer profiles:

  • Millennials
  • Individuals with disposable income
  • Families with children and disposable income

Competitive Analysis

Direct and indirect competitors.

Special Occasions Event Planning will face competition from other companies with similar business profiles. A description of each competitor company is below.

Emily’s Event Planning

Established in 2017, Emily’s Event Planning is now a well-known event planner in the Des Moines, Iowa area. The company provides event planning services for large corporate events, weddings, and birthday parties. Emily’s Event Planning is most well-known for its picturesque venue choices. The company has relationships with some of the most in-demand venues in the area. Emily’s Event Planning provides an all-inclusive event planning and management service with packages that include venue rental, decor, entertainment, food, and clean-up services. 

While Emily’s Event Planning has an established reputation in the market for quality event planning services, it has a list of predefined event packages and does not customize its services or take unique requests from customers. 

Fancy Event Planner

Fancy Event Planner has been operating in the state of Iowa since 1982. This company is a small business run by a husband and wife team that specializes in event planning and catering services for weddings, birthday parties, and other special occasions. Fancy Event Planner provides decor, venue coordination, and food service for events of up to 100 guests. The company specializes in providing gourmet dinners, desserts, and appetizers. Additionally, Fancy Event Planner provides hand crafted decor and floral arrangements for weddings and parties. Fancy Event Planner is for customers looking for an elegant presentation in a traditional setting. 

Fancy Event Planner has a limited selection of services and does not offer entertainment, set-up/clean-up, lighting/sound, or liquor accommodations. 

Wonderfully Perfect Event Planning Services

Wonderfully Perfect Event Planning Services is a new Des Moines, Iowa-based event planner that provides superior service to its customers. The company is managed by an experienced entrepreneur who has been working in the hospitality industry for over 20 years. She opened Wonderfully Perfect Event Planning Services in 2019 when she discovered a lack of options for themed party planning in the area. The company provides customized planning services for any event and will strive to ensure all customer requests are met to ensure a perfect event experience every time. 

The company does not have established relationships with vendors, venues, or entertainment in the area and as such, trails behind Special Occasions Event Planning in this area. 

Competitive Advantage

Special Occasions Event Planning will be able to offer the following advantages over the competition:

  • Skilled team of experienced event planners who are able to provide customized planning services and fulfill any reasonable request. 
  • Special Occasions Event Planning’s management team has long-standing relationships with industry professionals and is able to provide customers with a wide selection of options when it comes to venues, entertainment, and catering.  
  • The Company specializes in themed birthday parties and keeps up on the latest trends in the industry. 

Marketing Plan

Brand & value proposition.

Special Occasions Event Planning will offer the unique value proposition to its clientele:

  • Special Occasions Event Planning provides full-services event planning from ideation to execution. 
  • The Company’s wide selection of options allows each customer to create their dream event.  

Promotions Strategy 

The promotions strategy for Special Occasions Event Planning is as follows:

Social Media Marketing

The Company’s marketing director will create accounts on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. He will ensure Special Occasions maintains an active social media presence with regular daily updates and fun content to get customers excited about using the Company’s event planning services. 

Professional Associations and Networking

Special Occasions Event Planning will become a member of professional associations such as the Event Planners’ Association, American Party Planning Society, and the Iowa Special Event Association. The leadership team will focus their networking efforts on expanding the Company’s vendor and client network. 

Print Advertising

Special Occasions Event Planning will invest in professionally designed print ads to display in programs or flyers at industry networking events. The Company will also send direct mailers to local businesses with employees who are in the target market. 

Website/SEO Marketing

Special Occasions Event Planning will utilize its in-house marketing director that designed the print ads to also design the Company’s website. The website will be well organized, informative, and list all the services that Special Occasions is able to provide. The website will also list information on the Company’s events and promotions. 

The marketing director will also manage the Company’s website presence with SEO marketing tactics so that when someone types in a search engine “Des Moines Event Planner” or “Event Planner near me”, Special Occasions Event Planning will be listed at the top of the search results.

The pricing of Special Occasions Event Planning will be premium due to the high level of customization and hands-on planning services involved. Customers will feel they receive great value when purchasing the Company’s services.  

Operations Plan

The following will be the operations plan for Special Occasions Event Planning.

Operation Functions:

  • Jennifer Brown will be the CEO and Head Event Planner. She will lead the more complex events and oversee the event planning staff. Jennifer has spent the past year recruiting the following staff:
  • Patricia Smith – Administrative Assistant who will manage the budgeting, vendor relationships, and logistics.
  • Sam Johnson – Accountant/Bookkeeper who will provide all accounting, tax payments, and monthly financial reporting.
  • John Jones – Marketing Director who will oversee all marketing strategies for the Company and manage the website, social media, and outreach. 
  • Michelle Garcia – Customer Success Officer who will oversee customer relationships. 

Milestones:

Special Occasions Event Planning will have the following milestones complete in the next six months.

11/1/2022 – Finalize contract to lease the office space. 

11/15/2022 – Finalize employment contracts for the Special Occasions Event Planning management team.

12/1/2022 – Begin renovations on the office and purchase office equipment and supplies. 

12/15/2022 – Begin networking at industry events and implement the marketing plan. 

1/15/2023 – Begin recruiting and training office staff and event planners. 

2/15/2023 – Special Occasions Event Planning officially opens for business. 

Financial Plan

Key revenue & costs.

The revenue drivers for Special Occasions Event Planning are the fees charged to customers in exchange for the Company’s event planning services. Customers will be able to purchase full-service, customizable packages or select specific aspects (such as entertainment or catering) a la carte. 

The cost drivers will be the overhead costs required in order to staff an event planning business. The expenses will be the payroll cost, utilities, party supplies, and marketing materials.

Funding Requirements and Use of Funds

Key assumptions.

The following outlines the key assumptions required in order to achieve the revenue and cost numbers in the financials and in order to pay off the startup business loan.

  • Average number of events per month: 4 
  • Average fees per month: $20,000
  • Overhead costs per year: $360,000

Financial Projections

Income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, event planning company business plan faqs, what is an event planning company business plan.

An e vent planning company business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your event planning company business. Among other things, it outlines your business concept, identifies your target customers, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections.

You can easily complete your event planning company business plan using our Event Planning Company Business Plan Template here .

What are the Main Types of Event Planning Companies?

There are a number of different kinds of event planning companies , some examples include: Corporate Events, Social Events, and Niche Events Planning.

How Do You Get Funding for Your Event Planning Company Business Plan?

Event planning companies are often funded through small business loans. Personal savings, credit card financing and angel investors are also popular forms of funding. This is true for an event business plan or an event management business plan.

What are the Steps To Start an Event Planning Business?

Starting an event planning business can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a business will help you stay focused on your goals and get started faster.

1. Develop An Event Planning Company Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed event planning company business plan that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include potential market size and target customers, the services or products you will offer, pricing strategies and a detailed financial forecast.  

2. Choose Your Legal Structure - It's important to select an appropriate legal entity for your event planning business. This could be a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks so it’s important to do research and choose wisely so that your event planning business is in compliance with local laws.

3. Register Your Event Planning Business - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your event planning business with the government or state where you’re operating from. This includes obtaining licenses and permits as required by federal, state, and local laws. 

4. Identify Financing Options - It’s likely that you’ll need some capital to start your event planning business, so take some time to identify what financing options are available such as bank loans, investor funding, grants, or crowdfunding platforms. 

5. Choose a Location - Whether you plan on operating out of a physical location or not, you should always have an idea of where you’ll be based should it become necessary in the future as well as what kind of space would be suitable for your operations. 

6. Hire Employees - There are several ways to find qualified employees including job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed as well as hiring agencies if needed – depending on what type of employees you need it might also be more effective to reach out directly through networking events. 

7. Acquire Necessary Event Planning Company Equipment & Supplies - In order to start your event planning business, you'll need to purchase all of the necessary equipment and supplies to run a successful operation. 

8. Market & Promote Your Business - Once you have all the necessary pieces in place, it’s time to start promoting and marketing your event planning business. This includes creating a website, utilizing social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and having an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. You should also consider traditional marketing techniques such as radio or print advertising. 

Learn more about how to start a successful event planning business:

  • How to Start an Event Planning Business

Other Helpful Business Plan Templates

Photography Business Plan Template Event Venue Business Plan Template Catering Business Plan Template

corporate event planner business plan

The Complete Guide to Corporate Event Planning in 2022

corporate event planner business plan

Does the word ‘corporate’ scare you? How about ‘corporate event planning?’ Are there visions of clipboards or dull keynotes dancing in your head?

While anything dubbed ‘corporate’ might conjure images of pantsuits and cubicles, fight the urge to equate it with ‘stiff’ and ‘boring’ –– especially when it comes to corporate event planning.

After all, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series –– or any Red Bull event for that matter –– is a corporate event. And we can probably all agree planning that experience was anything but boring.

In simple terms, corporate event planning is the process of organizing events for a brand or business to achieve business goals.

Here are a few examples of areas a business might be looking to make progress in by hosting a corporate event:

  • Brand awareness : A branded pop-up or conference session can make a splash. Take Bala’s Disco event for SXSW 2022 . The workout brand hosted a party with exercise classes, cocktails, and dancing to capture attention and increase brand recognition.
  • Thought leadership : Gatherings like The Atlantic Festival are designed to position event hosts as experts, leaders, and shapers in their field.
  • Lead generation or customer retention : Ever been to a car show like the North American International Auto Show ? Big companies like Ford and Toyota use those spaces to reimagine the sales process, reach new customers, and retain current ones.
  • Employee engagement : Whether you’re reinforcing company values or fostering collaboration, internal corporate events can go a long way in making your company a stand-out place to work. Holiday parties, milestone celebrations, and team offsites are all corporate events.

Ready to start planning? We’ve outlined a corporate event planning roadmap and a free checklist to help guide you through the process. But first, let’s do a deeper dive on different types of corporate events and how to think about your planning timeline.

In this guide:

The many faces of corporate events, how to make sure time is on your side, how to plan a successful corporate event, your corporate event planning checklist, how technology can uplevel your corporate events.

Before looking at the planning process, it’s important to set clear goals and objectives so you understand what type of corporate event might be right for your business needs.

Corporate events, like the corporations they’re associated with, come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and types. They can be internal, geared toward employees or internal stakeholders, or external, delivered to a broader audience or the general public. They can also be in person, hybrid, or virtual –– the format largely depends on the goal of the event.

Let’s run through some common types of corporate events:

  • Conferences : These experiences typically happen annually and they’re big-name, big-effort events that can take months to plan. They often involve sponsors , and usually include packed agendas featuring thought leaders and expert commentary. As an example, check out how the World Wide Fund for Nature chose a virtual conference format to bring debates on ecological issues, expert presentations, and a sponsor expo to their international audience.
  • Product launches : If you’re introducing a new product or service, a launch event can help build excitement and drive adoption or sales. That’s what marketing agency N6A found when they helped their client launch a product — a cannabis-focused careers platform — via a virtual event.
  • Trade shows : These tend to work best when companies want to demo products, meet prospects, and network with peers all at once.
  • Internal meetings : Internal company meetings can be focused on specific teams –– think training sessions or offsites. But they also include company-wide experiences (an all-hands meeting, for example) and events designed for a company’s key stakeholders, like board meetings or investor updates. They can happen at scale: GitHub’s company-wide event featured more than 1,100 virtual attendees around the world.
  • Training workshops : From internal security trainings to external product workshops, training events are often designed to be hands-on and participatory. The Flemish Department of Education and Training , for example, runs cultural education training events for students and teachers.
  • Fundraising events : With galas, benefits, danceathons, silent auctions, food drives, and more, the corporate events side of charitable giving or fundraising can take many forms.
  • Webinars : These events are focused on conveying information to an audience, whether it’s a presentation, walk-through, demo, or video.
  • Team-building events : These events typically focus on building morale and positive rapport across a team — from scavenger hunts to talent shows, there’s no shortage of ways to bring employees together to help build bonds.
  • Customer Advisory Board events: Customer Advisory Board events (also known as CABs) — and other kinds of focus group-centric gatherings — bring consumers together to give feedback, perspective, and advice to a company.

When planning any corporate event, there’s one thing you’ll want to make sure you have enough of: time.

When do you need to start planning your corporate event?

That depends entirely on how complex it’s going to be, the amount of people you’re expecting, the size of your team, and the format of your event. Note that completely virtual corporate events won’t require physical spaces, travel arrangements, and other logistics specific to in-person experiences, so they can take less time to plan.

Consider the below as broad guidance:

corporate event planner business plan

And this breakdown of key components you’ll need to tackle:

  • Getting universal buy-in : Stakeholders will need to be on the same page about the goals of your event, which can take time.
  • Marketing your event: From email campaigns and social media messaging to paid advertisements and beyond — even if it’s an internal event — you’ll want to build excitement and rack up registrations for the big day.
  • Sourcing speakers . Need a big name that can live up to the expectations of your 100,000 attendees? Start planning early. Even for small events, subject matter experts are in high demand and need quite a bit of notice.
  • Landing sponsors : Sponsors don’t just fill out an expo hall; they can make events profitable . But finding good ones takes time, especially considering that companies often have limited budgets for sponsorship. Seek to secure sponsors as early as possible.
  • Locking in your technical setup : You don’t want to be dealing with technical difficulties on event day . So, you’ll want to work through your setup long before showtime — everything from how you’ll handle audio and video for speakers to how you’ll respond to audience tech issues.
  • Branding your event : Event branding makes it clear to would-be attendees what your event stands for. For virtual events, key branding elements will be entirely digital, like designs for your virtual event platform . In-person event branding will require even more time, as you’ll need to consider things like signage and other physical materials. No matter what type of corporate event you’re producing, make sure your brand shines on your event website .
  • Planning food and beverage : Food and beverage , especially at an in-person or hybrid event, takes time to organize as there are multiple factors to consider: menu, pricing, catering company, sustainability, health and wellness, and more.

Remember, the amount of time it takes to bring your event to life also depends on the size of your team. If it’s just you, aim to give yourself the gift of plenty of buffer room.

If there are a few dozen corporate event planners and organizers working with you, it’s possible you’ll find yourself speeding through your timeline.

Now that you’ve moved through some prep, you’re ready to start planning in earnest. Let this step-by-step tutorial help you conquer corporate event planning.

Step 1: Define success

You can’t know the right format for your corporate event until you know what your desired outcome is.

So, ask yourself a few questions: What’s the intended outcome of this event? What business objective are we driving toward?

Write your goals in the S.M.A.R.T. framework :

  • Specific : A specific goal narrows down the type of success an event organizer seeks.
  • Measurable : A measurable goal typically relates to how you’ll evaluate the goal in a quantitative way.
  • Achievable : Once a goal can be measured, you’ll be able to define what will indicate the goal has been achieved.
  • Relevant : A relevant goal ensures buy-in from your various stakeholders.
  • Time-bound : Setting a time-bound goal means that the goal is aligned with a specific timeframe so anyone reviewing it or acting upon it knows the deadline.“

Step 2: Develop your budget

Once you’ve nailed down the results you’re aiming to achieve, it’s time to build out your event budget .

An event budget helps you determine if you have the financial resources needed to bring your event to life and achieve the goals you’ve outlined.

You’ll break your budget into expenses and revenue.

Primary expenses will include:

  • Venue (whether virtual, via a tech platform, or physical)
  • Food and beverage
  • Speakers and entertainment

And your main sources of revenue will usually come from:

  • Sponsorships
  • Ticket sales
  • Product sales

Before you finalize your budget, add a contingency cost buffer (10-15% of the total is usually advised) for unexpected expenses.

Use a free event budget template to collect all your numbers in one place, then send the final draft off to your stakeholders for final approval.

Step 3: Do a deep dive on what your audience wants

An event is almost always about the audience.

Whether your audience is primarily prospects, customers, employees, or industry peers, it’s full of people looking for value. That value could be emotional, social, educational, or something else altogether. And the success of an event is often determined by how much value it drove for its audience.

So, first you need to figure out what your audience really cares about.

If you can, go directly to the source by sending surveys to your email lists, asking for feedback on social media, and hosting focus groups with would-be attendees.

Or take a more quantitative approach and build a picture of your audience’s motivations, needs, values, and goals using platforms like Google Analytics , Facebook Audience Insights , and Nielsen .

Consider questions like:

  • What motivates your audience members?
  • What problems do they need help solving?
  • What kind of people are they interested in learning from or connecting with?
  • Are there community leaders who could bring them together?
  • What’s most relevant for your audience right now?

Add an audience demographics layer, too. Look at:

  • Geography : Where does your audience come from? Consider countries, cultures, and languages.
  • Career : What industry does your audience work in? What experience levels do they have? What do they already know and what’s most relevant to their learning?
  • Gender : What is the gender breakdown? Do you have equal representation?

Constantly ask yourself: Are there things you can do to make sure everyone who’s part of your audience feels comfortable and included? Consider how you’ll make your event as accessible as possible.

Step 4: Design for engagement

Events are experiences.

Think of the most magical events you’ve been to: maybe it was a wedding that felt like a fairytale, a championship game where you were swept up in the collective energy, a product launch party where you met your new business partner.

Events become magical when they are grounded in the audience’s values, and when they’re designed to engage people .

When designing your event, think about:

  • Theme : Tie your event together with a fun event theme that will resonate with your audience.
  • Stand-out content : If your content falls flat, so will the rest of your corporate event. Focus on providing the very best event content so all your attendees are passively engaged during less active sessions.
  • Participation : What opportunities are you giving your audience to interact with your content? Can you add in workshops, breakout Q&A sections, or even get people started with some thought-provoking pre-written questions?
  • Community : How will your attendees get to know one another? Consider adding a networking session in the middle of your event to encourage conversation and debate on your first set of topics.
  • Co-creation : You want your audience to feel like they are owning the success of your event right along with you. According to industry experts, a key trend for successful events in 2022 and beyond is giving attendees the chance to make something they can take home with them — whether literally or figuratively.
  • Technology : You have no shortage of tech options at your fingertips to make your event something folks will remember. Will you add a virtual reality expo space to explore? A digital photobooth? Artificial intelligence-enabled matchmaking for networking?

Step 5: Choose the right venue

You want people to feel welcome at your event. So choose a space that conveys that message.

In-person space considerations include size and cost, as well as:

  • Wi-Fi and technical support : Do you have what you need to make sure the technical side of your event runs smoothly, and that attendees will be able to stay connected throughout the experience?
  • Food and beverage options : What can you offer attendees and how does it meet dietary, wellness, and sustainability expectations?
  • Health and safety : Returning to in-person events requires a lot of forethought, and a key consideration is the level of health and safety policies required and desired.
  • Location : How easily will attendees be able to get to your event?

Virtual and hybrid venues have their own set of considerations:

  • Capacity: How many attendees can participate at once?
  • Customization : A virtual venue should be easier to customize than an in-person one (no architects or interior designers needed). Can you add custom graphics? Names? Spaces?
  • Tech : Are live-streaming capabilities built into the platform of your choice? What about networking options? Live chats and polls?
  • App integrations : Can you combine your marketing software with your virtual event management software? What about gamification tools, data analysis, and more?

Virtual events tend to open up possibilities for attendees and speakers since the potential audience becomes anyone with an internet connection. You can bring together a diverse audience and give them multiple ways to interact with one another and your content, including:

  • Networking spaces
  • Virtual expos and fairs
  • Games and challenges
  • Options to rewatch content after the event

Step 6: Promote your experience

Effective event marketing and branding can play a big role when it comes to filling up your registration list and getting attendees excited for your live event. These tools help illustrate what your event will be about and convince audience members of the value it will deliver.

When marketing to your audience, call on the knowledge you uncovered about their values, motivations, and goals.

For example, if you’re promoting a fun employee event like Greenhouse’s employee offsite , you might do a text-heavy drip campaign of emails explaining the various games that await participants: in this case, Zombie Battle, Salty Telephone, and Beg, Barter, Solve.

But if you’re promoting a more serious event, like the UN Climate Change Conference , you might lean on sparse graphics with provocative messaging to create eye-catching advertisements.

It’s not just emails and advertisements, either. Event promotion often requires an integrated, layered effort featuring an event website, email marketing, social media marketing, influencer engagement, and more.

However you decide to approach event marketing, get started early. You’ll want attendees to have time to plan –– and you’ll want to give yourself some runway in case you need to tweak your approach along the way.

Step 7: Tackle logistics for the live show

It’s all in the details.

Running through potential scenarios could be the difference between your audience struggling to hear a speaker whose microphone died, and said speaker delivering the most engaging presentation of your corporate event.

While event promotions continue running to drive registrations, it’s time to coordinate the rest of the event’s logistics.

Logistical to-dos might include:

  • Finalizing your event’s agenda
  • Creating your run-of-show document
  • Setting up your virtual event environment
  • Coordinating presentations with speakers
  • Completing your on-site venue coordination
  • Confirming and organizing audio/visual (A/V) production needs
  • Doing dry runs and tech checks with presenters and hosts
  • Nailing down any remaining experiential elements and things that might need to be mailed out to attendees, like swag

The list goes on.

Step 8: Put on a memorable experience

This is where it all comes together. Months of hard work, planning, and coordinating all culminate in attendees gathering for your experience.

Day of, you’ll want to make sure your team members are on the same page regarding their roles and responsibilities. Make sure you talk to:

  • On-site staff , including event producers, emcees, hosts, reception workers, speaker liaisons, lead event managers, A/V technicians, guest relations coordinators, sponsor coordinators, and more
  • Virtual staff , including producers, emcees and moderators, speaker liaisons, technical support, and chat managers
  • Hybrid staff , including anyone supporting the coordination between experiences

Make sure the lines of communication stay open as your event is happening in case anything goes awry and needs to be addressed in the moment. Coordinating through software such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, or Walkie Talkies (for those in a physical venue), will make sure you’re on top of any issue.

Step 9: Evaluate your event’s results

As you celebrate a successful corporate event, remember to debrief with your team and complete post-event reporting for your stakeholders. Take a look at data and analytics to measure your event’s performance.

Look at event data like:

  • Attendance : The percentage of registrants who actually attended the event
  • Average time spent in the event : How long participants stayed at your event
  • Visitor numbers : Unique visitors to different areas of the virtual venue, like keynotes and sponsor expos
  • Connections made : How many participants connected with one another
  • Event Net Promoter Score (NPS) : A number from 1-10 that tracks how satisfied attendees were with an event and how likely they are to refer that event to others or attend again

If you use a virtual event platform , the above data should be easy to pull together. Once you have your data, collect it in a post-event report to help you — and importantly, your stakeholders — evaluate how well your event performed relative to its goals and objectives.

Follow up with thank you notes and surveys to make sure you get feedback on what your participants enjoyed –– and what you can improve next time.

A corporate event planning checklist is a simple tool that can help you keep track of all the details in front of you, and make sure you’re ahead of the game when it comes to organizing your next corporate event. Consider these tasks as you navigate the process:

6-12 months out

  • Determine your event’s goals and objectives
  • Set your objectives, key results, and metrics
  • Decide what type of event would best meet those goals
  • Decide on theme and creative direction
  • Create a budget and get approval from your stakeholders
  • Set a date and time
  • Start planning your location or venue

5-6 months out

  • Finalize venue and vendors
  • Identify speakers and start reaching out to them
  • Start looking for sponsors and reach out to them
  • Kick off your event branding, create a style guide, and start designing assets

3-5 months out

  • Build event website
  • Start event marketing and promotions to drive registration
  • Finalize speakers
  • Finalize sponsors
  • Update your budget

1-3 months out

  • Finalize details and logistics
  • Source physical and virtual swag
  • Update safety protocols, if necessary

0-1 month out

  • Do final run-of-show rehearsals
  • Get in sync with your event team on roles and responsibilities during the event
  • Communicate final details to attendees
  • Run final teaser campaigns
  • Run last-minute promotions to fill any unclaimed spots
  • Send attendee survey and thank you notes
  • Send speaker gifts and thank you notes
  • Schedule debrief with stakeholders on event performance against goals
  • Update budgets, run-of-show, and processes for your next event
  • Use event content to fuel marketing activities and branding campaigns

Want to learn more about hosting and marketing events? Read other Event Marketing Guides from Hopin.

You don’t have to go it alone when it comes to planning corporate events.

The right event technology can simplify the corporate event planning process and support you as you create the best attendee experience possible.

See how Hopin’s leading event platform can help you achieve success with every type of corporate event –– whether it’s virtual, hybrid, or in person. Contact our team of corporate event experts today to learn more.

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Come join the hopin team, get started with hubspot, recommended reading.

Discover effective strategies to keep your virtual event attendees engaged during the summer months. From optimizing timings and mobile compatibility to utilizing social media, we share innovative ways to turn the challenges of summer into exciting opportunities.

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Event Planning Business Plan Template

  • Written by Dave Lavinsky

Growthink.com Event Planning Business Plan

Table of Contents

Event planning business plan.

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 5,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their event planning businesses. On this page, we will first give you some background information with regards to the importance of business planning. We will then go through an event planning business plan step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What Is an Event Planning Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your own event planning business as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategy for reaching them. It also includes research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan for Your Event Planning Company

If you’re looking to start an event planner business or grow your existing one you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your event planning business to improve your chances of success. Your event planning business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Source of Funding for Event Planning Businesses

With regards to funding, the main sources of secure funding for an event planning business are bank loans, personal funding, credit cards, and angel investors. With regards to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to confirm that your financials are reasonable. But they will want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business.

Another common form of secure funding for an event planning business is angel investors. Angel investors are wealthy individuals who will write you a check. They will either take equity in return for their funding or, like a bank, they will give you a loan. Venture capitalists will not fund an event planning business.

Finish Your Business Plan Today!

How to write a business plan for event planning.

When you write a business plan, you should include the following 10 key aspects:

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each important component of your plan.

The goal of your Executive Summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the type of event planning business you are operating and the status; for example, are you a startup, do you have an event planning business that you would like to grow, or are you operating a chain of businesses.

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan. For example, give a brief overview of the event planning business industry. Discuss the type of business you are operating. Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target audience. Provide a snapshot of your marketing strategy and plan. Identify the key members of your team. And offer an overview of your financial plan.  

Company Analysis

In your company analysis, you will detail the type of business you are operating.

For example, you might operate one of the following types:

  • Corporate Events : this type of event planning business caters to businesses, charities, nonprofit organizations, and the like to plan fundraisers, receptions, conventions, trade shows, competitions, award ceremonies, product launches, and other types of meetings.
  • Social Events : this type of event planning business targets middle- to upper-income individuals and families to plan events such as weddings, birthdays, reunions, and other types of celebrations.
  • Niche Events : some event planners specialize in just one of the above event types.

In addition to explaining the type of event planning business you operate, the Company Analysis section of your business plan needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to questions such as:

  • When and why did you start the business?
  • What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include sales goals you’ve reached, new contracts, etc.
  • Your legal structure. Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your business structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry analysis, you need to provide an overview of the event planning business.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the industry educates you. It helps you understand the target market in which you are operating. 

Secondly, market research can improve your strategy particularly if your research identifies market trends. For example, if there was a trend towards events that adhere to social distancing guidelines, it would be helpful to ensure your plan details what approach you would take (suggested venues, creative solutions for inclusion, etc.).

The third reason for market research is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section:

  • How big is the event planning industry (in dollars)?
  • Is the market declining or increasing?
  • Who are the key competitors in the market?
  • Who are the key suppliers in the market?
  • What trends are affecting the industry?
  • What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
  • What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential market for your business. You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section must detail the clientele you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: private and corporate clients, high-income households, medium-income households, engaged couples, etc.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of event planning company you operate and the event services you offer. Clearly, businesses would want a different atmosphere, pricing, and product options, and would respond to different marketing promotions than engaged couples.

Try to break out your target customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, including a discussion of the age groups, genders, locations, and income levels of the customers you seek to serve. Because most event planning companies primarily serve customers living in the same city or town, such demographic information is easy to find on government websites.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target market. The more you can understand and define these needs, the better you will do to attract customers and retain your existing customers.

With Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template you can finish your plan in just 8 hours or less!

Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other planners and businesses that offer event planning services.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from you that aren’t direct competitors. This includes caterers, venues, and customers planning events on their own. You need to mention such competition to show you understand that not everyone who throws a party hires an event planner each time.

With regards to direct competition, you want to detail the other businesses with which you compete. Most likely, your direct competitors will be other businesses that offer event planning services very close to your site.

For each such competitor, provide an overview of their businesses and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as:

  • What types of customers do they serve?
  • What planning services do they offer (wedding planning, baby showers, birthday parties, social events, etc.)?
  • What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
  • What are they good at?
  • What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective. 

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

  • Will you provide superior event management options (e.g., more cuisine types, better venue options, etc.)?
  • Will you provide event options that your competitors don’t offer?
  • Will you make it easier or faster for customers to book your services (e.g., utilizing event planning software, etc.)?
  • Will you provide better customer service?
  • Will you offer better pricing?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For an event management business plan, your marketing strategy should include the following:

In the product section, you should reiterate the type of business that you documented in your Company Analysis. Then, detail the specific products/services you will be offering. For example, in addition to designing the event, locating the venue, arranging vendors, coordinating personnel, and supervising the event, will you offer services such as catering, decor, and entertainment?

In this section, document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections, you are presenting the services you offer and their prices.

Place refers to the location of your event management business, conference centers, and/or venues in which you own and/or have a relationship. Document your location and mention how the location will impact your success.

The final part of your event planning business marketing plan is the promotions section. Here you will document how you will drive customers to your site. The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

  • Social media marketing
  • Advertising in local papers and magazines
  • Reaching out to local bloggers and websites 
  • Partnerships with local organizations (e.g., getting on the list of recommended vendors with local venues)
  • Local radio advertising
  • Banner ads at local venues

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your event planner business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your event planning business such as interviewing clients, making arrangements, keeping the store/studio clean, etc.

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to serve your 100th customer, or when you hope to reach $X in total sales. It could also be when you expect to hire your Xth employee or launch in a new market.

Management Team

To demonstrate your own event planning business’ ability to succeed as a business, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company. 

Ideally, you and/or your team members have direct experience as event planners or in the industry. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act as mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in event planning and/or successfully running small businesses.  

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statements.

Income Statement : an income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. It shows your revenues and then subtracts your costs to show whether you turned a profit or not.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you plan one event per week or several events? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets : While balance sheets include much information, to simplify them to the key items you need to know about, balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. For instance, if you spend $100,000 on building out your business, that will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a bank writes you a check for $100.000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Cash Flow Statement : Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business and make sure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can turn a profit but run out of money and go bankrupt. For example, let’s say a company approached you with a massive $100,000 event contract, that would cost you $50,000 to fulfill. Well, in most cases, you would have to pay that $50,000 now for supplies, equipment rentals, employee salaries, etc. But let’s say the company didn’t pay you for 180 days. During those 180 days, you could run out of money.

In developing your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key startup costs needed in starting or growing your business:

  • Location build-out including design fees, construction, etc.
  • The total cost of equipment and furnishings like decor, sound systems, etc.
  • Cost of maintaining an adequate amount of supplies
  • Payroll or salaries paid to staff
  • Business insurance
  • Taxes and permits
  • Legal expenses

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your store design blueprint or location lease.

  Event Planning Summary Putting together your own event planner business plan is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the event planning sample template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will really understand the business, your competition, and your customers. You will have developed a marketing plan and will really understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful event planning business.

Event Planning Business Plan FAQs

What is the easiest way to complete my event planning business plan.

Growthink's Ultimate Business Plan Template allows you to quickly and easily complete your Event Planning Business Plan.

What is the Goal of a Business Plan's Executive Summary?

The goal is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the type of event planning business you are operating and the status; for example, are you a startup, do you have an event planning business that you would like to grow, or are you operating a chain of event planning businesses.

  OR, Let Us Develop Your Plan For You Since 1999, Growthink has developed business plans for thousands of companies who have gone on to achieve tremendous success.

Click here to see how Growthink’s business plan consulting services can create your business plan for you.   Other Helpful Business Plan Articles & Templates

Business Plan Template & Guide For Small Businesses

Table of Contents

Types of corporate events, 5 examples of goals for corporate events, the ultimate corporate event planning checklist, tips for corporate event planning success, get started: make your next corporate event the best yet, corporate event planning: checklist and guide.

Chaviva Gordon-Bennett

Every event professional has the same goal for corporate event planning: to orchestrate an engaging experience that delivers favorable business outcomes.

Corporate event planning checklists can significantly increase your chances of achieving your event goals. Plus, checklists help you stay organized, ensure everything is accounted for, and make it easier to scale your event strategy.

In this post, we’ll examine different types of corporate events, common goals event professionals aim for, what your corporate event planning checklist should include, and tips to remember as you start the corporate evening planning process.

As you begin planning your next corporate event, your approach may vary depending on the type of event, the size and scope, and what you hope to accomplish. Some of the more common types of corporate events include the following:

  • Trade shows are larger events that unite people who want to experience products, exchange ideas, learn new skills, gather leads, and meet other folks in the industry.
  • Team-building events foster camaraderie by bringing coworkers together to learn new things and get to know each other on a deeper level. 
  • Product launches highlight new products and services an organization brings to market to generate buzz and excitement.
  • Conferences and seminars , like HubSpot’s INBOUND , are typically the largest events and feature keynote addresses, seminars, breakout sessions, networking opportunities, workshops, and more.
  • Networking events are designed to help folks meet other people in their industry and learn new things.

corporate event planner business plan

According to a report from Allied Market Research , the U.S. corporate event market — which brought in $95.3 billion in 2020 — is expected to reach $510.9 billion in revenue by 2030, growing 17.3% annually. This impressive growth can be attributed to the fact that corporate events deliver several benefits to organizations, like the following opportunities:

  • Celebrate your wins. You can increase employee happiness, engagement, and productivity by using events to recognize your team’s hard work.
  • Motivate employees. Events are a great way to motivate your team. Not only will employees feed off the energy of the event, they will also learn new things, meet new people, and develop new skills.
  • Generate leads. Hosting a corporate event creates the perfect atmosphere for meeting new business prospects and capturing leads. Since most attendees will likely head to your event because they’re interested in what you offer, you won’t have to pitch them cold.
  • Promote your brand. Events enable you to bolster brand awareness and get people talking about your company on social media, enabling you to leverage word-of-mouth recommendations.
  • Improve employee retention. Since events make employees happier and help them develop in their careers, they serve as a vehicle for reducing employee turnover — a nice bonus in today’s difficult job market. 

corporate event planner business plan

Photo by Canva Studio

Having a checklist when planning a corporate event is paramount because it ensures a systematic and organized approach to the entire process. A checklist serves as a comprehensive guide to the essential tasks and details that need to be addressed, helping you stay on track and minimizing the chance you overlook crucial elements. It also enables better time management and coordination among team members while enabling progress tracking. 

But the best part of a checklist is that you can use it repeatedly from event to event, updating as you go for what worked best and what missed the mark. As you begin creating your event planning checklist, here are some things you’ll want to include:

☐ Goals: Decide What Success Looks Like 

Clearly define what you want to achieve with your corporate event and outline what success looks like. Ensure your event goals align with your business goals. 

☐ Logistics: Set a Date, Format, and Location

Pick a date and an event type, considering availability, attendee preferences, event objectives, and potential scheduling conflicts (e.g., holidays or seasonality). Consider second-tier cities and outside-the-box locations to save on event costs and make it easier for attendees to justify coming. 

doing more with less for event planners

☐ Theme: Choose a Memorable Concept

Select an event theme that aligns with your objectives to create a cohesive, memorable experience for attendees. Not sure where to start? Check out these “ 27 Unforgettable Corporate Event Themes .” 

☐ Budget: Assess Costs and Source Vendors

Figure out how big your event budget should be and identify vendors that can provide the services you need at price points you can afford.

☐ Venue: Choose the Perfect Location

Select a venue that suits your event’s size, location, and requirements, ensuring it aligns with the theme and atmosphere you want to create. Not sure where to start in choosing the right venue? Read our article, “ 10 Tips for Choosing the Perfect Conference Venue .”

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☐ Speakers: Decide on Keynotes, Sessions, and Entertainment

Figure out which speakers will impact your event most by engaging and captivating attendees. Don’t forget to cast a wide net for diverse and lesser-known speakers to ensure your event meets attendee expectations and that attendees feel represented. 

☐ Marketing: Craft a Promotional Plan

Develop a comprehensive event marketing strategy to promote your event and attract attendees. Be sure to include assets and promotional materials for your partners, vendors, speakers, and others to share on their social channels to boost attendance. 

☐ Run of Show: Create Meaningful Experiences

Map out the schedule and activities for your event, including breakout sessions, fireside chats, workshops, and networking opportunities. Be sure to spend plenty of time on independent activities like self-care, 1:1 meetings, and much-needed downtime. 

☐ Event Tech: Lock in Your Event Management Software

If you haven’t already, vet the right corporate event management software to power your event. The ideal solution will include a mobile event app , event networking tools , and plenty of options for webinars and virtual events. 

consolidating event tech stack ebook

☐ Registration: Invite Attendees and Promote Your Event

Send out invitations to your target audience and actively promote your event on social media, relevant media outlets, email, paid ads, and other key channels. Start promoting your event early so you can send follow-ups and last-chance communications. 

☐ Food and Beverage: Plan the Menu

Hire a caterer or local business and plan the food and beverage offerings to meet the needs and preferences of your attendees. Be sure to consider sustainable materials for your event, including compostables or reusable items instead of plastic. Choose vendors that use locally sourced and processed ingredients to ensure a low carbon footprint. 

☐ Contingency Planning: Consider All Potentialities

Prepare for unforeseen circumstances by developing an event contingency plan to address any issues or emergencies that may arise during the event. Ensure your plan includes options for speakers backing out, vendors backing out, inclement weather, and every other possibility. 

☐ Rehearse: Do Final Walkthroughs

Do a dry run of your event to address any logistical or technical concerns ahead of time and ensure a smooth experience when the big day arrives. Be sure speakers have all the information and prep they need to succeed. 

☐ Event Follow-up: Survey Participants To Measure Success

Collect feedback from attendees, speakers, and vendors by distributing surveys post-show. Consider offering incentives to encourage participation, such as gift cards, sustainable swag, or a virtual meet-and-greet with one of your keynote speakers. 

☐ Post-mortem: Gather Stakeholders To Evaluate Success

Conduct a thorough evaluation of the event’s outcomes, discussing what worked well and areas for improvement to inform future events. Be sure you take plenty of notes and add them to your event documentation so you can pivot at your next event. 

To increase the chances your corporate event delivers the results you’re aiming for, keep these tips in mind as you finalize your plans:

  • Start the planning process earlier to allow ample time for all necessary preparations.
  • Build an engaging agenda, but leave room for networking and decompressing.
  • Ask attendees what they want to see at the event.
  • Look at historical data and surveys to ensure you’re not repeating sessions that fell flat.
  • Build your list of must-haves and nice-to-haves and communicate to stakeholders when you have to compromise for budget, time, or event goals.
  • Embrace technology and invest in a purpose-built event management solution you can rely on to plan, execute, and analyze your event.

Survey attendees, employees, and speakers afterward to gather event feedback and learn what you can do better next time.

Making your next corporate event one for the ages starts with meticulous planning. By creating a corporate event planning checklist and using it to guide the event planning process, you can ensure no details are overlooked as you prepare for your next event.

To help you tackle planning your corporate event, we’ve built several kits fully loaded with run-of-show templates, budgeting guidance, and much more. Whether your corporate event is in-person, virtual, or hybrid, we have a kit to maximize your efforts and help you spend more time on building experiences and less time on the nitty-gritty: 

  • The In-person Event Production Kit
  • The Virtual Event Production Kit
  • The Hybrid Event Production Kit
  • The Webinar Production Kit

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Corporate Event Planning: The Ultimate Checklist

corporate event planner business plan

Whether you’re a business owner, event creator, or other professional, there’s no doubt that planning a corporate event is a complex task — and it’s important to stay on top of the process. A corporate event done right has the power to strengthen relationships and leave a lasting imprint, but disorganized planning could result in guests zoning out. Alternatively, a well-planned event can strengthen relationships and add credibility to your brand image.

To take some of the pressure off, we’ve compiled a comprehensive corporate event planning checklist , including pointers that take the stress out of budgeting, ways to find the perfect venue for your event, and business event planning tips that tighten your time management and keep you organized.

Table of contents

What to think about before planning a corporate event, corporate event planning in 20 easy steps, corporate planning event checklist.

Get your corporate event management off to a great start by considering the following:

Beyond the basics

Knowing why you’re hosting your event and who you’re hosting it for helps make the planning process more manageable. You can refer back to these things whenever you hit a roadblock to help you stay on track.

  • The purpose: This could be to attract new customers, foster a sense of community, or celebrate a milestone — you have many types of corporate events to choose from.
  • Your value proposition: It’s the reason why people should come to your event. This also helps create an experience that speaks to your guests’ interests.
  • Your target audience: Zeroing in on your audience helps you create an experience tailored to their preferences. We’ll get more into how you can reach your target audience in our checklist for corporate events.

The essentials

You can’t move on in the planning journey without having a rough idea of these critical elements:

  • Evaluation/follow-up: How will you measure the success of your event? Some metrics to include are attendance, engagement rate, and attendee satisfaction.
  • Timing: When will be the best time to hold your event?
  • Logistics: What transportation and other accommodations will you need to arrange?
  • Marketing/promotion: How will you promote your event? Which channels will reach your target audience?
  • Budget: How much money do you need to bring your event to life? Will you need to bring on sponsors?

The big picture

Regardless of your event’s purpose, the goal is to create a positive experience for everyone. This could be as simple as ensuring the event is accessible or including food options for those with special dietary needs. Also, keep in mind the ambiance you want to achieve. What do you want people to take away from your event?

For instance, a community corporate event might include activities fostering a sense of connectedness; an event geared towards women in STEM would feature hands-on demonstrations or take inspiration from other tech corporate event trends . Everyone should leave your event feeling enriched and ready to RSVP for the next one.

The ways to delight your audience are boundless; check out these 13 memorable corporate event ideas .

Before you can hit the ground running, go over this corporate event planning checklist . From choosing a venue to securing sponsors, it covers everything you need to know.

Getting started: 8 – 12 months out

In this phase of the event planning process, you’ll generate ideas and lay the framework for success.

1. Establish your goals and objectives

This will create a clear direction for your event, and your goals will help make decision-making easier. Understanding what you want your event to look like will help you prepare details that align with that vision.

  • What is your conference or corporate event’s purpose?
  • How many people do you want to attend in person or watch your livestream?
  • How much do you want to make if your event must turn a profit?
  • Where will you host your event?
  • Will your company event be in-person or hybrid?
  • How many attendees do you expect?

If you’re planning for long-term financial returns for your event, consider creating an event business plan . This will ensure you stay on budget and helps you keep track of key metrics.

2. Put together a rough budget

Creating a realistic budget determines the cost of the event, and it helps ensure that you stay within your means. Here’s how:

  • Borrow similar figures from past events for a baseline
  • List all necessary expenses
  • Fill in the holes with educated guesses or research cost estimates

Sometimes, unexpected expenses pop up. Set aside a contingency budget to cover these expenses in case they arise.

3. Choose a format and theme

A theme sets the tone for the event and gives you a guiding framework. A well-designed theme amplifies the event’s purpose and drives home your message. The format for your event matters, too.

If you want to create a sense of community, choose an in-person event. If you want to increase accessibility and reach a wider audience, consider going virtual.

If you’re planning to offer a hybrid option , keep in mind that special considerations must be made, including setting up technology for streaming and selling tickets . Don’t wait until the last minute to plan that side of your event.

Here’s what you can do to find the perfect theme and format for your event:

  • Brainstorm formats that will fit your goals — think back to your event objectives
  • Outline who’s attending your conference or corporate event and select a theme that resonates with your audience
  • Think about what would reflect the brand
  • Gather input from your stakeholders, such as sponsors, team members, and industry experts — their feedback will help you create a theme that resonates with them

4. Choose a location, a venue, and vendors

A prime location is critical. Not only do you want a nice spot to host the event, but it should also be easily accessible . Consider the proximity to transportation such as buses and trains.

Your venue will depend on the size of your event. It should have enough space to hold your entire guest list plus a little more — people should be able to move around comfortably.

To help you choose the right venue, ask yourself the following questions:

  • What is the capacity limit of the venue?
  • How much does the venue cost ? Does it fit your budget?
  • What geographic area is best for your event?
  • How many people will be attending your event?
  • Will WiFi be provided? Is there livestreaming support?
  • Is audio-visual equipment included?
  • Does the venue have the infrastructure you need?
  • Are there local vendors you can rely on?
  • Does the venue have a kitchen for caterers? Will they provide catering?

5. Select a date

The date of your event should take be convenient for attendees. Also, avoid scheduling during busy periods, such as holidays, when people have other commitments.

Here are essential tips for choosing the best date:

  • Choose an optimal date and a second-best for backup when getting sign-off, and maybe even a third date — just in case
  • Check with your venue and verify that date isn’t already booked
  • Review your company’s calendar and avoid scheduling your event too close to important meetings or deadlines

6. Create your guest list

Unless your event is open to the public, it’s wise to curate your guest list. Knowing the number of attendees helps you balance your budget and plan other aspects of your event.

Your guest list will also align with the goal of your event. For example, if you’re hosting a product launch, you might invite investors or loyal customers.

Here are more ways to assemble an attractive invitee list:

  • Think back to your event’s purpose and target audience
  • Keep in mind your venue’s capacity limit — also know how many people you need to have a successful event
  • Identify key stakeholders, like customers, employees, clients, and investors — create categories if necessary
  • Tap into your professional network
  • Collect contact information and maintain a database

Once you’ve established your guest list, get creative with your business event invitation . Your invitation should include the basics like date and time, but also tease what guests can expect.

7. Research speakers

Bringing on the best speakers ensures that your event is engaging. Plus, you want to choose a speaker that reinforces your event’s purpose.

Below are ways to narrow down your search:

  • Research speakers who have spoken at company events similar to yours
  • Compile a list of your ideal speakers
  • Remember your budget — compare the costs of different speakers on your list
  • Contact your ideal speakers and invite them
  • Consider the speaker’s reputation because it could impact the perception of your event. Your speaker should align with your company’s values
  • Identify any other entertainment ideas you can add

8. Start your sponsor search

Sponsors can help provide support and resources for your event. Some can offer a cash donation, while others can provide food, drinks, merchandise, or services. Getting a sponsor can also help increase your reach and broaden your audience.

Here are some expert ways to snag a sponsor for your event:

  • Determine what kinds of activations to offer. Will you have live streaming or VR at your event? Can you incorporate an interactive component? Keep those ideas in mind when researching sponsors.
  • Look at similar events, luncheons, and banquets to yours and see who sponsored them.
  • Perform an online audit of your brand — ensure that your online search results represent your company well.
  • Compile a list of your ideal sponsors.
  • Segment attendees to understand their value to sponsors
  • Determine the market rate of your sponsorship packages

Getting granular: 3 – 4 months out

With the foundation built, the next phase in your planning process confirms the details for your conference, banquet, or company event before registrations open.

9. Finalize speakers

Confirming speakers 3 – 4 months out allows them enough time to prepare presentations. It also gives you more time to coordinate the logistics, such as audio-visual equipment and stage setup.

Here’s what you need to do:

  • Sign your speakers, panelists, and any other planned entertainment
  • Get bio information and photos
  • Arrange travel and accommodation

10. Organize your financials

Checking in with your budget keeps you from overspending, allowing you to make changes and adjust when necessary.

Make budget monitoring easier with these key tips:

  • Choose your ticketing or registration technology
  • Finalize sponsors and their contributions
  • If you are selling tickets, set your ticket prices for VIP and early bird sales

11. Build your branded website

Your website is a centralized location where attendees can find information and updates about your event. A well-designed site also establishes a strong brand presence and increases visibility.

Here are the boxes you need to check:

  • Update your site (if it’s a recurring event) or build your new event’s site. Craft copy and images that faithfully communicate the attendee experience
  • Make sure your website infrastructure can handle the increased traffic during peak times
  • Ensure your website is mobile-optimized

12. Begin to promote your event

A marketing timeline will give you an overview of what needs to be addressed. Planning your marketing efforts helps you target your audience and maximize your reach.

When planning your corporate event marketing, you could do the following:

  • Develop a messaging doc aligned with your event brand
  • Spark early interest with email and social media
  • Reach new event-goers with paid advertising and event distribution
  • Distribute your event via online event calendars
  • Write blog posts about your event
  • Create a promo video

Check out these 29 creative event promotion ideas for more ways to market your event.

13. Finalize venue details

A list of responsibilities might include the following:

  • Work with the caterer on approving the menu
  • Secure A/V equipment and WiFi
  • Review security needs and plans with your team
  • Make sure you have special permits (such as a special event permit if it takes place in a public area), licenses (are you required to obtain an alcohol license?), and insurance (event insurance protects you from being liable if someone were to get injured)
  • Determine event signage and attendee communication plans
  • Secure signage that highlights these safety protocols to minimize attendees’ fears

14. Draft a schedule

Crafting a sample corporate event agenda helps you manage your time effectively. Doing this early in the planning process lets you make adjustments and create a captivating experience for your audience.

Here’s how you can do it:

  • Put together a working draft of your event’s schedule
  • Balance your agenda and avoid front-loading speeches or having one panel after the next
  • Think about flow and what times of day people tend to get tired or want to take a break
  • Incorporate interactive activities and icebreakers

Finalizing details: 2 months out

With only months before the big event, you can build excitement and (if you haven’t sold out yet) urge interested attendees to register before it’s too late.

15. Send reminders

Reminders help stimulate attendance and create anticipation for your event. It also assures that all your partners are on the same page.

  • Engage invitees on email and social media
  • Reach out to speakers, panelists, and sponsors to ensure they’re taken care of
  • Contact vendors to confirm their commitments

16. Push promotions to meet your attendance goals

It’s the final countdown! This is the time to turn up your promotional efforts. Here’s what that might look like:

  • Rekindle interest with retargeting, a technique that serves relevant ads to past visitors.
  • Encourage last-minute buyers to register by email and on social media.

17. Prepare for last-minute changes

Expect the unexpected — but also be prepared. Handle curveballs by doing the following:

  • Design a backup plan should your in-person event shift to a virtual format.
  • Keep attendees updated on any change in plans.

The week before your corporate event

Your event is a week away, and you’re probably excited — but the work isn’t done yet. Use this checklist to manage the finishing touches.

18. Finalize the event schedule & scripts

This is the time to review and revise your schedule and make adjustments if needed. Ensure things run smoothly by handling the following:

  • Make sure everyone has the same schedule
  • Get sign-off on any speech scripts

19. Communicate final details with your partners

  • Update the caterer and venue with final registration numbers
  • Double-check the A/V equipment and WiFi
  • Confirm your schedule with vendors, including when to arrive and set up

20. Stay in touch with attendees

Keep an open line of communication with guests — not updating them can cause confusion and leave a bad impression.

  • Keep attendees informed of any changes in event delivery caused by changing restrictions
  • Use Eventbrite Boost to send timely and automated reminders to attendees

Use these actionable steps to organize a successful corporate event:

1: Set a goal for your event

2: Create a budget

3: Determine a theme

4: Choose the location

5: Select the date

6: Curate your guest list

7: Find speakers

8: Search for sponsors

9: Finalize the presenters

10: Organize your financials

11: Build a website

12: Promote your event

13: Confirm the venue

14: Draft a schedule

15: Send reminders to partners and attendees

16: Complete last-minute promotions

17: Establish a backup plan for changes

18: Finalize agenda and speeches

19: Finalize details with partners

20: Update attendees

Stay competitive with the leading event planning platform

Prepping for a corporate event can be overwhelming, but having a step-by-step plan makes the process easier. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a newbie, following our corporate event planning template will help you create a positive experience for your business and attendees. Grow your corporate event with Eventbrite .

Plan your corporate event with Eventbrite

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about the author

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Ashley Austin

Ashley Austin specializes in topics such as event planning, skincare, health, decor, and lifestyle. When Ashley isn’t writing, she’s delving into everything astrology, getting wrapped up in a book, or binging ’90s sitcoms.

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A Must-Know Guide To Corporate Event Planning

blog topic header

Events in a corporate environment are often staged to communicate company strategy, change internal company behavior, launch a product or service, motivate, train or reward staff, or influence the external behavior of customers towards the brand.

In many instances, they bring company employees together, support wider marketing or sales initiatives, incentivize team achievements, or entertain senior leaders.

What is corporate event planning?

Yet, corporate event planning goes beyond meeting planning. Although conferences and meetings may form the lion’s share of the workload, other events you may be asked to organize include corporate hospitality, client entertaining, conventions, exhibitions, and employees events—such as incentive travel reward programs, team building, motivational events, receptions, parties, and charity fundraising days.

Planning and executing a successful corporate event is no simple task. It’s typically a months-long process consisting of several stages and a variety of organizational steps.

To help you navigate the business of corporate event planning, here is everything you need to know:

  • Types of Corporate Events

Event budget

Event objective, venue sourcing, event marketing, attendee engagement.

  • Corporate event planning checklist

Types of corporate events

Cvent CONNECT Marketing

As outlined above, corporate events can range from company conferences and internal training seminars to team away-days and client hospitality. When planning for any type of corporate event therefore, it’s best to assess them in terms of their size.

Micro events  (otherwise known as ‘simple events’) are planned for up to 100 delegates and often take the form of meetings or more intimate training sessions.

The planning requirements for these micro-events may simply involve a room booking, presentation facilities, break-out refreshments, and registration. However, referring to them as ‘simple events’ can be misleading, as an away-day or hospitality for 50 senior managers can be as complicated as planning a conference for 500 attendees.

Small events  are classed as between 100 and 250 delegates. They could be seminars, training days or departmental conferences.

Planners may need to manage a main stage itinerary and several break-out sessions, along with lunch, refreshments, audio-visual facilities, online registration , and transport.

Midsize events  rely more on technology. They could be company-wide conferences for up to 1,000 delegates or leadership summits for important client customers to meet with senior leaders.

A branded website, pre-event communications, and an event mobile app should all form part of the budgetary considerations. Delegates may require hotel accommodation, plus transport which takes attendees to and from the venue. While a pre- or post-event reception or evening entertainment may be required as part of a complex multi-stream conference itinerary.

Large-scale events  often require enterprise technology tools to manage elements such as hotel room bookings, delegate flights, budgets, and online registration.

These may be multi-day events so you could need offsite activities, dinners, partner programs, an awards ceremony or other complex itinerary planning.

Staffing, catering, registration, speaker and delegate management will all need to be carefully planned at scale. Conventions, for example, can attract anything up to around 10,000 attendees and can last a few days.

calculator and budget

The amount of available budget can impact every aspect of corporate event planning, from the choice of venue and speakers to the levels of catering, entertainment, technology, and staffing.

Decide if your budget has outgoings only, or will you be able to supplement it with income from exhibitors, sponsors or other forms of external revenue?

Has this event happened in the past? If so, use the previous budget to establish a baseline but ensure that inflation and evolving needs are taking into consideration.

Figures from past budgets are useful in providing a clearer picture of how much certain suppliers will charge. Use these to ensure you are not being over-charged when you reach out to suppliers for initial quotes.

Every event budget, however, needs built-in flexibility. Unanticipated expenditure is common and supplier costs are often provided as estimates, rather than fixed prices, so it’s vital that an overall budget is managed accordingly, and a contingency fund is in place.

Once you’ve sourced supplier costings, make a comprehensive list of all the budget line items in the event lifecycle, including venue hire, AV, food, and beverage, accommodation and travel, speaker fees, staffing costs, marketing and service fees.

For larger or more complex budget planning, look into corporate event management software suites, which include a dedicated  event budget management  tool. This will ensure accurate collection of your budgetary information, help you track expenses easily, generate budget reports, and demonstrate the ROI of your event.

Setting Goals

‘What is the event’s objective?’ This should be the first question you ask when a corporate event is requested. By gaining a deep understanding of the deliverables that key stakeholders are hoping to achieve, it’ll allow you to plan more effectively and communicate your ideas in a language your bosses will understand.

Once you’ve understood whether the event’s aim is, for example, to build brand awareness, communicate business strategy, reward and motivate, or launch a new product or service, you can then set goals, put the right metrics in place to track results, and determine who the attendees will be, along with their expectations.

When you have well-defined goals and objectives for your event, planning, promoting, and sticking to your budget all become much easier.

Event objectives should be SMART

  • S pecific: What is the desired outcome and when does it need to be achieved by?
  • M easurable: Return on Investment or Return on Objectives… or both?
  • A chievable: Ensure that the event objective is something that can actually be achieved otherwise senior leaders will consider it a failure.
  • R elevant: The overall objective needs to remain something that relates back to the company’s goals throughout the entire planning process.
  • T imebound: Plan for the event objective to have been achieved between two time periods. This may require subsequent training seminars or a follow-up event to assess the outcomes of the first.

Venue Search Frankfurt

The event’s objectives may also determine your choice of venue. If stakeholders are looking to leave a lasting impression on valued or prospective clients, for example, the venue will need to play its part and deliver a memorable wow factor.

Other factors that will influence your venue choice include budget, capacity, location, availability, and logistics. Having a clear understanding of these event requirements will allow you to shortlist a number of venues, send out requests for written proposals (RFPs) and arrange site visits.

Some venues offer seasonal pricing, so the hire cost may be lower during certain times of the year. Find out what the costs are for your venue of choice on your desired date. If your dates are flexible, you may be able to secure a better deal at your preferred venue.

If your event has a short-lead time, keep an eye out for last-minute venue offers as there are often great deals to be found. If you’re planning an event that’s a long way off, consider those venues undergoing refurbishment or not yet opened. They’ll be eager to secure your business and may be able to negotiate more favorably.

Three steps to venue sourcing

Step One: Find Venues

  • Know the meeting objectives and requirements. By determining these at the outset, you’ll decrease the search process.
  • Take into account feedback from attendees. Is this an annual event? If attendees ranked the venue from the previous year poorly, look at the feedback to pick a venue that will resonate better.
  • Don’t feel alone. Reach out to your team, or others that have a stake in the event to brainstorm what factors are most important.

Step Two: Write the perfect RFP

  • You already know general objectives and requirements – now define your purpose. Make it clear what this event requires and hopes to achieve.
  • Get detailed. Give as much information about the event as you can.
  • No one likes to discuss money, but you need to share your budget requirements. The venue is one of the largest costs of an event and can make or break your budget.
  • Make your deadlines clear. Give a date and time that provide venues enough time to respond.
  • Don’t start from scratch. Pull a template the internet.
  • Be ready to answer any questions venues may have about the proposal or event.

Step Three: Send and evaluate proposals

  • Using a  venue sourcing tool , you can search and filter venues and send one RFP to multiple venues at once.
  • Assess proposals via the chosen venue sourcing tool or by manually importing data into a spreadsheet
  • Create a list of any factors that are less concrete – the qualitative factors.
  • Pay close attention to meeting rooms – do the sizes and layouts make sense for your event?
  • Compare how responsive and helpful the venues are to help figure out how helpful they’ll be if you choose them.

Now go on some site visits. You should be in great shape at this point. You have proposals, you know that the spaces you’re looking at are within budget and have the spaces you need, now you can look in person .

Event Marketing

By building a marketing campaign around your event, attendees and stakeholders will feel more invested and involved. It will also allow you to communicate key instructions and announcements, safe in the knowledge that your audience is already engaged.

Event marketing assets include teaser emails, social media channels, a branded website, and a mobile event app . You may also wish to design and create posters, flyers, pin-badges, and other accessories to keep the event front-of-mind and anticipation high.

A customized pre-event website will showcase event highlights and build on the notion of ‘experience’ before attendees arrive. A website can also be used to streamline the registration process and create a one-stop-shop for accommodation or transport booking.

The design and usability of your event website will be crucial to the success of your event, so make sure you pay special attention to how it is  designed and built .

With the latest corporate event management software solutions,  creating a custom event website  has become easier than ever. There is no technical expertise required, and you certainly don’t need to learn HTML. With a simple drag-and-drop tool, you can  build a complete website from scratch .

A branded mobile event app meanwhile will allow attendees to view the agenda, receive notifications of scheduling updates and plan networking. It will also enable you to signpost attendees to important information like the venue Wi-Fi password, sponsor information, local hotel details, or session sign-up pages.

On-site advertising should also be included in your marketing plan, which includes signage, banners, flyers and brochures, and other event collateral.

corporate event planner business plan

According to a  survey by Cvent and Edelman Intelligence , attendee expectations and needs differ significantly on the basis of their persona, age, and region.

For example, the event expectations for a Millennial from the UK could be entirely different from a Baby Boomer from Germany. To deliver a unique and engaging experience for every attendee, you need to have a solid event management plan in place, supported by a strong digital strategy.

If a corporate event cannot generate engagement, it will impact the attendees’ ability to retain information.

The human attention span has reduced significantly in this mobile-first, digital era. As a result, event planners have needed to move away from ‘death by PowerPoint’ presentations to more innovative session formats that avoid information overload.

Using the right event technology tools, implementing feedback strategies like live polls, reconciling goals and expectations, and staying authentic should all be top priorities.

Plenary sessions should be designed for delegate participation. To do this, find more engaging speakers, use live polling, real-time Q&As, table discussions, and other methods of keeping engagement high and attendee attention focused.

Conference breakouts should be designed to provide targeted and truly interactive content for your audience. A common event planning pitfall is to turn them into mini keynotes.

Two popular formats for breakouts are:

Breakout sessions:  This format is generally used for conferences or sales rallies and offers participants an opportunity to delve deep and explore a topic of interest.

Breakout groups:  Pairs, trios or small groups of up to 12 participants work together to brainstorm, complete a business exercise or analyze a specific business issue. Breakout groups are also used for skill practice during training and development programs, as well as projects during team building sessions.

Coffee and lunch breaks meanwhile should be designed for networking. So, consider ice-breakers, buffet stations and other free-flowing formats and activities to get people talking.

A strong digital strategy will build a sense of community before and after the event. Online communities can be formed via social media platforms or by ensuring that your event app is available well in advance and includes built-in social features.

The week before your event is crucial for building attendee engagement for your event.

In order to keep the energy and excitement going, create a unique countdown in the form of emails or website updates, with engaging content such as quiz contests with attractive awards, a preview of the main keynote speakers or any number of other possibilities.

The big four types of attendee engagement

1) Engaging with content:  This means giving attendees the right sessions, exhibits and other activities to maximize learning and the value of their attendance.

2) Engaging with each other:  For many, networking is the primary reason for attending an event. By creating networking opportunities — whether face-to-face or virtual, one-on-one or in groups — planners can encourage and facilitate networking and create a more valuable experience for attendees.

3) Engaging with sponsors:  If you’ve sold sponsorship at your event, then those paying customers will be looking for real connections with the right kind of attendee — rather than just signage.

4) Engaging with you:  Communication is a two-way street, and as the event organizer you’ve got to effectively communicate with your attendees — whether for promotional, consultative or logistical purposes.

Virtual Meeting and Event Planning

Not all corporate events need to be in-person. Virtual meeting and event planning is a great choice for these types of events. If you decide on a virtual event , you will need to ask yourself a few questions. Are you planning on a more collaborative environment? Does your technology allow you to do this? And if it's a virtual event, do you want it to be casual or formal? Is the content engaging? And does your technology support networking opportunities? While the planning process doesn't vary much from in-person to virtual, the main difference will be in the production and presentation of your content, as well as the virtual technology used.

Corporate Event Planning Checklist

Checklist

Use these 21 action steps, together with the aforementioned best practice advice, to ensure effective and successful corporate event planning.

  • Determine the overarching goal and the primary objectives you intend to meet by holding this event.
  • Identify the audience to determine the event’s tone of voice and what takeaways they’ll expect.
  • Agree on how the event fits into the overall company strategy. What are its long-term objectives?
  • Make a comprehensive list of all the budget line items in the event lifecycle.
  • Appoint a planning team and allocate responsibilities.
  • Establish a schedule for planning meetings.
  • Decide on the date(s) when the event will take place.
  • Prepare a preliminary budget based on historic costings and supplier quotes.
  • Create a list of venue requirements.
  • Compare venues and negotiate.
  • Plan the event layout.
  • Secure speakers.
  • Develop and activate an  event marketing plan .
  • Prepare an event timeline allowing adequate time between sessions and activities for transitioning, as well as for any potential delays or technical difficulties.
  • Reserve accommodation and transport requirements.
  • Plan menus for meals and refreshments, taking dietary needs into consideration.
  • Prepare and print event collateral.
  • Confirm or recruit event staffing.
  • Rehearse speakers if required.
  • Follow-up with speakers and attendees post-event to thank them for attending and provide key takeaways.
  • Conduct surveys, secure feedback and collate final costings for future reference.

Mike Fletcher

Mike Fletcher

Mike has been writing about the meetings and events industry for almost 20 years as a former editor at Haymarket Media Group, and then as a freelance writer and editor. He currently runs his own content agency, Slippy Media, catering for a wide-range of client requirements, including social strategy, long-form, event photography, event videography, reports, blogs and ghost-written material.

corporate event planner business plan

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Your Guide on How to Plan a Corporate Event

Table of contents.

Any business that wants to build lasting relationships , which is crucial for your company’s growth, needs to know how to produce professional events. Hosting a corporate affair allows you to strengthen bonds with current clients and partners, while developing genuine connections and attracting future ones.

“Events provide businesses a personal way to build relationships with their target audiences [as well as] build brand recognition and loyalty,” said Myke Nahorniak, co-founder and CEO of Localist. “LinkedIn messages, Facebook status updates and tweets cannot replace the meaningful connections made through in-person communication.” 

Whether you’re hosting a product launch for 300 people or an employee training for 15, it’s key to approach each gathering with an understanding of the basic elements of event management: research, design, planning, coordination and evaluation. Once an event is broken up into these manageable stages, it is much easier to conceptualize it and pull together the many moving pieces needed to bring it to life. Here are 10 tips on how to plan an event that your attendees won’t soon forget.

1. Understand the purpose of your event.

Once you decide you want to host an event, your first step is to define what you hope to accomplish.

“It is important to know the goals and objectives of the event you are trying to produce before you can do anything else,” said Brian Worley, creative director and owner of B. Worley Productions.

Start by asking yourself why you are hosting the event and what you expect from it. Once you’ve identified your goals and expectations, you can then determine what kind of event will resonate with your intended audience.

“Rather than thinking of it as just a corporate event, think about it like you’re delivering an interactive brand experience,” said Serena Holmes, CEO of Tigris Events. “You want it to be meaningful and engaging.”

2. Decide on your audience.

An important part of the planning process is defining your target audience. Is it your company’s executives and upper management, business partners, or community members? Is it for longtime clients or potential clients? Maybe it’s a combination of some or all the above. Figuring out your target audience and understanding how to reach them is essential to a successful event. Once you can name your audience, you can cater the program to their needs and interests. 

It’s always stressful to determine how many guests to invite to these events. However, according to Julian Jost, CEO and co-founder of Spacebase, it’s better to invite too many people than too few. 

“For small businesses, empty seats and uneaten snacks look bad and are a waste of money,” he said. “In most situations, having too many people show up isn’t really going to spoil an event – with some exceptions, like venues with very limited space or where a three-course meal is planned. If too many people turn up, it’s also great marketing. You’re sure to create a buzz the next day, and it will add to anticipation about your next event.” 

Regardless of how small or large the guest list is, what people will remember is how they were treated. “Every person attending the event is a potential brand ambassador or word-of-mouth spokesperson for … your business,” said Valerie Gernhauser, owner and principal planner of Sapphire Events. “It is important to make a significant impact on the guest experience by not overlooking the finer details that each attendee will appreciate firsthand.”

3. Set a realistic budget.

You need to know how much money you have to work with to determine what sort of event you can produce. According to Worley, decide early on how much you want to spend, and then plan on spending at least 10% more. 

“Things are always changing, and you should have a cushion for added and unexpected expenses that pop up,” he said. 

Once you have a budget, knowing where to allocate most of your resources is essential. For example, if you spend more on fancy decorations than you do on a skilled tech crew or personable speakers, your event might be lacking in substance. 

Additionally, don’t skimp on food or beverages, and take into account attendees with dietary restrictions. Though this may not seem as important as other aspects of your event planning, audiences are more forgiving of missteps when they aren’t hungry or thirsty. 

4. Choose a theme and format.

Once you have set your objectives and defined the audience, it’s time to choose a theme or topic for the event and determine the best format for presenting it to your guests. 

For example, coordinating a client event with an industry expert, such as a guest speaker, can position your company as a trusted advisor, instead of just a vendor. Peer-to-peer learning with client panels, keynotes, roundtables and breakout session speakers are other popular options. 

“Always offer opportunities for attendees to do something fun, memorable and entertaining that they wouldn’t typically do anywhere or anytime else,” said J.J. Barnes, chief marketing officer at enVista. “This might include hearing from a famous speaker, comedian or band; playing on an incredible golf course; or trying something new, thrilling or exclusive for the first time.”

A successful corporate event is both immersive and educational, according to Worley. 

“The ones that are interactive – rather than sitting in a ballroom watching a speaker all day – are more successful, informative and fun,” he said. “We really try to create experiences these days that go beyond theater-style seating, and put the attendees in situations and in front of the right people for networking and learning.

“Determine what you are going to do to make this an ‘out of the box’ event,” Worley added. “Spend the time now to figure out what will differentiate your event from similar ones in your industry or even ones you’ve previously produced.” 

5. Establish a project timeline.

Designing the event requires you to keep track of a broad range of tasks. This can be facilitated by creating a master detailed checklist. Online project management software can streamline all of the tiny details and help you stay organized. 

“The overall planning checklist serves as a tool for the duration of the planning process,” Gernhauser said. She said her team starts with a list for 12 months out and works in checklist increments at nine months out, six months out, four months out, two months out, the month of, two weeks out, the week of and the day of the event. “Breaking down the task list like this helps our team foresee the schedule of milestones we need to target.” 

Even without dedicated software, you can keep track of your checklist by creating a spreadsheet and using individual tabs for each event category, such as venue, speakers, schedule, agenda and travel. This way, you can list each activity or task, the people responsible for each part of the process, and all the relevant deadlines. Though Microsoft Excel is usually the go-to spreadsheet program, there are other options. We compiled a list of free alternatives to Microsoft Office for you.

Your project timeline is linked to your budget. If you are working with a tight budget, giving yourself more time to put together the event will help with costs and services. If you have a bigger budget, you can have a truncated project timeline.

6. Select an appropriate location.

Once you’ve determined the type of event you’d like to create and outlined a budget, it’s time to find a venue that allows you to bring your vision to life. It’s tempting, at times, to jump ahead and book a venue you’ve heard good things about or that you know is an up-and-coming hot spot, even if you haven’t quite honed in on the mission of your event. This is a mistake, according to Worley. 

“It is always hard to fit a round peg in a square hole, so the same goes for an event,” he said. “Build the event architecture first, and then find the venue that fits all the specs you need to have for success.”

According to Barnes, “location is key to attendance.” She recommends booking a venue in a convenient area with a vibrant atmosphere so that attendees feel comfortable and willing to make the commute. 

If you have a tight budget, Jost suggests reducing your costs by holding the event at a less popular time when the venue is more likely to be available, such as hosting a media breakfast on a Monday morning. 

“Be sure to involve the local community as much as possible,” said Gina Argento, president and CEO of Broadway Stages. “We always use local vendors for catering needs, various rentals and many other crucial aspects. By doing this, we are supporting the local community and giving them the opportunity to network and expand their businesses.” 

7. Plan the logistics of the day.

To have a successful event, you will have to identify, vet and contract all the necessary event specialists. This may include caterers, audiovisual technicians, printers, decorators, photographers, florists and security personnel, to name just a few. Of course, you must also book speakers and presenters, including prominent figures, experts or influencers, who can best communicate the ideas you’d like to circulate throughout the gathering. 

To assure everything goes according to your plan, determine an agenda for the event, and make sure everyone on your team knows what aspects of the day they are responsible for managing.

You have to work intentionally to create a balance between keeping attendees engaged and giving them some freedom in their schedule. “People get bored easily,” said Jonathan Chan, former head of marketing at Insane Growth. “If there isn’t enough variety to keep them interested, then you’ve basically spent a lot of money on a vanity event.”

However, you don’t want to jam-pack the schedule either. There needs to be leeway in the itinerary to deal with unexpected occurrences that may arise. Additionally, your attendees need time to themselves to process what they are learning, recharge and connect with other attendees. 

When deciding how to wrap up your day, skip the typical promotional giveaways with the company logo, and think of gifts that have a big impact with a small footprint. A much better idea is a digital take-home, according to Jost. 

“That could be a promotional code, which gives guests a discount, or it could give access to online content from the event, like photos and videos,” he said. “It could also include the chance to register in advance for the next event. Give guests an incentive to stay in contact.” 

8. Make use of technology.

Gone are the days of cumbersome mile-long lists to track all the moving parts of an event. Today, there are tons of event management software platforms and apps (some of which offer a free base product) that do everything from providing seamless on-site check-in of attendees to enhancing the appeal of workshops and presentations with simulations and virtual reality games. 

The use of event apps can help you significantly streamline planning and increase engagement among attendees, according to Nick Jackson, Digital Marketing Manager at BrandX Agency. 

“Event details can be populated quickly via spreadsheet templates and published instantly into an existing event container app, or event teams can create their own custom-branded event app to use for multiple events and conferences throughout the year,” said Jackson. “Most event apps have features that keep attendees up to date with all the info they need leading up to the event and during it, and it allows them to provide feedback to the speakers and organizers.”

Interactive features, such as live polling and session Q&A, can be easily displayed on large screens in the venue, and some apps have gamification features, such as scavenger hunts. You can make speaker slides available to attendees, as long as they are in the correct format, by simply uploading them to the event app. 

Event management software keeps your affair on track, but it also makes it easier to work collaboratively with vendors and other creative partners. 

“Streamlining communication among all the parties by using a project management system we can all collaborate on has been tremendously helpful in cutting down the frustrations of relying on email communication alone,” said Gernhauser, who uses Basecamp, a popular cloud-based project management system, and Social Tables, another web-based event planning platform known for its event-diagramming and seating capabilities. 

In the planning and execution of your corporate event, you can use a plethora of software, apps and services to streamline the whole process.

9. Promote your event.

If people don’t know about your event, no one will show up, so it’s imperative to find creative ways to get the word out. For a small event with a limited guest list, you can simply send out invitations, but you need to be bolder for larger events. 

“In today’s digital age, a variety of promotional methods are required to generate attendance,” Barnes said. “We typically start by emailing our database, placing ads in industry newsletters, adding our event to industry listings and directories, and encouraging our sales teams to promote [our conference] when visiting clients or partners on-site.” 

For your event and its timeline, you want to treat the promotion of your corporate event as if you are making a marketing plan. Granted, marketing plans are typically done on a more general/macro scale to help drive your resources to bring awareness. Applying this to your specific event can be beneficial to its success. We laid out tips on how to create a great business marketing plan to give you a reference on how to translate these skills on a more micro level.

From there, you can promote on social media and have your team spread the word. Create an event website or, at a minimum, a new landing page on your current site. Your social media marketing can also include promo videos, guest blog posts, and Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter updates. Maintain uniformity by using the same handle and hashtag across platforms and consistent messaging so it’s always clear that the buzz is about one particular event. 

You can also explore possible sponsorship opportunities for your event. Sponsors can fund a portion of the event, which helps you defray the costs. More importantly, sponsors have a vested interest in promoting your affair. Brainstorm a list of ideal sponsors whose brand, mission or services complement your event in some way. You can develop a range of sponsorship packages and reach out to them about potential partnership opportunities. This works best if you focus your pitch to highlight the value of attendees to potential sponsors. 

“We partner with media sponsors to speak at our events,” Barnes said. “It’s a win-win situation, as they receive ‘free’ publicity and mindshare in return for publicizing our event.”

10. Celebrate and evaluate your event planning success.

If your event went off without a hitch, congratulations! You aren’t done yet, though. Now is the time to wrap up any loose ends, such as sending final payments to vendors, reconciling your finances and conducting a post-event debrief with your team. 

Most importantly, you want to gather feedback from guests. If you used an event-planning app with a feedback option, you can use it to ask attendees questions. This information will help you determine if the event met your original goals and what impact, if any, it had on the attendees. You can then share this information with all the relevant stakeholders so an appropriate follow-up can be planned. The lessons you learn will help you refine your planning for the next event. 

If you are managing or are a part of a team in the process of making these events, some of the feedback you get may not be positive. It’s important to understand how to give or take this type of feedback, and we broke down how important giving and accepting constructive criticism is . 

Bassam Kaado, Sammi Caramela and Nicole Fallon contributed to the writing and reporting in this article. Source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.

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The Wonolo Blog

The Ultimate Guide to Corporate Event Planning: Everything You Need to Know to Plan an Unforgettable Event (w/Checklist)

July 11, 2017

Event Staffing

Wonolo

We’ve put together this comprehensive guide to corporate event planning to walk you through all the critical steps and planning stages with ease, whether you’re an event-planning veteran or overseeing corporate event planning for the very first time. When you’re ready to get rolling, download our comprehensive, interactive Corporate Event Planning Checklist to guide you through the process, step-by-step.

We ’ ll cover:

Establishing the Business Case

Developing your timeline, planning breakout sessions, finding the perfect venue, lining up keynote speakers, exhibition hall considerations, food and lodging, promotional strategies, pre-event prep, attendee engagement, that’s a wrap: post-event follow-up, the ultimate corporate event planning checklist [download].

Before you get into the nitty-gritty planning details, you first need to establish the business case. In other words, what purpose is your event going to serve? Find out what deliverables key stakeholders are expecting to get out of the event, such as:

business case for corporate events

  • Training or roll-outs of new programs and initiatives. Many organizations hold corporate events as an all-hands-on-deck approach to gaining broad support and backing for new products or services before they’re launched. These events can also be valuable in bringing sales and marketing teams up to speed so that they can effectively market and sell the latest company offerings.
  • Rolling out new incentives programs or recognizing recent performance with awards.
  • Building brand awareness or nurturing relationships with valuable partners or prospects.

The rest of your planning process will hinge on the business case, so it’s worth your time to clearly establish what that purpose is before getting started. Doing so means you can easily justify the point and convey the benefits the company will gain from the event.

Whatever the business case, make it measurable. Define the outcomes you hope to achieve and build in methodology to measure performance.

Event planning timeline

Now that you know the why, you need to start thinking about the how. The first thing to do is develop a master timeline for all phases of planning, beginning with today and ending with post-event follow-up.

Your timeline will serve as your master outline for every step in the process, a checklist that you can tick off in the weeks and months to come to ensure that you’ve covered all the bases. While there’s no single universal timeline that works for every corporate event in every industry, there are many timeline examples and templates that you can customize and build on for streamlined planning. Here are a few:

  • Corporate Event Planning Checklist from The Terraces on Sir Tyler
  • Suggested Event Planning Timeline from Dartmouth College
  • Meeting & Event Checklist from Radisson Blu
  • A Month-by-Month Timeline for Corporate Event Planning by Eagle’s Flight
  • Conference Timeline from Bonjour Events
  • Event Planning Checklists from EventGeek (20+ templates for various event types)

Event Planning Budget

Budgetary constraints can dictate every aspect of a corporate event, from venues to refreshments, travel, speakers, and more. Determine your overall event budget and then allocate funds to each aspect of event planning including:

  • Venue and exhibition hall fees
  • Lodging (for team members, keynote speakers, etc.)
  • Transportation
  • Photographer/videographer
  • Materials (printing costs, etc.)
  • Event staffing
  • Gifts for attendees

If your event will host vendors in an exhibition hall or through another arrangement, these fees can offset some of the costs you’ll incur. You can also consider seeking event sponsors for a mutually-beneficial arrangement – sponsors get promotion and publicity, and you get more funding to work with.

Make sure your budget is flexible. If you end up getting a great deal on a venue, for instance, you can re-allocate some of your funds to secure that coveted keynote speaker, upgrade lodging, or opt for classier refreshments. No matter how tight or generous your initial budget, make sure your initial breakdown includes a contingency fund. Unanticipated expenses are common, and you don’t want to end up sacrificing in another area to make up the difference. Your event budget should be documented and include both estimated and actual expenses.

Breakout Sessions

Breakout sessions are just one possible activity at corporate events, but breaking up attendees into smaller, more targeted groups is one of the most viable ways to make the event meaningful to every attendee on a personal level while getting more accomplished in less time. Instead of having all attendees sit through sessions that aren’t relevant to them, break it out into smaller sessions.

Each breakout session should have a time estimate and also include a buffer to allow for unexpected delays or other problems, such as technical hiccups. For instance, allow 70 or 80 minutes for sessions expected to last for an hour.

Other activities to consider:

  • Icebreakers
  • Guest speakers or lectures
  • Product launch presentations
  • Closing statements
  • After-parties or wrap-up celebrations

All of these activities should be carefully planned on your master event timeline, and each individual breakout session or activity should also have its own mini-timeline, including time allotted for setup, introductions, presentations, and time for independent teamwork (such as for workshops), as well as any other tasks specific to the activity.

Event venues

You’ll need to find a venue that meets your requirements, meaning:

  • A sufficient capacity to hold your desired number of attendees
  • Within your budget
  • Offers access to an exhibition hall if needed, either on-site or in the vicinity of the main conference area
  • Adequate facilities to meet any audio-visual needs, such as projection screens for keynote presentations

The best way to find the right venue at the right cost is to send your meeting requirements to a few select venues and request written proposals. You’ll want to do this early in your planning process, as the best and most sought-after venues are often booked well in advance.

Another consideration is whether you’ll need space for an exhibition hall. This is most commonly needed for events like industry conferences, where vendors pay for space in order to promote their goods and services to their target audience. Industry conferences provide the perfect opportunity for vendors to connect with a large number of ideal prospective buyers in one place over the course of a few days.

Keynote speakers

Keynote speakers can make or break an event. Even internal corporate events, such as management retreats, often enlist a keynote speaker to deliver a motivating, thought-provoking presentation to engage attendees and build enthusiasm.

A keynote speaker, or guest speaker, may be a motivational speaker, an authority figure in your industry, a leader from a partner or sponsor company, a published author, or even a celebrity.  There are a few considerations when it comes to keynote speakers: 

  • Ask for recommendations and find out what authority figures have given talks at similar events. Look for videos of past presentations to determine if a speaker is a good fit for your audience. You can also look for speakers who have given talks in your niche at TEDx .
  • Look for a speaker who is knowledgeable in your industry. While general motivational speakers are often well-suited for most events, it helps if a speaker can relate and speak to the challenges attendees are facing. That doesn’t mean you need to line up a speaker who has worked in your industry, but you should make sure that they have talking points that will resonate with the audience.
  • Consider their social reach. An industry leader can amplify your promotional efforts by promoting their upcoming talk at your event with their audience.
  • Will they be compensated? Most often, companies pay for travel and lodging for guest speakers who need to travel. Professional speakers and industry authority figures often command high fees for speaking engagements, so plan your budget accordingly.
  • What equipment do they require? Most speakers use A/V to supplement their talks, so find out what your speaker needs and make arrangements for the proper setup.

What fees do keynote speakers typically command? Speaking fees can vary depending on how sought-after a speaker is and their level of expertise in your industry. According to Evan Bailyn , speaking fees range from free, to travel costs only, to tens of thousands of dollars, even into the six-figure range. That’s quite a wide range, so decide how much you’re willing to pay for a speaker before you begin your search.

You can, of course, expect to pay more for a celebrity speaker and also for well-known authors. Bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell, for instance, is believed to command fees around $80,000 for speaking engagements.  Also, note that you can expect speaking fees to be two to three times higher if you work with a speaker’s bureau than if you enlist a speaker directly.  Most major conferences, Bailyn says, pay speaking fees in the range of $10,000 to $20,000. 

The total cost of lining up a speaker isn’t just limited to speaking fees, so plan your budget for the full picture, including fees, travel and lodging, meals, and so on. Obviously, you want to give your guest speaker the royal treatment and leave them with a great impression.

Exhibition hall planning

If you’re having an exhibition hall as part of your event, you’ll need to plan the layout based on the number of registered vendors and their requirements, such as electricity, space, and so on. This information should be gathered on registration, which then gives you a full picture of exactly what you have to work with when you’re configuring the layout.

Your venue should provide you with a basic floor plan and any other information you require about the space itself. Using this information, you’ll want to draw a complete layout with space designated for every vendor while allowing ample space for attendees to browse. Make sure you’re aware of all venue rules and restrictions on vendor space (booth sizes), lighting, signage, or other requirements that will impact your exhibition hall configuration.

Soliciting exhibitors is a substantial undertaking in itself, so you may want to appoint a committee or individual who can take the lead on this aspect of event planning. Create an exhibitor prospectus that includes:

  • A letter of invitation from the conference chair or exhibitor chairperson
  • Key highlights about the event
  • Benefits to vendors
  • Information about attendees including key demographics and categories
  • Details about the conference and exhibition (dates, times, location, anticipated attendance)
  • The floor plan for the exhibit hall (this template should include the designated space available for each vendor, but will not yet include assigned vendor names)
  • Contract and rules
  • Information on sponsorship and exhibitor packages and general pricing information (offer several packages including exhibitor/sponsorship combos, packages with larger vendor spaces, packages that include additional signage throughout the main conference areas, etc.)
  • Registration form (complete with fields for all essential information, such as requirements for A/V access, etc.)
  • If this is not the first event you’ve held, include testimonials from past attendees and photos from previous events

Most importantly, you should have a registration deadline that’s far enough in advance that you have time to plan the specifics and place each vendor in the most appropriate space on the exhibition hall floor. You might also consider offering an early registration discount for vendors to encourage timely signups.

Now that you have registration covered, you’ll also want to prepare an exhibitor service kit that includes all the information vendors need to ship exhibit signage and other items to the conference location in advance. Send this information to vendors six to eight weeks in advance and post it on your conference website for easy access. Include information such as:

  • Conference and exhibit hall schedule
  • Setup and teardown times for before, after, and on each day of the event
  • The final exhibition hall layout, including all assigned vendor spaces
  • Rules and regulations
  • Security and insurance information
  • Information on electrical, telephone, and internet access
  • A list of service contractors and vendors with pricing and ordering information
  • Shipping information
  • Tips and additional resources to help vendors plan their displays

Note that when planning your exhibition hall and floor plan layout, you should also try to minimize competitive issues. You might avoid having direct competitors as official event sponsors, for instance, instead restricting sponsorships to one company per industry or niche. Additionally, you should avoid placing direct competitors side-by-side in the exhibition hall as a courtesy.

Food and Lodging

Food and lodging is often tied to your venue. If you’re booking conference facilities at a major hotel, for instance, it makes sense to book a block of rooms for attendees in the same building. It cuts down on transportation costs for attendees because they won’t need to take a taxi or public transit each morning to get to the main conference hall. Plus, it’s simply more convenient. For large events, it may be necessary for attendees to stay at nearby hotels due to budget or space constraints, so it’s a good idea to provide information for several nearby accommodation options along with information on public transit to make it easy for attendees to arrange for daily transportation and plan their schedules in advance. If possible, reserve blocks of rooms at the most convenient hotels – you can often get a discount for attendees by reserving blocks of rooms.

Likewise, your venue may have contracts with preferred catering companies. You may or may not be required to choose from these options, but opting to work with the venue’s established partners can be beneficial even if it’s not a contractual requirement. Why? Caterers who have experience working with certain venues already know the ins and outs of working with the venue, so it tends to result in a more seamless event. Also, they may offer discounted rates for events held at partner venues.

For food and refreshments , buffet-style breakfasts often work well at corporate events. Food choices such as muffins and bagels, coffee and tea, and even scrambled eggs and toast can work well for large numbers of attendees. A buffet-style breakfast also makes it easy for attendees to choose foods and enjoy a light breakfast during the day’s opening ceremonies or introductions at their tables.  You’ll also want to make light refreshments available during breaks. Cookies, crackers, cheese, fruits, and vegetables are convenient options. You may choose to provide lunch or build a daily lunch break into the schedule. Lighter fare is generally the way to go; attendees are busy meeting and talking with new people, and heavy midday meals can contribute to afternoon fatigue, so when in doubt, go light and offer healthy options . 

In most cases, corporate event attendees are left on their own for dinner. You may have an evening awards celebration or want to hold a formal dinner on one day of the conference; otherwise, it’s often most convenient for attendees to make plans for dinner with small groups at local establishments. In fact, having the opportunity to dine with new acquaintances and enjoy a meal with a smaller group is one of the biggest benefits of attending a corporate event, so give attendees most or all of the evenings to engage in these types of networking activities.

When planning food and refreshments for any major event, you’ll want to consider special dietary needs and preferences. If you do plan to host an all-attendees formal lunch or dinner, offer at least two entrée choices (three is better) and allow attendees to submit any dietary requirements in advance. Offer at least one entrée option suitable for vegans and vegetarians. Discuss the available options with your caterer and make your guests’ preferences and requirements available in advance to allow for more inclusive menu planning.

Event Staffing

In many cases, you’ll need additional staff to ensure that your event goes off without a hitch. It’s a good idea to have staff on hand who can aid vendors with exhibit setup and tear-down, staff who can replenish beverages and refreshments throughout the day (if not handled by your caterer), and staff who can help manage check-ins, help attendees with directions, arranging transportation, and other needs.

Hiring experienced event staffers will greatly reduce your stress and can dramatically shorten your to-do list (which, obviously, is at least a mile long at this point). It’s well worth the investment to ensure that there are enough hands on deck to help attendees and vendors with whatever they may need, and it gives your event a professional, polished vibe. Even if you’re planning your first-ever corporate event, you’ll leave your attendees with the impression that you’re a veteran planner by ensuring a fantastic experience for all.

Of course, cost matters. Look into various options for finding qualified event staff. Staffing agencies are one option, but on-demand staffing platforms can help you quickly fill positions with pre-screened, experienced event staff – and at a lower cost compared to the typical cost of working with a staffing agency. You should also look for temporary event staffers who can augment your in-house team members who will be on hand for the event and fill in the gaps to create a well-coordinated, seamless experience for your attendees.

A few tips to keep in mind for hiring event staff:

  • Write a detailed job description that clearly outlines the desired skills and experience, as well as any behavior traits you’re looking for. If you’re hiring event staff for attendee-facing duties, look for candidates with the right personality to mesh with your brand image.
  • Offer competitive pay to attract the top candidates, but keep in mind that the most qualified, experienced staff don’t necessarily always come at the highest price point. Look at resources such as Payscale.com and Salary.com to find out what the typical wage is for event staff in the location where you’re holding your event.
  • Avoid hiring friends and family members to help staff your event. It’s rarely a good idea to hire friends and family for any reason, but in this case, you only have one chance to leave a lasting impression – opt for experienced event staff.

Promotional Strategies

Marketing and promotion should be a part of your event from the get-go, meaning you should create a marketing plan when you begin to plan your event and work it into your timeline. You should start promoting your event months in advance, because your marketing efforts serve multiple purposes:

  • Getting the attention of potential attendees
  • Encouraging early signups
  • Capturing leads for potential sponsors
  • Engaging potential vendors/exhibitors
  • Getting PR leading up to and during the event

Marketing should include multiple channels, such as public relations, social media, and traditional marketing, and use a variety of tactics such as: 

  • Creating a compelling event website (this is step number one!)
  • Social media advertising
  • Promotional rewards (offer a free subscription or product for attendees who sell x number of tickets by promoting your event)
  • Email marketing (promote your event in your own newsletter and secure mentions or ads in other industry or partner newsletters)
  • Billboards and local advertising (can be useful tactics for hyper-local events)
  • PPC (pay-per-click in search engines as well as banner ads on relevant websites)
  • Press releases
  • Guest blogging (ask your sponsors, partners, and speakers if they’ll publish a post leading up to the event)
  • Discussion forums and groups (think Facebook and LinkedIn groups as well as industry-focused discussion forums)

Really, there are dozens of marketing tactics you can employ to boost event recognition. Remember, word-of-mouth will often be your biggest marketing boost. The earlier you start registering attendees, lining up speakers, and signing up sponsors and exhibitors, the sooner they’ll start letting their audiences know they’ll be attending, speaking at, or sponsoring your upcoming event.

Also, identify photo and interview opportunities with speakers, exhibitors, and attendees prior to the event. These assets make excellent material for blogging and social media posts both during and after the event. Finally, consider offering free or deeply discounted press passes for securing solid media coverage.

Pre-Event Preparation

Pre-event prep not only includes everything we’ve already discussed, but also the finer details in the days, weeks, and months leading up to event kickoff. A few of these finer details you should plan for include:

  • Printing and materials
  • Decorations and signage
  • Setup and tear-down
  • Name tags and access passes
  • Registration processes and space at the venue
  • Obtaining necessary licenses, permits, and insurance
  • Sending reminders to attendees, exhibitors, speakers, and sponsors
  • Finalizing seating arrangements and place cards
  • Conduct a final registration check, make sure you have all registration badges and an up-to-date list
  • Get promotional items, gift bags, and prizes ready for attendees, VIPs, speakers, and exhibitors
  • Confirm media attendance (remember those free press passes you doled out as part of your promotional strategy?)

This list is, of course, not exhaustive. Your specific checklist in the final days and weeks prior to the event will be specific to you and the odds and ends that you have remaining to wrap up. Above all, delegate! Don’t attempt to handle every one of these tasks on your own, or you’re sure to miss  important details.

Attendee Enagement

Part of creating an unforgettable experience is keeping your attendees engaged from the moment of arrival to the final wrap-up. That means having enough staff on hand to make the rounds and ensure that attendees are comfortable and enjoying themselves, planning interactive workshops, lining up engaging keynote speakers and break-out session leaders, and essentially making the entire event as interactive as possible.

It’s become a pretty standard practice to create a hashtag for your event that can be used across social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and you should follow suit. Include your hashtag in promotional materials, on your website, and in all communications leading up to the event, during, and through post-event wrap-ups. Not only does it encourage attendees to share their experiences with their audiences on social media , but it makes it easy for you to monitor event-related discusssions across the social web.

There are plenty of ways to engage attendees both online and in-person, including:

  • Build lounge areas throughout the exhibition hall and main conference areas to encourage networking and casual interaction among guests.
  • Have a photo booth complete with masks and funny props at your wrap-up party. (Everyone likes to let loose and show their goofy side now and then!)

Networking

  • Use social listening boards to enable attendees to give feedback, ask questions, and share thoughts throughout the event.
  • Provide attendees with social media posts they can easily share or customize to engage on social media without taking valuable time away from the main happenings. Likewise, send follow-up materials such as photos and other graphics after the event to make it easy for attendees to share their great experience.
  • Give attendees plenty of breaks to allow them time to regroup and recharge.
  • Plan activities dedicated to networking in the conference schedule. Whether you hold a social hour after a busy day or plan a mixer for smaller groups following breakout sessions, it’s a good idea to mix formal presentations with more laid-back activities to keep everyone active and engaged.
  • Keep engagement in mind as you configure your layout and seating arrangements. Is there a seating configuration that would foster more casual discussion? Use it. The purpose of a corporate event is to learn and network, so make it easier for your attendees to achieve their goals.

Post-Event Follow-Up

Your event’s not over when it’s over. Post-event follow-up should be a part of your planning timeline from day one. Depending on your business case, the follow-up after the event might even be the most critical component.

Strong follow-up after the event fosters customer loyalty and retention (for customer-facing events), builds your team atmosphere (for both internal and external corporate events), and it can translate directly to ROI by closing deals initiated during the event, or at least nurturing leads further down the sales pipeline.

So what should your follow-up plan include?

  • Surveys: Ask attendees for their opinion on various aspects of your event, such as lodging and transportation, food, quality of the presentations, etc. You should also ask for their key takeways – what did they learn? What did they find most valuable?
  • Social Media: Continue making social connections with vendors and attendees following the event. It’s a perfect ice-breaker, really: “It was great to meet you at the conference last week. Looking forward to connecting with you.”
  • Content: No corporate event is complete without solid content follow-up. Whether you were live-blogging or live-tweeting the event as it happened, you should follow-up with a few blog posts highlighting major happenings, talks, workshops, or other specifics. For internal events, a writeup in the company newsletter is a must.
  • Thank Yous: Don’t forget to thank your attendees, speakers, sponsors, and exhibitors. You can do this publicly through your post-event promotional efforts, but you’ll also score points by reaching out to VIPs personally to ask about their experiences and thank them for attending. Nothing beats the personal touch.
  • Wrap-Up Reporting: Gather all the essential stats from the event and write a comprehensive wrap-up report to outline your goals, results, and lessons learned. You may write a wrap-up report for key stakeholders, for your sponsors, or for everyone involved in planning and executing the event. This report is another great place to thank VIPs and give kudos where it’s deserved. This exercise will serve you well when it’s time to write next year’s proposals!

If you’re getting ready to dive into the complex planning process for your next corporate event, download our comprehensive, interactive Corporate Event Planning Checklist . We’ll walk  you step-by-step through all the essential tasks and considerations you need to cover to pull of your most successful event yet.

Obviously, planning a corporate event – whether it’s your first or 25th rodeo – is a major undertaking that requires exceptional organization and attention to detail. Following these steps and best practices will help you pull off an event that’s sure to impress.

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Corporate event planning guide (+ checklists)

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Table of Contents

Corporate events are an excellent opportunity for employer branding and engaging with employees or clients. 

If you are new to the HR or marketing department and are looking for an ultimate corporate event planning checklist — you are at the right place.

In this article, we will explain corporate event planning and identify the most common types of corporate events. 

Moreover, we will provide a list of steps you should take when planning your event and ready-made checklists you can use for small, medium, and large corporate events.

Let’s get started.

Corporate event planning guide

What is corporate event planning?

Simply put, a corporate event is an event that a company organizes and funds that focuses on employees or clients. 

Regardless of its size, if you want an event to go smoothly, you must plan it carefully, considering all the details and possible pitfalls.

The bigger the event is, the more steps it requires and the more time it consumes.

So, you need to focus your energy on the corporate event planning process — and be clear on your objectives.

Typical corporate event objectives

Corporate events can vary from internal workshops and team buildings to large-scale conferences.

Here are some reasons for holding corporate events:

  • To celebrate milestones along with clients and employees,
  • To mark a significant organizational change within the company,
  • To promote team bonding, or
  • To build brand awareness and position a company as the industry leader.

Obviously, you need to know what you want to achieve with your event . 

For instance, you may want to:

  • Reward your employees,
  • Build brand awareness,
  • Launch a new product, or
  • Promote a new service.

Planning, promoting, and adhering to your budget becomes much easier when you have clearly defined goals and objectives.

Identifying what you want to accomplish will help you:

  • Set goals, 
  • Choose proper metrics for tracking results, and 
  • Determine your target audience.

S.M.A.R.T. goals and objectives for corporate event planning

Your goal formulation should follow the S.M.A.R.T. criteria. 

S.M.A.R.T. stands for:

  • S pecific: Determine what you want to achieve, leaving no room for guesses.
  • M easurable: Specify how you will measure it.
  • A ttainable: Ensure your objective is realistic and possible to achieve.
  • R elevant: Make sure your objective is relevant to your company.
  • T ime-bound: Determine a target date.

S.M.A.R.T. goals

When setting objectives, you should ask yourself the following questions:

  • Is it S.M.A.R.T.?
  • Does it relate to a single outcome?
  • Is it clear?

Let’s tackle the difference between goals and objectives.

Simply put, objectives are specific actions you take to accomplish a goal. 

A goal is a broad, long-term outcome, while an objective is a step you take to get where you want to go. 

Goals and objectives work together. If you set goals without precise objectives, you are at risk of not achieving your goals.

For example, a S.M.A.R.T. objective for the goal related to increasing the number of conference participants may be the following:

Increase the number of attendees from outside of California by 15% compared to last year.

💡 Plaky Pro Tip

Read more about S.M.A.R.T. goal setting in our guide:

  • How to define S.M.A.R.T. goals in project management

Types of corporate events

There is no ultimate list of corporate events that can apply to all businesses.

Depending on your budget and the goal you want to achieve, you may organize some of the following types of events:

  • Conferences,
  • Internal training,
  • Trade shows,
  • Product launches, and
  • Board and stakeholder meetings.

Let’s briefly describe what each type entails.

Conferences are large corporate events with an excellent opportunity for business networking.

They usually last a few days, have a central theme, and multiple sessions.

Conferences are commonly held in a conference room, conference hall, or meeting room. They tend to have multiple speakers and sessions across several spaces within one or more venues. 

Organizing a conference is an excellent opportunity to raise brand awareness and position your company as an industry expert.

Internal training

As its name suggests, internal training is an internal event. 

It is usually a small event intended to improve its participants’ skills.

Internal training can be organized both online and offline.

For instance,  your employees may host presentations on the topics from their field of expertise to pass their knowledge on to new team members. 

Here are some examples:

  • Your CTO can make a presentation on how the software development team built an app following best practices.
  • A cybersecurity officer can talk about best practices for cybersecurity.

Workshops are educational events for a small group of people that focus on improving techniques and skills in a particular field. 

You can organize them internally or hire experts from outside of the company.

For instance, your HR team can organize a workshop on improving resilience. 

Moreover, you can organize workshops for an external audience in order to position yourself as an industry leader. 

For example, your software development team can hold a one-day workshop for software engineering students in order to attract talent to apply for open positions at your company.

Seminars are short corporate events with an educational purpose.

They usually last for a few hours or a day and gather professionals to discuss specific business topics and provide opportunities for learning and collaboration. 

Unlike conferences, seminars usually have a single speaker or a few speakers. 

Trade shows are large corporate events held in big spaces and planned a lot in advance.

They bring a large number of businesses together to showcase, display, and demonstrate their latest products and services.

Companies usually attend trade shows to build brand awareness, promote their business, and generate more leads. 

Other advantages of attending trade shows include networking with other professionals and interacting with the media.

Moreover, companies can be sponsors or host trade shows and establish themselves as industry leaders. 

Product launch

A product launch is a type of corporate event most common for business-to-consumer (B2C) companies.

The scale of the event can range from small internal meetings that gather employees to announce upcoming products to large launch parties with external guests and media presence.

The aim of this type of event is to create a buzz around an upcoming product.

Board and shareholder meetings

Board and stakeholder meetings can range from small internal gatherings to large business events. 

The frequency of these types of corporate events depends on:

  • Company’s maturity, 
  • Level of change in the business and the market, and 
  • Other factors relevant to organizations.

 Board meetings serve board members to review business performance, meet with company executives, and discuss important decisions. 

Shareholder meetings are an opportunity for a company to share business performance, future goals, and business strategies with shareholders. 

corporate event planner business plan

Event Planning Template

Simplify the organization and planning of everything event-related — with Plaky’s template.

Plaky web app

11 steps to take to plan a successful corporate event (+ event planning template)

Planning is never easy. 

To help you overcome the feeling of overwhelm, we listed eleven steps you can take when planning your corporate events.

Here are a few tips to take care of before organizing a corporate event:

  • Understand the event’s purpose,
  • Identify the target audience,
  • Set the date,
  • Identify the number of attendees,
  • Determine the budget,
  • Plan the event theme and format,
  • Choose a proper location,
  • Arrange event logistics,
  • Promote your event,
  • Track all actions in project management software, and
  • Follow-up after the event.

Event planning step #1: Understand the event’s purpose

First, you must identify what you want to accomplish with your event. 

To determine it seamlessly, you can ask yourself the following questions:

  • What will the corporate event be about?
  • What are the goals and objectives you want to meet?
  • Why do you want to host the event?
  • What are the expectations from it?
  • What’s the intended outcome of this event? 
  • How will you measure the success of the event?

The goal is to organize a meaningful corporate event that resonates with your audience.

Therefore, you should keep your audience’s expectations and needs in mind and organize your event in a manner that will meet these needs. 

Knowing what you want to achieve will help you prepare every detail and run an event smoothly — whether it is a conference, a team building event, or a shareholder meeting.

Event planning step #2: Identify your target audience

Figuring out your target audience is a critical step to a successful event. 

To take it, you should get answers to the following questions:

  • Are you organizing the event for an internal or external audience?
  • How many guests do you expect?
  • Are you going to sell the tickets or will the entrance be free?

Defining your attendees’ persona profile also comes in handy. 

The attendee persona is a fictional character that represents your attendees. 

Using attendee personas can help you understand what motivates people to visit your event and provide valuable insight into what they want to experience.

Some typical characteristics used in event marketing include:

  • Gender (if appropriate), 
  • Occupation, 
  • Location, and 
  • Technological knowledge.

When planning corporate events, you may also think of: 

  • Business experience and industry interests,
  • Favorite parts of attending your event, and
  • Questions or concerns experienced at work that fit with the event theme.

Moreover, a persona should include preferences and needs for events and the most frequent sources of information and influence.

Event planning step #3: Set the date 

Setting the date and time is one of the most important steps in planning an event.

For example, if you hold a conference, make sure tickets are available at least six months before the event.

Or, you can set the date a few weeks prior for smaller events, like company parties and workshops.

Event planning step #4: Identify the number of attendees

Unlimited space is rarely an option. Knowing the number of guests is critical for managing expenses and preparing all aspects of an event. 

Therefore, creating an accurate guest list is a step you do not want to miss. 

How to ensure the guest list is accurate?

For instance, if you’re organizing a company birthday party, you must know the number of employees who will attend and how many external guests will participate in the celebration. 

You need this information to prepare promotional material, food, drinks, or anything else the guests may need.

To do so, you should send invitations via email and specify the latest date for attendance confirmation.

Suppose your event also involves the sale of tickets. In that case, you should determine the number of available tickets and the latest purchase date.

Event planning step #5: Determine the budget

Whether you organize a small internal gathering or a large conference, you must identify expenses and set a realistic budget. 

It will help you allocate resources for planned activities and prevent going over the budget you have at your disposal. 

Simply put, you must know how much money you have to work with to determine the type and scale of your event.

To set a proper budget, you may go back to similar past events and gather information on how much money you spent on them. 

You should consider all potential expenses, such as:

  • Venue rental costs,
  • Decorations, 
  • Transportation costs (e.g. guest speakers, sponsors, VIP guests, etc.), 
  • Waiting staff, 
  • Speakers, and 
  • All other possible expenses, bearing in mind the type of event. 

To set your budget seamlessly, check our guide:

  • What is project management budgeting?

Event planning step #6: Plan the event theme and format

As events are experiences, theme and format play a significant role in creating a memorable experience for the audience. 

Therefore, you should choose the most suitable format for presenting your intended message.

For instance, if you organize a large IT conference, an interactive presentation and the use of the latest technology solutions are always desirable. 

Organizing an event with industry experts and your CTOs as speakers can help your company raise brand awareness. Think of what may be entertaining for your audience and how to make the conference more interactive. No one wants to only sit and listen to long lectures. 

The key to a successful event lies in determining what can distinguish your event from similar ones in your industry and make your event unforgettable.

Event planning step #7: Choose a proper location

Pick a venue according to the type and size of your event. You should also answer the following questions:

  • How easily will guests be able to get to your event?
  • Are food and beverage options available at the location, or do you need external caterers?
  • Is technical infrastructure suitable for your event? (Wi-Fi availability, technical support, live-streaming capabilities, and other options you may need)
  • What is the overall capacity of the venue?
  • What is the seating capacity of the venue?
  • How does the venue adhere to safety guidelines?

So, list all the potential event venues, contact and visit them, and book the one that suits your needs the best.

Event planning step #8: Arrange event logistics

After choosing the venue, you should plan the logistics. Here is what you should pay attention on:

  • Event’s agenda
  • Event registration desk
  • Promotional material 
  • Photographers
  • Security personnel
  • Transportation 
  • Accommodation for guest speakers or all event participants (in case of large events that last for more than one day, such as conferences)
  • Presentation technology such as projectors, laptops, mics, screens, video equipment, and other equipment you may need for the event.

Make sure to communicate responsibilities and requirements clearly, so everyone on your team knows what is expected from them.

Event planning step #9: Promote your event

For smaller, internal events, such as workshops or an office Halloween party, it is usually just fine to send invitations via email and request an attendance confirmation. 

Another option can be to inform your employees by posting on a #general team chat app channel and asking them to answer in a thread if they’ll come.

When it comes to larger events, such as conferences or trade shows, you cannot just send out invitations and wait for registrations. You must create a buzz around the event.

For this purpose, you can:

  • Create an event website where people can register and get more info about the conference and speakers or, at least, a new landing page on your existing website,
  • Explore possible sponsorship opportunities,
  • Announce the event on your social media accounts, 
  • Reach out to media outlets, 
  • Participate in podcasts relevant to your audience,
  • Send newsletters to your clients and anyone else who agreed to receive your promotional offers, 
  • Prepare promo videos, and 
  • Write guest blog posts.

Event planning step #10: Track all actions in project management software

Using a centralized platform to manage all actions needed to prepare a corporate event can save you time and mitigate the possibility of forgetting something critical.

One such centralized platform you can use is Plaky , a free project management tool available for an unlimited number of users and projects.

You can personalize your boards by adding all the details you need for planning an event. 

What’s more — you don’t have to start from scratch. 

Plaky offers a free event planning template for event managers who want to simplify event organization, planning, and tracking.

A free event planning template in Plaky

The template contains: 

  • Group of items — group together actions your team should take,
  • Person field — pinpoint reviewers for specific tasks,
  • Status field with customized labels — see at a glance if everything goes according to plan,
  • Date field — specify a due date or time period for all the actions,
  • Tag field — use tags to indicate the main topics covered by a task or project, 
  • Number field — list all expenses and set the budget, and 
  • Rich text field — add anything else important for your event.

An event planning template in Plaky part 1

You can easily track progress by using the status field.

A status field in Plaky

Moreover, by using this template, you can view all vendors at a glance.

An example of a vendor list in Plaky

You can also add tags to specify which departments work on particular parts of the organization process.

Tags in Plaky project management software

As you can see — you can adjust this template and make it suitable for any type of event you organize.

Event planning step #11: Follow-up after the event

After the event, send follow-up emails to thank all guests and participants. 

To check their satisfaction, ask them to fill out an anonymous survey. The feedback you get from such a survey will help you improve upcoming events.

Corporate event planning checklists

Finally, it’s time to start planning a corporate event of your choice. To save you time, we have prepared free checklist templates you can download and use whenever you need them.

Depending on the event’s size, you can choose from one of the following:

  • Small corporate event checklist, and
  • Medium to large corporate event checklist.

Small corporate event checklist

Small corporate events usually have up to 50 attendees. 

Let’s take a look at a checklist incorporating the steps you should take to organize them:

Small corporate event checklist

🔽 Download a small corporate event checklist template .

Medium and large corporate events checklist

Medium-size corporate events usually have somewhere between 51 and 200 attendees, while large corporate events exceed the number of 200 people.

Let’s see what you need to ensure they go smoothly:

You don’t have to create a new checklist — once again, we have an editable template for you.

Medium-to-large-corporate-event-checklist

🔽 Download medium to large corporate event checklist template .

Ready-made templates come in handy to organize your tasks.

However, we recommend using project management software, as you can easily share your board with all relevant people and keep sponsors informed about every change without the need to send them emails.

Wrapping up: Event planning checklists will save you time and prevent headaches

Organizing an event is always a challenge. There are many details to consider, and it takes a lot of time and preparation. 

However, it does not have to be a type of experience you want to pass on to someone else. 

To make the process of organizing a corporate event as smooth as it could be, use one of the free corporate event planning checklists we provided, or opt for project management software and enjoy having all the information you need in one place.

VesnaRabuzin

Vesna Rabuzin is a project management author and researcher who always strives to discover new ways for personal and professional growth. She has a BA in Journalism and MA in Management. During her career, she was able to collaborate with project managers, mostly on IT-related projects. Nowadays, she’s focused on making the concept of project management easy to understand for all.

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Corporate Event Planning: How To Host a Memorable Event

corporate event planner business plan

We all know that feeling that comes with attending an amazing corporate event. You walk away knowing you’ve learned something new, discovered a must-have product, or found a partner for a project.

Great corporate events don’t happen by accident, though. Corporate event planning requires a detailed process and lots of creativity.

In this guide, we’ll take you through the basics of corporate event planning and cover how the process works. We’ll also share our best tips for making your event a success and increasing attendee engagement.

What Is Corporate Event Planning?

Corporate event planning is all about organizing, overseeing, and evaluating events for a business. It’s like personal event planning but with bigger stakes — if your event is a success, it could help drive new business inquiries, recruit future employees, and attract investors.

While many event managers plan meetings, corporate event planning goes beyond that. There are so many different types of events, including:

  • Conferences
  • Trade shows
  • Influencer events
  • New product launches
  • Fundraising events
  • Team building events
  • Holiday parties
  • Virtual parties
  • Virtual lunch and learns

Each event has its own unique goals, requirements, audience, and KPIs. And to hit the mark, you need to be well versed in the five stages of event planning.

5 Stages of Corporate Event Planning

A team member works on corporate event planning with his phone and laptop

Successful event planners know their role inside out. You have to understand logistics, planning, marketing, venue sourcing, communication, and success metrics. It’s a multifaceted role.

Luckily, event planners of the past have come up with five stages of corporate event planning. This helps you break down all those "to dos" into a planning process that makes sense.

1. Research

Before you even decide to run an event, you first need to research whether there’s a need and what your audience wants to see from you. If you don’t, you could end up blowing your budget on the wrong event.

First, decide on your goals for the event. If it’s an external event, you might be looking to attract new customers or promote a new product. For internal events, you might be looking to strengthen relationships between teams or celebrate a successful project. Try to make your goals SMART if you can, so you have measurable KPIs to evaluate at the end of the event.

SMART goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time Bound. An example of a SMART goal would be “our goal is to attract 20 sign ups for our free trial at this event,” compared to a much less effective “our goal is to increase sign ups.”

As well as setting a goal at this stage, you also want to thoroughly research any requirements you need before you can proceed. This can include what insurance and liability protection, sponsors to fund the event, or resources you’ll need from the team around you. You also need to determine a budget, refine your target audience, and gather any information that’ll help you design the perfect event.

2. Event Design

This next stage of the process is all about coming up with a corporate event that meets your goals and creates a great experience for your intended audience.

It’s on you to come up with an idea for your corporate event that’s likely to get approved. Here you’ll consider the type of event, location, date, time, and overall theme and purpose. You’ll first come up with a proposal for your corporate event that includes a rough outline of the agenda, a potential location, and a list of the resources you’ll need to make it happen.

Once you get the green light for your corporate event, it’s time to start planning it. This means heading out to tour venues, meeting with vendors, and arranging speakers or VIPs to be part of your event. It’s also time to figure out your event production and decide what kind of event technology you’ll need to invest in — this could include audio visual support, WiFi, and contactless payment.

One of the most time consuming parts of event design is working out your catering. You often need to make arrangements with caterers before you know how many people will attend, which leads to waste if you’re not careful. To avoid this, consider giving attendees a digital Hoppier card that they can use to order drinks, snacks, or a meal from a variety of vendors around your event venue.

3. Event Branding and Marketing

With your event planned out, you can move onto the next stage — event branding and marketing. Here you’ll focus your attention on what the event looks like, the atmosphere, and how to spread the word about it.

Consider what you’re going to call your event. You probably have a working title in mind, but you’ll want to make sure it makes sense to your target audience. Think about other elements that you need — like a tagline, hashtag, and event website. Don’t forget about the visual side too — confirm your event colors and logo, and create some graphics for marketing materials like banners, leaflets, and social media ads.

With so many moving parts, this stage can get confusing. Invest in event management software or social media marketing software to help you stay organized and visible. If you’re planning a big event, it might be time to partner with an event marketing agency for this step.

4. Day-Of Coordination

When you first start planning your event it feels like it’s forever away. But at some point, that day arrives and all your focus will be on coordinating the event so that it runs smoothly.

This step of the journey is all about executing your carefully constructed event plan and avoiding unexpected problems. Your job on the day is to lead event communication and be the first person anyone goes to if they need help.

Before the event opens, gather your team for a briefing and set out everything they need to know. Make sure anyone who needs it has a copy of the running order, and make it easy for support staff to find you or communicate with radios. This is often the toughest part of the whole event planning process, but being super organized here can make or break your event.

5. Post-Event Evaluation

The event might be over, but your job as a corporate event planner is not. It’s time to reflect on the event and host a post-event evaluation.

Sometimes you’ll be able to collect valuable information from your guests at the event. Other times you’ll need to send out a post-event feedback survey to your attendees. Getting feedback can be tricky, so you might want to incentivize this with a prize draw or an opportunity to get a discount on or early access to a product.

Arrange a follow up meeting with your event team. Take a look at the numbers and review feedback from guests and vendors. With the right data, you’ll be able to determine how successful the event was and discuss opportunities to make your next event even better.

How To Be Successful at Corporate Event Planning

A happy team member throws confetti

Being a corporate event planner is hard work. There are a lot of things to organize, anticipate, and deal with on the day. To help you out, here are some of our best tips on how to make your event a success.

Know Your Goals

Before you can execute a successful corporate event, you first need a really good grasp on what your goals are.

Do you want to attract new clients? Retain existing ones? Celebrate an achievement? Find great new employees? Every event has a goal, so you need to know yours if you want to get real value from your investment.

Understanding your goals helps you plan your schedule, set a budget, invite the right guests or speakers, and promote it in the right way. It also means you have some KPIs to evaluate after the event to prove just how successful it was — or identify opportunities to make changes in the future.

Stay Within Your Event Budget

Events that go over budget don’t tend to go down well with stakeholders. That’s why staying within your budget should be one of your main priorities as an event planner.

Understand how much is available to you and set a detailed budget right at the start of the project. Every time you make a new commitment, make sure it’s added to the budget so you can stay on track. If it looks like you’re going over, be mindful of this when you next need to make a purchase.

If you need to increase your budget, look for creative ways to do this. You could seek sponsorship for an awards ceremony from local businesses or big players in your industry, or you could set up a crowdfunding campaign to stage a special event for customers.

Prioritize Guest Experience

When you’re organizing an event for your business, it’s easy to get caught up in measuring KPIs and trying to deliver value to your organization. The best events though are those that keep the audience’s interests and experience in mind.

As you begin the planning process, think about how you can meet your goals and create an amazing experience for your attendees. This might be as simple as streamlining your registration process so they spend less time waiting in line, or offering an interactive digital agenda so guests can plan their day at your conference.

One of the most frustrating moments for guests at corporate events is finding something great to eat or drink during breaks or at lunch. Event catering is expensive — unless you allocate a big portion of your budget here, your guests could end up feeling underwhelmed. Options for those with allergies or dietary restrictions are also often uninspiring.

An easy way to level up their experience is to give them total freedom over their lunch options. Set up a Hoppier program and give each of your guests an allowance, so they can order lunch from somewhere close by. You’ll need to check that this doesn't conflict with your venue's policies, but if not, it's a fun way to show a little extra consideration for your guests.

Assemble the Right Team

Planning a corporate event solo is incredibly tough, so it helps to build an amazing team of support staff. Bringing together the right people gives you the benefit of collective experience.

Your event planning team will often depend on your budget. If you have the funds for it, outsource or partner with professionals for help organizing any areas where you’re not an expert. This might mean bringing in marketers to help with branding and social media, or an audio visual team to make sure your big product launch runs smoothly. You can even bring in an assistant to help with project management for a large event.

Having the right people around you not only gives you access to their amazing ideas and experience, it also creates a valuable support system. If anything goes wrong on the day, you know you’re not trying to troubleshoot by yourself.

Create a Corporate Event Planning Checklist

As useful as a written guide is, having an event planning checklist gives you a quick and easy way to visualize your progress and make sure you don’t miss anything.

When you’re starting out or planning a simple event, try a pre-made corporate event checklist to keep you on track. If you’re more experienced or you're running a unique event, build your own personalized checklist that’s tailored to the event you’re planning.

If you work best using project management tools, you could create a checklist in a tool like Asana or Notion to guide you and keep your team accountable. This is also a great way to share information with others, so everyone can stay in the loop about event progress.

How To Use Hoppier To Make Your Event More Memorable

So many corporate events fail to go beyond the basics, creating a lackluster experience for guests. We think guests deserve better, which is why we’ve created Hoppier to help you create a more memorable event experience.

You can use Hoppier to create a fun, interactive catering experience for your virtual and hybrid events. Your guests can use their digital card to order lunch to the venue during a sales meeting, takeout to their hotel room after a conference, or coffee to sip as they tour your trade show.

Instead of relying on expensive in-house caterers, you’re able to offer up your per-person catering budget directly to your guests. This gives them total freedom over how they enjoy food and drinks at your event, and you get the added bonus of being able to recoup any unspent funds.

Set Up a Program

Setting up a program with Hoppier is easy. Simply log in, and you’ll be taken to your dashboard where you can create a new program.

How to set up a virtual spending card as part of your corporate event planning

You’ll need to add a few key details — like your program or event name, then you can fully personalize it within your program settings.

Personalize Your Program

How to personalize a virtual spending card as part of your corporate event planning

One of the things event planners love most about Hoppier is the customization options. You can change the colors on your card, add a logo, and create an on-brand experience for guests when they land on their spending page.

How to set a per-person food budget as part of your corporate event planning

You can also set a program balance per participant, and a start and end date for the funds. Because you’re not having to pay for a catering company, offering your attendees this balance directly gives them more choice to get something amazing for the money. And unlike traditional catering where leftovers often go to waste, with Hoppier, you can get any unspent funds refunded to you after the event.

Send Out Invites to Your Attendees

How to send out invites to your spending program as part of your corporate event planning

Once you’ve set up and customized your program, sending out invites is simple. All you need to do is download our template file and upload a csv file of your participants' emails straight into Hoppier.

Then, you can email participants their digital card whenever you're ready.

How to upload participant emails to your virtual event spending platform

Plan Your Way to a Successful Corporate Event

Corporate event planning is a tough gig. There are a lot of things to take care of, and something almost always goes wrong. With the help of this guide though, we hope you’ll be able to smooth out your event planning process.

If you want to use Hoppier to make your next event even more memorable, book a free demo with our team. We can walk you through the process, so you can visualize how it will support your corporate event planning.

Ready to 2x your global engagement at your next event, with Ox stress?

Make Hoppier your unfair advantage today, schedule a demo

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How To Write a Business Plan for Corporate Event Planning in 9 Steps: Checklist

By henry sheykin, resources on corporate event planning.

  • Financial Model
  • Business Plan
  • Value Proposition
  • One-Page Business Plan

Are you considering starting a corporate event planning business? With the growing demand for event planning services in the US, this could be a lucrative venture for you. In fact, according to recent statistics, the event planning industry is projected to grow at a rate of 6% from 2021 to 2028 . So, if you're ready to take the leap, here are 9 essential steps to help you write a business plan for corporate event planning.

Step 1: Define your business concept and target market

First and foremost, you need to have a clear understanding of your business concept and identify your target market. Determine the types of corporate events you want to specialize in and the specific industries or businesses you want to cater to.

Step 2: Conduct market research and identify competition

Market research is crucial to identify your competition, understand industry trends, and gain insights into the needs and preferences of potential clients. This will help you position your services effectively and differentiate yourself from competitors.

Step 3: Determine your unique selling proposition

What sets you apart from other event planners in the market? Identify your unique selling proposition (USP) and clearly communicate it to your target audience. This could be your expertise in a specific industry, your innovative ideas, or your exceptional customer service.

Step 4: Develop a comprehensive business model and pricing strategy

Define your business model and determine how you will generate revenue. Will you charge a flat rate or an hourly fee? Consider the costs involved in organizing and executing events, and develop a pricing strategy that is competitive yet profitable.

Step 5: Assess the required financial resources and create a budget

Analyze the financial resources you'll need to start and sustain your business. Create a detailed budget that includes expenses such as office space, equipment, marketing, and staff salaries. This will help you understand your financial needs and plan accordingly.

Step 6: Create an organizational structure and allocate roles and responsibilities

Establish an organizational structure for your business and define the roles and responsibilities of each team member. This will ensure smooth operations and efficient execution of events. Consider hiring staff or outsourcing certain tasks, depending on your business needs.

Step 7: Identify potential suppliers and vendors

Research and identify potential suppliers and vendors for event materials and equipment. Build relationships with them to ensure timely and quality delivery of resources for your events. This will help you provide a seamless experience for your clients.

Step 8: Develop marketing and promotional strategies

Create a marketing plan to promote your corporate event planning services. Utilize both online and offline channels to reach your target audience. Consider strategies such as social media marketing, website optimization, and attending industry events to generate leads and build brand awareness.

Step 9: Establish a contingency plan

Lastly, anticipate potential challenges and risks that may arise during event planning and develop a contingency plan. This includes having backup vendors, alternate event venues, and proper insurance coverage to mitigate any unforeseen circumstances.

By following these 9 steps, you'll be well-equipped to write a comprehensive business plan for your corporate event planning endeavor. Remember, thorough planning and a well-defined strategy are key to success in this industry. Good luck!

Define Your Business Concept and Target Market

Before diving into the world of corporate event planning, it is crucial to define your business concept and identify your target market. This step sets the foundation for your entire business plan and will guide your decision-making process moving forward.

When defining your business concept, consider the specific types of corporate events you plan to organize and the services you will offer. Will you focus on large conferences and trade shows or specialize in intimate networking events? Will you provide end-to-end event planning services or focus on specific aspects like venue selection or catering?

Identifying your target market is equally as important. Determine the industries or sectors you wish to cater to and identify any niche markets you may be interested in serving. For example, you may choose to target technology companies that often require high-tech audiovisual setups or healthcare organizations in need of compliant event planning solutions.

  • Conduct thorough market research to gain insights into the demand for corporate event planning services in your target market.
  • Identify any gaps or untapped opportunities that your business concept could address.
  • Consider the current trends and challenges in the industry and determine how your services can provide unique value to your target market.

Conduct Market Research And Identify Competition

Market research is an essential step in the process of writing a business plan for corporate event planning. By conducting thorough research, you can gain valuable insights into your target market, understand their needs and preferences, and identify potential competitors in the industry. This information will help you make informed decisions and tailor your services to meet the demands of your target market.

To begin your market research, start by identifying your target market. Consider the specific industries or businesses you aim to serve with your corporate event planning services. Clearly defining your target market will allow you to focus your efforts and resources more effectively.

Once you have identified your target market, gather data on their needs, preferences, and buying behavior. This can be done through surveys, interviews, or analyzing existing market research reports. Understanding your target market will enable you to tailor your services to their specific requirements and differentiate yourself from competitors.

Identifying and analyzing your competition is another critical aspect of market research. Research and compile a list of existing event planning companies or individuals who offer similar services to yours. Study their offerings, pricing strategies, strengths, and weaknesses. By analyzing your competition, you can gain insights into their strategies and identify gaps in the market that you can capitalize on.

Tips for conducting market research and identifying competition:

  • Utilize online resources such as industry reports, trade publications, and social media platforms to gather information on your target market and competitors.
  • Attend industry events and network with professionals in the corporate event planning industry to gather insights and stay up-to-date with the latest trends.
  • Consider hiring a professional market research firm to conduct a comprehensive analysis of your target market and competition.

By conducting thorough market research and identifying your competition, you can gain a deeper understanding of your target market and position your corporate event planning business for success.

Determine Your Unique Selling Proposition

One crucial step in creating a successful business plan for corporate event planning is determining your unique selling proposition (USP). Your USP is what sets you apart from your competitors and defines the value you bring to your clients. It is the reason why potential customers should choose your event planning services over others in the market.

To determine your USP, you need to have a clear understanding of your target market and their specific needs and preferences. Identify the gaps in the market and the challenges that businesses face when it comes to event planning. This will allow you to craft a USP that addresses these pain points and provides innovative solutions.

Here are some tips for determining your unique selling proposition:

Highlight your expertise:

Focus on customization:, emphasize attention to detail:, showcase reliability and professionalism:.

Your unique selling proposition should be clear, compelling, and resonate with your target market. It should communicate the distinct benefits and advantages you offer as an event planner, ultimately convincing potential clients that your services are the best choice for their corporate events.

Develop A Comprehensive Business Model And Pricing Strategy

Developing a comprehensive business model and pricing strategy is crucial for the success of your corporate event planning business. Here are some important factors to consider:

  • Identify your target market and understand their preferences and budgets. Determine the types of events you want to specialize in and the services you will offer.
  • Differentiate yourself from your competitors by identifying your unique selling proposition. What sets you apart? Is it your expertise in a specific industry or your ability to handle large-scale events?
  • Consider the pricing structure that aligns with your services and target market. Will you charge a flat rate based on event size or offer hourly rates? It is essential to ensure that your pricing model is competitive yet profitable.
  • Take into account the costs involved in delivering your services, including staffing, event materials, and equipment. Factor in your overhead expenses, such as office space, marketing, and insurance.
  • Determine how you will handle contracts and payment terms. Clear and transparent policies will help establish trust with your clients and protect both parties involved.

Tips for Developing Your Business Model and Pricing Strategy:

  • Research your competitors' pricing models to gain insights into industry standards.
  • Consider offering different packages or tiered pricing options to cater to various client needs and budgets.
  • Regularly review and adjust your pricing strategy to keep up with market trends and changes.
  • Consider the value you are providing to your clients and ensure your pricing reflects that.
  • Offer exceptional customer service and build strong relationships with clients to justify higher prices or premium services.

Remember, your business model and pricing strategy should be flexible to adapt to different client expectations and market demands. Periodically review and refine your approach to stay competitive and meet the ever-evolving needs of your clients.

Assess The Required Financial Resources And Create A Budget

When starting a corporate event planning business, it is essential to thoroughly assess the required financial resources and create a budget to ensure the smooth operation of your business. Without a clear understanding of your financial needs and constraints, you may encounter difficulties in managing your expenses and meeting your business goals.

Begin by identifying all the necessary expenses for your business, including but not limited to office space, technology and equipment, marketing materials, staff salaries, insurance, and any specialized software or tools you may need. By having a comprehensive list of expenses, you can effectively allocate your financial resources and ensure that all necessary aspects of your business are covered.

Next, estimate the costs associated with each expense item. This may require conducting market research or reaching out to suppliers and vendors to obtain accurate pricing information. By doing so, you can have a clearer picture of the financial investment required and effectively manage your budget.

Creating a budget is crucial in order to keep track of your expenses and ensure that you stay within your financial means. Start by listing all your income sources, such as client fees or sponsorships, and then allocate specific amounts to each expense category. Regularly review and update your budget to reflect any changes in your business operations, ensuring that you stay on track financially.

Tips for Assessing Financial Resources and Creating a Budget:

  • Research and compare prices from different suppliers to ensure you are getting the best deals.
  • Consider incorporating a contingency fund into your budget to account for unexpected expenses.
  • Regularly review and analyze your budget to identify areas where you can potentially cut costs or allocate resources more efficiently.
  • Seek professional advice from an accountant or financial consultant to ensure accuracy and proper financial planning.

Create An Organizational Structure And Allocate Roles And Responsibilities

Creating an organizational structure for your corporate event planning business is crucial for ensuring smooth operations and efficient execution of events. By allocating roles and responsibilities to your team members, you can enhance productivity and streamline the planning process. Here are some key steps to help you create an effective organizational structure:

  • Identify the core functions: Start by identifying the core functions required to successfully plan and execute corporate events. This may include areas such as event coordination, logistics management, marketing and promotion, vendor management, and client relations.
  • Define roles and responsibilities: Once you have identified the core functions, define specific roles and responsibilities for each function. Clearly outline the tasks and activities each team member will be responsible for, taking into account their skills, experience, and areas of expertise.
  • Establish a reporting hierarchy: Determine the reporting hierarchy within your organizational structure. Clearly define who will report to whom, ensuring clear communication channels and accountability.
  • Consider team dynamics: Take into consideration the dynamics of your team when assigning roles and responsibilities. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of each team member and assign roles that align with their abilities.
  • Encourage collaboration and communication: Foster a culture of collaboration and open communication within your team. Encourage team members to share ideas, provide feedback, and work together to achieve common goals.
  • Regularly review and reassess the roles and responsibilities within your organizational structure to ensure they align with the evolving needs of your business.
  • Consider cross-training team members in different roles to enhance flexibility and adaptability in case of unforeseen circumstances or changes in project requirements.
  • Clearly communicate the roles and responsibilities to your team members, ensuring they have a clear understanding of their expectations and performance metrics.
  • Provide ongoing support and professional development opportunities to help your team members excel in their assigned roles.

Identify Potential Suppliers And Vendors For Event Materials And Equipment

When planning a corporate event, it is crucial to identify potential suppliers and vendors who can provide the necessary materials and equipment to ensure a successful and well-executed event. Here are some important considerations for this step:

  • Research and Compare: Start by researching different suppliers and vendors in your area or online. Look for those who specialize in event materials and equipment and have a track record of providing high-quality products and reliable services.
  • Ask for Recommendations: Reach out to other event planners or industry professionals for recommendations. They may have firsthand experience working with reliable suppliers and can provide valuable insights.
  • Request Quotes and Samples: Contact potential suppliers and vendors to request quotes for the materials and equipment you need. Don't forget to ask for samples if possible, so you can assess the quality of their products before making a decision.
  • Consider Pricing and Availability: Compare the pricing and availability of different suppliers and vendors to find the best options for your budget and timeline. Keep in mind that while affordability is important, quality should not be compromised.
  • Check References and Reviews: Before finalizing your choices, check references and read reviews from previous clients. This will give you insight into the reliability and professionalism of potential suppliers and vendors.
  • Establish Communication Channels: Once you have identified potential suppliers and vendors, establish clear communication channels with them. Make sure they understand your requirements, timelines, and any specific preferences you may have.
  • Ensure Clear Contracts: When selecting suppliers and vendors, ensure that you have clear and detailed contracts in place. The contracts should outline the scope of work, delivery schedules, payment terms, and any other critical terms and conditions.
  • Consider building long-term relationships with reliable suppliers and vendors to streamline future event planning processes.
  • Always have backup suppliers and vendors in mind in case of any unforeseen circumstances or issues with your primary choices.

By identifying potential suppliers and vendors for event materials and equipment, you are ensuring that you have access to the necessary resources for your corporate event. This step is crucial for maintaining the quality and success of your event.

Develop Marketing And Promotional Strategies

Once you have defined your business concept and identified your target market, it is time to develop your marketing and promotional strategies. These strategies will help you attract clients and build brand awareness for your corporate event planning services.

1. Identify your target audience: Before you initiate any marketing activities, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of your target audience. Identify the industries, businesses, and individuals that are most likely to require your event planning services. This will help you tailor your marketing messages and channels accordingly.

2. Create a compelling brand identity: Develop a unique and appealing brand identity that reflects the values and benefits of your corporate event planning services. This includes creating a professional logo, designing a visually attractive website, and developing consistent branding elements such as color schemes and fonts.

3. Build an online presence: In today's digital age, having a robust online presence is crucial for marketing success. Create a user-friendly website that showcases your services, previous events, and client testimonials. Utilize social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook to promote your services, engage with your target audience, and share valuable content related to event planning.

4. Utilize content marketing: Content marketing is an effective way to position yourself as an expert in the corporate event planning industry. Create and share informative and engaging content such as blog posts, articles, and videos that provide valuable insights and tips for event planning. This will help attract potential clients and build credibility for your business.

5. Network and collaborate: Networking is essential for building connections within the corporate event planning industry. Attend industry events, join professional organizations, and engage in networking opportunities to meet potential clients and partners. Collaborate with other businesses or vendors to offer joint services or promotions, which can help expand your reach.

6. Offer incentives and referrals: Encourage existing clients to refer your services to others by offering incentives such as discounts or rewards. Word-of-mouth recommendations can be a powerful marketing tool and can significantly contribute to the growth of your business. Additionally, consider offering special promotions or discounts for first-time clients to attract new business.

  • Consider partnering with local businesses or venues to cross-promote each other's services.
  • Utilize search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to improve your website's visibility in search engine results.
  • Collect and showcase client testimonials and case studies to build trust and credibility.
  • Stay updated with industry trends and incorporate them into your marketing strategies.

Developing effective marketing and promotional strategies is essential for the success of your corporate event planning business. By identifying your target audience, building a compelling brand identity, utilizing online platforms, and networking with industry professionals, you can attract clients and establish your business as a leader in the industry.

Establish A Contingency Plan For Potential Challenges And Risks

When it comes to corporate event planning, it's essential to anticipate and prepare for potential challenges and risks that may arise during the planning and execution stages. Establishing a contingency plan will not only help you navigate through unexpected hurdles, but also demonstrate your professionalism and commitment to delivering a successful event. Here are some important steps to consider when creating your contingency plan:

  • Identify potential challenges and risks: Begin by brainstorming and identifying potential challenges and risks that could impact the success of your event. Consider factors such as venue issues, technical difficulties, weather conditions, and any other unforeseen circumstances that may arise.
  • Assess the potential impact: Once you have identified the potential challenges and risks, assess their potential impact on your event. Determine the severity of each risk and prioritize them based on their likelihood of occurrence and the level of impact they could have on your event.
  • Create contingency plans: Develop detailed contingency plans for each identified challenge or risk. These plans should outline specific actions, resources, and alternative solutions to mitigate the impact of each risk. Assign responsibilities to team members and create clear guidelines for implementing the contingency plans.
  • Regularly review and update: A contingency plan is not a one-time document. It's essential to regularly review and update your plan as circumstances and requirements change. Stay informed about industry trends and updates that may affect your event to ensure your contingency plans remain relevant and effective.
  • Consider creating a dedicated team or committee responsible for overseeing and implementing the contingency plans. This team should have a clear understanding of the event objectives and be prepared to act swiftly in case of emergencies.
  • Establish communication protocols to ensure effective and timely communication with team members, clients, suppliers, and stakeholders during challenging situations. This will help keep everyone informed and aligned on the actions being taken.
  • Always have a backup plan for critical event components such as technology, transportation, and catering. Identify alternative options and suppliers to minimize disruptions if unforeseen circumstances arise.

By establishing a comprehensive contingency plan, you can effectively address potential challenges and risks, demonstrating your professionalism and ability to deliver exceptional corporate events. Remember, successful event planning is not just about flawless execution—it's about being prepared for the unexpected.

In conclusion, writing a business plan for corporate event planning requires careful consideration and strategic planning. By following the nine steps outlined in this checklist, you can effectively define your business concept, conduct market research, develop a comprehensive business model, and establish a contingency plan for potential challenges. With a clear roadmap in place, you will be well-equipped to launch and grow a successful corporate event planning business.

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The Ultimate Guide to Corporate Event Planning

Source:  Spacehuntr - Recommended Corporate Event Planning Software

If you’ve ever organized a trip to the pub or a quiet lunch between friends, you’ve planned an event. If you found just the slightest thrill from this organized fun, then this article might be of interest to you.

Corporate event planning is something that people get paid to do. It’s big business and, folks, it’s never straight forward. This is hard work that takes a broad skill set. But boy, is it rewarding.

Can you manage ideas, people, dates, numbers and everything else while all the pieces are at odds with each other? If yes, this might be the role for you.

This is the ultimate guide to corporate event planning. Take it, run with it, learn from it. You can even print it out, make notes on it. You do you. Now let’s get to it!

What is Corporate Event Planning?

A corporate event usually has two goals: promoting or marketing the host company or building relationships between the host’s team members.

This can be done formally or casually; in a business or social setting, they’re versatile and are constantly evolving in nature.

Examples of these events are summer parties, exhibitions, conferences, team building activities, private dinners, seminars, meetings, brainstorming sessions, Christmas parties (while we’re here check this guide on how to survive your Christmas parties) - the list goes on!

Planning these events is an industry in itself. And we’re about to let you peek behind the curtain.

How to Become a Corporate Event Planner

If you want to know how to become a corporate event planner, getting a degree is a solid place to start. There’s no standardized event planning degree, so look to fields such as hospitality management, public relations, and so on. But on the whole, completion of any degree shows intelligence, grit, and desire to any prospective employer in this field.

Be hungry and do some research. Scour the internet for as much info as you can. But most importantly, get to as many conferences and trade fairs as possible. Soak in the atmosphere, speak to people and think about what makes your experience worthwhile and what doesn’t.

Doing online courses will be great for your skillset and your CV. And you might make some important connections too. Having a professional certificate in this field is gold dust.

Popular examples are the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP), and the Certified Professional in Catering and Events (CPCE). You’ll develop skills such as problem-solving, negotiating, networking, multitasking, communication and generally improve your understanding of events.

Finally, go out there and make your own opportunities. Find local event planning companies or those further afield that you admire. Cold call them. Write to them and call them to sell your skills and aspirations. It might be intimidating, but fortune favors the brave!

Before you dive into learning how to be a corporate event planner, keep in mind that this job isn’t easy. Being an event coordinator is one of the most stressful jobs around. Our article should be required reading for those contemplating working in this role.

How to Plan a Corporate Event

Before we get into the juicy details, bookmark our Event Industry Dictionary. It’s handy for when you discover new industry terms. It’s also a great revision tool, and hey, we’re improving it and expanding it all the time.  

So here we go, our corporate event planning tips. We’ve got lots of advice to share so just relax and enjoy. It’ll all become second nature before you know it.

1. The First Step: Establish Key Goals and Objectives

The first thing you need to know about how to plan a corporate event is that you establish your goals and objectives first. Establishing the goals and objectives of your event may seem too obvious to point out. But we’re emphasizing that form always follows function.

Knowing these fundamental goals will give you clarity of thought and serve as a reference point when making every step along your journey.

These goals and objectives define things like the venue, date, catering, everything. Anytime you work on planning your corporate event, you should think to yourself, how does this serve your goals and objectives?

For example, your goal could be to develop a new product with a hackathon event. That means that every aspect of your event should serve that purpose. For example, your venue should have strong WiFi, breakout rooms for breaks, plenty of power outlets, and so on.

2. A Little Help From Your Friends: Look for Sponsorship

Good sponsorship deals do two essential things for your event. Firstly it gives you the funding to dream bigger. Think bigger and better venues, more elaborate set designs, impressive guests speakers, and so on.

Secondly, it will allow you to offer lower-priced tickets. The lower the ticket price, the more people will attend. The more people who attend, the more people will immerse themselves in your brand, ideas, and experience. It’s a win-win situation for the sponsor and host.

What’s more, a big, reputable sponsor will give your event more kudos as an occasion to be taken seriously. Check out more of our corporate event planning tips in this guide to growing event sponsorship. It will teach you how to get the most out of these vital relationships.

3. Take Care of the Cents and The Euros Will Look After Themselves: Create a Budget

Here’s a general rule: once you’ve figured out how much money you want, need and can spend, plan to spend at least 10% more than that.

Things go wrong; hidden costs appear, and quoted costs go up. Budgeting isn’t an exact science. It’s an educated prediction.

Again, every decision you make should be referenced against your budget. If it fits, then we’re happy. But stay strong. For more corporate event planning tips, check out our top tips for planning an event budget.

4. Be Original: Make a Killer Theme

A part of making a successful event is distinguishing yourself from the competition and leaving a lasting impression on your guests. Corporate events happen all the time, and yours won’t be the first or last your guests attend.

A unique décor theme complemented by music and food could set you apart. This is your chance to unleash your creative side; be forceful with your corporate event planning ideas. Remember, corporate events have a reputation as being grey, exhausting affairs. But not on your watch!

Give them a bit of fun and something they’re not likely to experience elsewhere. For example, you could hire performers like a famous guest speaker, a band, or a comedian.

Consider including something more interactive. Games such as mini-golf, cornhole, video games, or a series of unique ice breakers. And as a jumping-off point, you can check out our guide to great ice-breaking games here. All this can put a spring in an attendee’s step.

This is important because an engaged attendee is more likely to have positive associations with your brand and be a returning guest. In fact, over 80% of event planners use attendee engagement as a KPI when measuring the success of their event.

5. Write it in Stone: Select the Optimum Date(s)

The best way to do this is to run a doodle poll with some potential dates and let the attendees pick the best date for them. This is ideal for smaller events like team brainstorming sessions. For larger events like conferences, this is more difficult.

Check for other industry events happening to avoid unnecessary competition. Also, be sure not to book your event during popular holiday times to avoid losing potential attendees.

A bit of common sense will go a long way. For example, you wouldn’t hold a meeting on Christmas Eve or an after-work party on a Monday afternoon.

It’s wise to have a backup date plus a backup for the backup date in case your preferred date is taken. In essence, corporate event planning is a lot of plan b’s waiting to take centre stage.

6. If You Book It They Will Come: Choosing the Perfect Location and Vendors

You wouldn't buy an outfit because it looks nice only to realise it doesn't fit. The same goes for event venues. Don't choose a venue just because you like the look of it.

It has to serve a function firstly. Does it satisfy your desired capacity? Does it fit within your budget? Then you need to think about the style. Does the venue's aesthetic match your company, audience and what you're trying to achieve with your event?

Take a look at our guide to 10 essential questions to ask when choosing a conference venue to get a feel for the things you should be thinking about. We’re full of great corporate event planning tips.

The area you choose to host your event in is a key player too. For example, if you're a startup ready to make your presence felt, you may want to host an event in the city's hip, up and coming area. Alternatively, if you're going to put on a classy reception, opt for a venue in an upmarket area, right?

Events don’t exist in a vacuum. They exist in places your guests will have to navigate. So you need an area that ideally has good transport links, accommodation, restaurants, and bars.

Whether you like it or not, the venue and its location reflect on you and what you're trying to achieve. Similarly, the vendors you choose to work with will have a massive imprint on your event.

You will have a lot of research to do and many vendors coming together for your events, such as photographers, caterers and technical suppliers, to name a few.

For lowkey affairs, arranging street food might be the perfect catering match. For more distinguished events, it would make sense to go for a silver-service catering option.

7. Spread the Word Around: Run a Successful Marketing Campaign

The first and most crucial step before planning and running a marketing campaign is defining your target audience. Every decision you make will be informed by this, such as where and how you advertise.

There’s a craft to knowing your target audience but it’s very much within your reach and a vital skill to have in this corporate event planning business.

It’s important to develop a website and organise a content pipeline for your advertising output. This will ensure consistency and quality in your advertising content. But more importantly, it gives you a sense of direction and affirms what you’re trying to achieve at every stage.

If you’re interested in creating your own websites then we can recommend platforms like Wix and Square Space that offer intuitive website building services.

We’ve written a whole separate guide on how to promote an event on social media. Guides within guides, we can do this all day, folks. We’re here to help.  

8. The Great Leap: Launching Ticket Sales

You want to build excitement and scarcity for your event. So advertise when your tickets will be released like an event in and of itself. Build demand. Maybe to boost early sales, you could offer an early birds discount?

A good corporate event planning idea might be to register with an online ticket selling platform. This would make the booking process smoother for your guests and it could increase the visibility of your event.

Resources like rsvpify - which is free to use - offer a smooth registration service for your guests and are fully brandable. Alternatively, Eventify provides a flat rate for individual tickets sold, customisable tickets and seamless registration, boosting attendee engagement.

9. Get the Mistakes Out the Way: Do Lots of Practice Runs

It’s a cliche, but practice makes perfect, especially for events with large teams and different partners. It can turn into a circus quite quickly unless everyone is well drilled.

Staff and volunteers who have had a practice run or two will perform their jobs more smoothly and confidently when it comes to showtime. It may seem like a waste of time, but perfection isn’t given to those who don’t demand it.

And what is corporate event planning without an insatiable desire to achieve perfection?

10. The Home Straight: Double-Checking Your Double Checks

If you want to be a successful corporate event planner, you need to have a relentless eye for details. It’s not the most glamorous part of the job, but it’s possibly the most important. You have to be like a hound sniffing a scent. Every. Little. Thing.

And just to drill you more, read our article on our 5 top tips for avoiding common event planning problems.

corporate event planner business plan

Corporate Event Planning Software

Yes, you romantics out there prefer to use an ink pen in a leather-bound notebook. That’s lovely, and we’re not saying you shouldn’t. But technology is here to stay, and it can help you. So here is a quick rundown of some corporate event planning software you should consider getting involved with.

● Whova : Whova is an event app that provides online registration, event management software, and event marketing to help you succeed in your event organizing.

● Eventene : Eventene is an all-in-one mobile/cloud system that centralizes multiple planning tools for promotion, sign-ups, logistics, assignments and reporting for live and virtual events.

● Social Tables : Social Tables is a table planning software product. It uses awesome 3-dimensional floor plans to optimize and streamline the organizing of your events.

● Eventbrite : Eventbrite is a self-service ticketing platform for live events that allows users to create, share, find, and attend events they’re interested in.

● Boomset : Boomset is an all-in-one event management platform for excellent virtual, in-person and hybrid events.

● Activo : Activo is an app catered to your guests. It has capabilities to hold e-tickets, a personalized schedule keeper, chat rooms, real-time voting, surveys, and to notify with up-to-date info and news on the event.

● All Seated : All Seated is a digital platform for event planners to visualize and organize their floor space with their 3D modelling system.

● Slack : Slack is an app-based way to communicate instantly and cohesively, with your team. It streamlines communication and is taking over the business world.

● ConfTool : ConfTool is a web-based event management system developed to support the organization of conferences, workshops, congresses and seminars.

If we’ve piqued your interest with our technology chat, then check out our guide on how to enhance your corporate event with gamification.

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SOURCE:  https://www.chetu.com/meetings-events.php

The Best Corporate Event Planning Companies

Here are some of our favorite corporate event planning companies, chosen for their relentless pushing of boundaries. These options are always here if you want to get in professional help to plan your event.

Or see them as examples to emulate. When looking through their work, it’s good to keep in mind that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Check out what they do. Take the stuff you like, put your own spin on it. Simple, right?

● Memento : Memento is an event planning company based in Stockholm that does everything from conferences to private dinner parties.

● W12 : W12 is a London based event management company that has a wide remit to cover things from conferences to training days.

● Events Bureau : Events Bureau is a personalized events service in the Netherlands that is defined by its values and value for money.

● Be Spain : Be Spain are MICE experts with 15 years of field experience. They’re based in Madrid and work all over Spain.

● Wonderland Agency : Wonderland is a global agency that specializes in creative events. They have an emphasis on experimental and collaborative processes and cater to huge clients such as Amazon and Tik-Tok.

Corporate Event Planning Checklist Template

List writing is a necessity, an art form, and just good common sense. It’s a simple way of making order out of chaos. It’s a comforting exercise to navigate challenges.

Below, we have a corporate event planning checklist template. We’ve split it into four distinct areas: Planning, Operating, The Final Countdown, and The Aftermath.

Here’s the thing, it’s a template. So you can put your twist on it. Adapt it to include relevant reminders and goals. It’s your helping hand, so make it suit you. If you have any revelatory ideas for your checklist, make sure to share them with us!

1. PLANNING (12 - 8 months in advance)

Here is the time for ideas. There will be lots of them. Good ones, bad ones, average ones, and game-changing ones… hopefully.

❏ Establish goals and objectives

❏ Define the purpose of the event.

❏ State goal number of attendees for the event.

❏ Outline your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

❏ Give the event a name.  

❏ Make sponsorship deals

❏ Offer personalised options from a menu of tiered sponsorship options.

❏ Collect attendee data to show value brand exposure.

❏ Make a budget

❏ Compare the budgets of previous events.

❏ Determine the price of tickets.

❏ Account for spending 10% more than budget predictions.

❏ Choose a format and theme

❏ Choose an event format such as exhibition, meeting, conference and so on.

❏ Design a cohesive theme that covers things like food, decor, music.

❏ Provide Games and performances to enhance attendee engagement.

2. OPERATING (6 months and counting)

You’re in the thick of it now. You’ve left ethereal ideas for concrete facts and realities. This is happening; how exciting! But there’s still lots of work left to do.

❏ Select a date

❏ Don’t choose a date that coincided with other major events.

❏ Don’t choose a date that coincides with any public holidays.

❏ Choose a location

❏ Choose a venue with an appropriate capacity for the number of attendees expected.  

❏ Choose a location close to good accommodation, bars, restaurants, public transport etc.

❏ Ask what AV material the venue comes with.

❏ Identify any equipment you need to rent externally.

❏ Check if the venue has an alcohol license.

❏ Have legal representatives look at the contract.

❏ Brainstorm what kind of catering is best suited for your kind of event.

❏ Research the hottest food trends for your target audience.

❏ Have an estimate on the number of guests you will be feeding.

❏ Account for dietary and allergy requirements.

❏ Event program

❏ Utilize event program software to streamline processes.

❏ Define which speakers will be present.

❏ Include breaks and downtime.

❏ Define the duration of the event.

❏ Choose how many sessions will take place.

❏ Assemble an event planning team

❏ Calculate the staffing required to cover this program.

❏ Run a marketing campaign

❏ Tailor where and how you advertise to your target audience.

❏ Create a website with all the details, news and updates of your event.

❏ Make a pipeline for original content that advertises your event.

❏ Launch ticket sales

❏ Register with an event ticket selling platform.

❏ Build a countdown timer on the website and social media.

❏ Offer early bird tickets.

❏ Registration

❏ Choose an event app for attendee registration.

❏ Check the app has your branding and your sponsor branding.

❏ Check it is updated properly with your event announcements.

❏ Test for user-friendliness.

❏ Compare your progress against your initial goals and objectives.

❏ Compare the costs made so far against your projected budget.  

3. THE FINAL COUNTDOWN (The week before)

The tickets have largely been sold, and everything is in place. You’re so close now. At this point, you’re ironing out the kinks and making minor improvements where you can.

❏ Reach out to everyone involved to confirm details.

❏ Confirm the numbers of diners.

❏ Notify caterers of any dietary or allergy requirements.

❏ Get approval from sponsors on how their brand is represented.

❏ Signage and set pieces

❏ Check that everything you ordered has arrived.

❏ Check that everything assembles properly.

❏ Guest speakers

❏ Check their travel is booked.

❏ Check their accommodation is booked.

❏ AV equipment check

❏ Ensure the technical crew rehearse and understand the schedule.

❏ Have your live streaming crew come in to set up their equipment and test the filming capacities.

❏ Microphones.

❏ Sound system.

❏ Video system.

❏ Wi-Fi strength.

❏ Do practice runs

❏ Practice intricate set changes.

❏ Schedule runs through.

❏ Perform a run through with the catering service.

4. The Aftermath (After the event has finished)

❏ goals and objectives.

❏ Examine your KPIs.

❏ Send surveys to guests for feedback.

❏ Compile report.

❏ Make final budget reports.

❏ Make a comparison between projects and actual money spent.

❏ Conduct a report on where improvements can be made.

❏ Social Media and Website

❏ Publish videos, contents and updates from your event.

❏ Use social media to keep the buzz of the event going.

❏ Open registration for next year's tickets.

❏ Make resources produced at the event available online.

❏ Ask for feedback to improve future events.

❏ Double-check invoices against the projected budget.

❏ Send thank you messages to all vendors.

❏ Double-check invoices against the projected budget.  

❏ Consult staff on how they thought the event went e.g. what worked, what could be improved, etc.

❏ Check in to see if sponsors were happy with the event.

❏ Open discussion for involvement in next year's event.

Wrapping up

So there you have it: the ultimate guide to corporate event planning. With this, you should be able to make a solid event, a career, whatever your dreams are, a reality.

The corporate event industry is a fascinating and extensive word. It’s always changing, which means you’re always learning.

corporate event planner business plan

Additional posts you may be interested in:

A travel agent leverages Eventene to enhance a group tour of the Greek islands.

CalChiro assists positioning Doctor of Chiropractic to improve the quality of life of all Californians

Explore ways you can boost your event engagement, keep your attendees invested in the event, and revolutionize the event experience with Eventene mobile app.

Explore 10 creative team building activities that you can consider for your next corporate retreat to foster teamwork, and create lasting memories.

This blog explores the benefits and challenges of hosting an event in an unusual venue, and provides tips on how Eventene can help event planners.

DCCCA provides social and community services and uses Eventene to manage their annual conference on foster care.

corporate event planner business plan

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Eventene is a registered trademark.

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How to Start an Event Planning Business in (2024): Step-by-Step Guide

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Free How to Write an Event Planning Business Plan + Free Template Template

how to start an event planning business

The joy of making special days and big events even more special for the attendees seems exciting right? This is what event planners exactly do.

Whether it’s birthday celebrations, weddings, anniversaries, or corporate galas, the demand for expert event planners is soaring.

Starting an event planning business can be a great move because initially it needs a small investment, and you can make good money out of it.

It is a profitable venture but if are you confused about how to start an event planning business , then let us understand it through this guide.

Get to know the basics of event planning

Before you start getting into the process of starting an event planning business, you should know the basics of event planning, like what would be your responsibilities, what kind of events are there, etc.

So let’s get started:

Event Planning is most often used for purposes like

  • Social Events: Weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, reunions, etc
  • Corporate Events: Seminars, workshops,  conferences, product launches, award ceremonies, gala dinners, etc.
  • Cultural and Art Events: Art cultural celebrations, exhibitions, music festivals, etc

Key responsibilities of an Event Planner include

  • First of all, consult with your client properly before the event to understand their needs, objectives, and preferences.
  • You need to build a team as per the event type, whether it is a corporate or social event.
  • Prepare a budget to ensure that the event’s overall costs stay within the financial constraints of the customer.
  • Choose a venue that aligns with the event’s size, and theme.
  • Oversee the various vendors including florists, caterers, and photographers ensuring that they are all synchronized with the timeline.

After having a glimpse of the basics of event planning business, let’s see what is required next to start your business journey.

Quick Steps to Start an Event Planning Business

  • Conduct Industry and Market Research
  • Identify Your Event Planning Niche
  • Prepare an Event Planning Business Plan
  • Consider Startup and Operations Costs
  • Paperwork and Legal Registration
  • Figure Out Pricing Strategy
  • Get Licenses, Permits, and Insurance
  • Build a Core Team
  • Marketing to Spread the Word

1. Conduct Industry and Market Research

All businesses have competition – that’s what keeps the market in balance.So it is necessary to conduct thorough research of the market to identify your competitors and the current trends.

Moreover, it also helps you understand your target customers, identify market needs, develop marketing strategies, and maintain a competitive edge.

At the primary stage of your research, you may conduct surveys to learn more about your potential clients and their problems.

Now gather information for the secondary research from online resources and industry reports. Compiling and analyzing this data with your primary research will help you highlight the areas that need attention.

Besides identifying your target market, market research is instrumental in strategic planning for the future of your business. It also helps you discover effective growth strategies by setting the targets for your business and making you aware of your competitors.

2. Identify Your Event Planning Niche

Are you aware that knowing a “niche” is a must in the Event Planning Company? A niche is a segment of the market that an event planner focuses on serving.

Identifying your niche involves determining a specific area or target audience within the broader event industry where you can focus and distinguish your services. This allows you to delve into a specific client base and build a reputation for expertise in that particular niche.

Let’s have a look at a few of the common niches and event types:

Social Events

  • Wedding planning
  • Baby Showers
  • Anniversaries
  • Bachelor/Bachelorette Parties
  • Birthday Parties

Corporate Events

  • Award ceremonies
  • Conferences
  • Corporate Meetings
  • Grand Openings
  • Product or Service Launch Party

So you can develop various strategies for your venture after deciding upon any of the following above-mentioned niches as per the demand in the events industry.

3. Prepare an Event Planning Business Plan

Once you know your niche, it’s time to put together your business plan, which is an essential step of any business. A well-structured event planning business plan will help you build a roadmap for your business, by setting out where you want your business to go and how you intend to go there.

This business document will include details about your business, its history, service offerings, management, financial health, and more.

A business plan becomes particularly crucial when one seeks financial support from banks or other institutions. It provides a transparent overview of your plans to attain financial and operational objectives, offering reassurance to funders about the feasibility of loan repayment.

Although, many consider it just a way to peak investors’ interest, a solid business plan can change the entire course of your small business.

Besides these, it also provides a structure for your company’s daily operations, helps you understand the market trend, provides an exit strategy, and also helps to attract key employees.

Not very good at writing? Need help with your plan?

Write your business plan 10X faster with Upmetrics AI

Plans starting from $7/month

corporate event planner business plan

4. Consider Startup and Operations Costs

The next foremost step is determining your financing requirements. You must have an in-depth understanding of your startup and operational costs.

You can estimate your startup costs by listing down the essential startup supplies, insurance costs, licensing requirements, office space, and associated expenses.

The operational costs include venue costs, decoration costs, employee salary, marketing, advertising costs, etc.

5. Paperwork and Legal Registration

Setting up the paperwork and legal registration for your event planning company is an important step to ensure that you are committed to legal norms.

First things first – before you start your event planning business finalize the legal structure and do business as (DBA) name of your business.

Brainstorm different names and pick something that reflects your business idea.

You can also opt for the DBA (Doing Business As) name. It allows the business to operate under another name other than the formal business name.

Register your Business Name

Once you have a name decided, it’s time to register your business entity with the state and local government. This will ensure that your business name is yours and you can do the business using that name.

Register your Business Structure

A business structure describes how a company is legally organized. This is an essential part.

You can choose from different business structures like operating as a sole proprietor (if you’ll be running the company on your own), a partnership, as well as other entities that provide limited liability (which ensures you won’t be held responsible for the company’s debts or other actions).

Get an EIN: Federal Tax ID Number

The process for this can vary, so you can reach out to the office of your state’s Secretary for specific guidance. Moreover, obtaining an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS Internal Revenue System is essential.

Once you have your EIN, you can open a business bank account, apply for a loan, and separate your personal and business finances.

6. Figure Out Pricing Strategy

The pricing structure depends on the market segment you serve, your potential customers, geographic location, expertise, and most importantly your competitor will help you decide your fees.

How you price your event planning services will impact how often you get requests.

You can determine your pricing structure as follows:

Hourly Rate: Initially, some event planners might charge around $25 per hour, while experienced planners can command rates exceeding $100 per hour. Corporate events tend to bring in rates about 30% higher than social events.

Flat Fee: This is a common approach where you charge a fixed price for your event planning services, often including a percentage of the total fees from vendors.

Percentage of Total Event Budget: Some planners prefer charging a percentage of the overall event budget, which could range from 15% to 20%.

Vendor Commission : A few planners choose to decrease their charges or may charge nothing for their services instead they prefer to make their income solely from commissions received from vendors they work with.

7. Get Licenses, Permits, and Insurance

Licensing and legal requirements are important in starting and running your own event planning business.

Common licenses you need to run this business are:

  • Business License
  • Special Event Permit
  • Liquor license
  • Fire/fireworks permit
  • Health and Safety Permit
  • Seller’s Permit

Insurance: While not a permit or license, having general liability insurance, and possibly professional liability insurance, is highly recommended to protect your business from potential liabilities.

8. Build a Core Team

Hiring employees is a crucial step. The team you set up will be the business’s backbone, helping you effectively manage and execute events.

Here are key roles you need to consider when building your core team:

  • Event Coordinator
  • Marketing and Communication Specialist
  • Sales Representative
  • Logistics Coordinator
  • Administrative Support

You can hire event planners from Zippia, Upwork, Workstream, and also through LinkedIn.

9. Marketing to Spread the Word

You need to build effective marketing strategies to spread the word about your business to attract clients and establish your brand in the competitive world of events. You also need to set some marketing budget.

Here are some key areas to consider:

Target Audience

Who are you trying to reach and cover? Understand their interests, objectives, and event planning needs.

Developing a Strong Brand Identity

First, see what makes your service stand out. Developing a strong USP(Unique Selling Proposition) will help you grow your business by making it recognizable in a competitive market.

Build a professional website

Create a website that is visually appealing, informative, user-friendly, and easy to navigate.

Content Marketing

Be active on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, sharing visually appealing content and engaging with your audience.

Showcase your successful events and satisfied clients to demonstrate your capabilities. Post the reviews of your customers on social media accounts.

Now you might be pretty much clear about how to kick-start an Event Planning Business.

To launch successfully, it’s essential to have a deep understanding of your target market, a solid business plan, and a clear grasp of the legal structure and financial aspects of running the business.

You’ve got everything now! What are you waiting for? Let’s start your journey as an event planner.

The Quickest Way to turn a Business Idea into a Business Plan

Fill-in-the-blanks, AI-assistance, and automatic financials make it easy.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What do you need to start an event planning business.

To start an event planning business, you’ll need several key components:

  • Business Plan
  • Market Research
  • Legal Setup
  • Financial Management
  • Branding and Marketing

Do you need a degree to start an event planning business?

Technically speaking, you don’t need an event planning degree to become a professional event planner. However, there are certain qualities, skills, and certificates to help you attract clients when you start the event planning industry.

A degree in a field related to events planning, design, and management may give you an edge. All other skills can be developed over time.

How can I find clients as a new event planner?

You can get your customers through:

  • Building an online presence
  • Collaborations with known faces
  • Referral Programs
  • Advertisement

Should I register my business as an LLC, sole proprietorship, or corporation?

Each structure has pros and cons, so consult with a legal or financial           advisor for the best fit:

  • Sole proprietorship: Easiest to set up, but you have unlimited personal liability.
  • LLC: Offers some liability protection and is relatively simple to manage.
  • Corporation: More complex setup, but provides greater liability protection and tax benefits.

What skills are required to be an event planner?

To become a successful event planner, you may not need formal education, but you do have to master these skills:

  • Communication Skills
  • Networking skills
  • Adaptability
  • Negotiation Skills
  • Budget Management
  • Level-headed and calm under pressure
  • Attentive to details
  • Humble and Responsive to Clients’ Needs

About the Author

corporate event planner business plan

Shyam Dua is a seasoned tax professional with 40+ years of experience & a mentor at SCORE. He stands out due to his exceptional business planning skills. With a keen eye for detail and a strong financial acumen, Shyam crafts compelling business plans that pave the way to success. A CPA with a philanthropic heart, Shyam's strategic expertise, and dedication make him an invaluable asset in shaping thriving business ventures. Read more

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Conference Planning Template

corporate event planner business plan

Planning a conference or other large-scale corporate event is a huge undertaking. With so many details and logistics to keep track of, it’s important to have a well-crafted plan to ensure all the steps come together smoothly—from pre-event planning to post-event review. 

These conference planning tips will guide you through the process so you can plan and produce your next corporate event with confidence. Use our free conference plan template to save time and effort and get your plan off the ground more quickly.

Benefits of using a detailed event plan for your conference

If you’ve managed an event before, you’ve surely created some kind of plan or to-do list for all the work needed to pull off the event. But maybe you never built out a comprehensive conference timeline you could easily track and collaborate on with your team and stakeholders. 

Here are just a few ways having a detailed conference planning timeline benefits you:

  • Track production from pre-planning to post-event: Accurately determine when each task needs to be done and stay on top of progress to ensure deadlines don’t fall behind. 
  • Keep scope and budget in check : See what the event calls for ahead of time so you can prevent last-minute surprises from causing scope creep and budget overages.
  • Communicate clearly with stakeholders : Keep stakeholders informed about progress, and set clear expectations for their role in approvals.
  • Improve team collaboration and accountability : Clearly define who’s responsible for what so there’s no confusion, and keep communication flowing among team members at every stage of conference planning.
  • Proactively monitor and mitigate risk : Account for inherent risks up front, and spot and address issues before they throw your conference timeline off track.
  • Feel less stressed and more confident about your event : Rest easy knowing exactly what needs to happen when for your event to go off without a hitch. 

How to create an event plan for your conference

No two conferences are the same. But most large-scale corporate events share the same core activities, even if the specifics differ.

Let’s break down 5 major phases you’ll want to include in your conference plan.

Pre-event planning

Yep, even your planning needs a plan. 😊 The pre-planning phase provides a solid foundation you can build the rest of your event plan on. 

So before diving into logistics, nail down core conference info, such as your target audience, event budget, and general program. If you need any approvals to move forward, be sure to account for the time it may take to secure these in your plan. 

The logistics phase includes all the key activities that essentially make your event. It’s likely where you’ll spend the bulk of your time, effort, and resources as you lock in event details, negotiate contracts, and secure vendors, entertainment, and services for your event.

Event communications

Large-scale corporate events like conferences and trade shows require consistent communication that’s on point and on brand. They also need to be promoted across a variety of channels, such as an event website, social media accounts, email, paid ads, and PR. 

You can track and manage all these communication efforts in your event plan to ensure word gets out right on schedule. This makes it easy to keep everyone in the loop so nothing falls through the cracks.

Want to dive even further into event promotion? Check out our event marketing and promotion template .

Ticket sales

A key success metric for your event will most likely be ticket sales (or registrations, if your event is free). It’s important to properly price tickets and carefully monitor sales (or registrations) so you can adjust your strategy as needed along the way. For instance, you may need to extend your early-bird pricing window or beef up ad spend to hit your sales goals.

Post-event wrap-up and review

A big-budget event will require follow-up with everyone who had a stake in the event. Here are some questions you’ll want to discuss as a team:

  • What went well? What didn’t? 
  • Did the event stay on budget? 
  • What was the net profit?
  • How many tickets did we sell? How many people actually attended?
  • What were the common themes in attendee feedback?

Capture any important notes or plan adjustments as you go. For instance, you might document why something got delayed or went over budget. That way, you can easily reference takeaways and use lessons learned to build a tighter plan for your next event.

Free conference planning template

We created a free conference plan template you can use to plan your next big event. It’s a perfect base to build upon if you want to get a quick start on planning. 

Feel free to customize the template to fit your event’s unique needs. It’s flexible enough to adapt to any large-scale corporate event, whether you’re planning a conference, trade show, or festival. You can use this template to: 

  • Easily schedule event tasks with simple drag and drop functionality
  • Create new tasks and milestones specifically for your custom event
  • Track progress on your event tasks

Let’s dive into some other helpful ways to use this corporate event planning template.

Sample conference plan

A conference plan is your first step to event planning success. Let’s look at a few examples of how you can use our conference planning template to plan and manage corporate events in TeamGantt.

View your conference plan as a gantt chart

Get the most out of your conference plan by viewing it as a gantt chart—a visual timeline of the tasks in your plan. This format is great for scheduling out tasks and making sure everything comes together correctly across your plan.

corporate event planner business plan

Create dependencies between tasks

Sometimes one task needs to happen before the next can begin (like preparing an event proposal before it can be approved, as shown in the example below). Dependencies ensure tasks always happen in the right order, even if you move things around. 

corporate event planner business plan

Assign tasks to users

Invite team members to your conference plan, and assign them to the tasks they need to work on. It’s an easy way to keep everyone in the loop on their role in making the event a success. 

corporate event planner business plan

Task collaboration and document storage

With TeamGantt, your important files and conversations can live in a single place. Attach documents such as quotes, proposals, budget spreadsheets, vendor contact info, and more! Use comments to communicate updates and collaborate with team members on all the hard work that goes into a corporate event.

corporate event planner business plan

View your conference plan as a calendar

Want to transform your event plan into a calendar? Simply select Calendar in the top navigation bar of your plan. This format allows you to get an intuitive look at how tasks stack up on any given day, week, or month. 

corporate event planner business plan

View your daily My Tasks list

This simple view makes it clear to see what you need to work on each day. It pulls in all the tasks you’re assigned to across projects, which can be super-helpful if you’re running multiple corporate events. No more digging through emails or Excel spreadsheets to plan your daily to-do list!

corporate event planner business plan

Plan your next big conference with TeamGantt

Ready to start planning your next corporate event? Use our conference planning template in TeamGantt, and save time on project setup!

Customizing the template is quick and easy, thanks to TeamGantt’s drag and drop simplicity. And since everything’s online, your whole team can collaborate on activities in real time.

Sign up for a free TeamGantt account today , and get access to event planning templates—plus many more helpful project templates—in our library . 

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corporate event planner business plan

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Corporate Event Planning

corporate event planner business plan

Planning your upcoming event for your corporation requires the expertise of a seasoned corporate event planner. At GPJ we have the knowledge and experience to insure your success from business meetings to corporate events. We are the industry leader in event management and organizing events. We have helped corporations foster strong relationships with their audiences and employees around the globe.

Event Planning

Event planning for corporate events requires the full understanding of logistics, entertainment, audio visual, fabrication, catering, presentations, breakout sessions, social engagement and the marketing leading up to and following up after your corporate event. We’ll handle all the logistics associated with Corporate event planning for optimum results. Our scope of services ranges from executing on the program topics designed to resonate with your audience and developing the schedules for presenters and catering staff. Our Corporate event planners are also pros at venue selection. Event Marketing is right in our wheel-house from creating event websites to creation of programs including speakers, agenda, social media, venue and registration.

corporate event planner business plan

We’re Experienced Event Planners

Our team of corporate event planners have the full scope of skills needed to organize and manage the full spectrum of events. Wether it be virtual events on the Internet, or large scale venues. Our corporate planning team are veterans in planning conferences,industry award ceremonies,shareholder briefings,social events,product launches, press conferences,and annual company meetings. Work with GPJ to maximize attendance and provide a memorable experience for your audience. You can rely on our successful track record in Corporate Event Planning.

Salesforce

Privacy Overview

BDI

Full-Service Corporate Event Planner

Engaging storytelling via corporate event planning, both in-person & virtual.

BDI Events is a corporate event planning company specializing in conferences, meetings, retreats and gatherings of any scope. From galas to sales conferences to celebratory occasions, we produce corporate events that uniquely tell your organization’s story and delight your attendees.

BDI is based in Los Angeles and Seattle, but we’re a top-tier corporate event planner who plans gatherings worldwide.

conference planning event planner.jpg

Corporate Event Planning 

Corporate event planning is our specialty. And for every conference and corporate event we plan, our mission is the same.

We want to tell your organization’s unique story. We want to fulfill your goals and objectives. And we want to delight your attendees and stakeholders.

Our corporate event management expertise – for both small- and large-scale events – includes:  

Presidents Club Retreats

Annual meetings, product launches, executive conferences, company retreats, sales kick-offs, holiday parties, trade shows, corporate event planning services.

Our team of corporate event planners manages the planning and execution of all types of events, including conferences, meetings, expos, retreats and more.

Our services (for in-person, virtual and hybrid events) include:   

Venue sourcing

Online event conference tools

Audio-visual

Food & beverage

Production of custom mobile apps 

Contract negotiations

Script, speech and presentation translation into multiple languages

Event registration

Event marketing services and branding campaigns

Securing guest rooms and meeting spaces

Speaker scheduling and management

Conference agenda development 

Team building activities and entertainment

Organizing breakout sessions

Live streaming (including on social media)

corporate event planner business plan

An Unparalleled Corporate Events Planner

Bdi events is one of the best corporate event planners in the us. we draw on decades of experience in event production. this high level of expertise creates exceptional conferences and corporate events that your employees, customers and stakeholders will never forget. .

corporate event planner business plan

What Makes BDI Events Unique

Due diligence.

We truly get to know you and your organization, including your mission, goals and event requirements. We do this before starting the event planning process so we can prioritize your vision in every aspect that brings the event to life.

Worldwide Experience

We’re accustomed to planning conferences, meetings and corporate events in locations across the US, Canada and beyond. Some of our recent international meeting locations include San Juan, Dublin and Berlin.

Attention to Detail

Our diversified corporate event planners manage every detail your event. This includes everything from the site selection process to the closing session. We save you time and resources, all while sticking to your event budget.  

Comprehensive Expertise

Our vast experience ranges from retreats in small towns to conferences in massive convention centers. No matter the scale of your event or the scale of your company, we’ll create a successful, unforgettable event.

In-Person, Hybrid & Virtual Conference Planning

For years, BDI Events has been creating successful conferences that are equally unique, educational, entertaining and inspiring. If it’s a hybrid or virtual event, we bridge the gap so it’s just as entertaining as in-person events.

Our corporate event planners ensure your online event holds attention, engages your audience, sparks interaction and encapsulates your organization’s values. 

Global Tech Company Sales Kick-Off

Event purpose.

Hosted in San Diego, CA, this tech sales kick-off was an extensive, informative and highly engaging 5-day event. For this successful corporate event, BDI’s event planning team oversaw the production of every facet, including: 

The opening night and its race car-themed reception

Daily plenary sessions and simultaneous breakout sessions

A total of 7 simultaneous private dinners located throughout downtown San Diego

Coordinated transportation for all 650 guests to and from the airport and offsite events

The closing evening gala held outdoors on the San Diego Bay

Event Attendance

650 attendees

Case Studies

corporate event planner business plan

Tech Executive Ancillary Meetings in Conjunction with the Consumer Electronic Show (CES)

Held at the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas, this dual event consisted of executive/client meetings and CES. Corporate partner guests were transported to the hotel by private cars that BDI organized and managed for the C-suite meetings. In addition, a cocktail reception was hosted for the partners and executives.

To create more exciting and engaging conversations, our team designed two penthouse suites, where the meetings were held. Each suite included lounge areas, executive board room tables, ongoing food & beverage, audio-visual, florals and branded elements.  

20 C-Suite Executives

Some of Our Favorite Recent Conference Locations

Fairmont Banff Springs in Alberta, Canada

Hilton San Diego Bayfront

Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas

Signia Hilton San Jose

Levi’s Stadium, Home of the San Francisco 49ers

We have vast expertise creating fundraising events & galas (incl. virtual) to maximize donations

The #1 all-in-one event management software for event planners and venues

See how +20k professionals save 62+ hours/month and streamline processes and communications with our complete online event management software, over 180,000 events managed ... and counting, three solutions ... one powerful platform.

Rustic Venue Location with Table Settings

For event venues and caterers

Venue management software.

Simplify how you manage event bookings while boosting sales and enhancing collaboration among staff and clients.

PERFECT FOR MANAGING BOOKINGS FOR...

  • Banquet Halls
  • Event Centers
  • Conference Centers
  • Hotels & B&Bs
  • Non-Profit Venues
  • Restaurants & Bars
  • Wedding Venues
  • Wineries & Breweries

Concert taking place at venue

For event planners and managers

Event planning software.

Easily track hundreds of event details in real-time - including schedules and event registrations - and keep everyone on the same page.

PERFECT FOR PLANNING...

  • Seminars & Classes
  • Conferences
  • Corporate Events
  • Fundraising Events
  • Higher Ed Events
  • School Events

Banquet Setup at Venue

For professional event layouts

Floor plan software.

Create clean, to-scale designs for events with our easy drag-&-drop tools. Included with our Event Planning and Venue Management suites or a la carte.

CREATE EVENT SETUPS FOR...

  • Cocktail Areas
  • Dining Areas
  • Expos & Trade Shows
  • Multi-Use Spaces
  • Outdoor Spaces
  • Social Distancing
  • Theater Spaces

Tech Cocktail Logo

20+ EASY-TO-USE TOOLS THAT WORK TOGETHER

Planning pod’s all-in-one platform gives you the power to..., let us lighten your load, more ways we simplify how you manage events, integrate with hundreds of platforms like google, quickbooks, xero, salesforce, mailchimp, slack and eventbrite and share data across apps via zapier., mobile-friendly version so you can log in via the web browser of any computer, tablet or smartphone and access your account on-the-go., reporting and dashboards that give you an up-to-the-minute snapshot of hundreds of data points and enable you to make better decisions faster..

Mobile phone displaying Planning Pod contacts list

Account customization including branded account and document downloads plus templates for floor plans, schedules, task lists, budgets and more.

Customer support resources so you can get up to speed fast, including email/chat/phone support, online help portal and online training (select packages)., data security and privacy like at-rest and in-transit data encryption, server-side firewall protection, daily remote backups and pci payment compliance., ready to take control of your events, used by 20,000+ event professionals, try our award-winning tools today for free, event crm + lead management.

Track all contact data in one central place - including client assignments to events, leads, contracts, invoices and more. Track your sales pipeline and capture leads with customizable webforms. INCLUDED IN

Email Communications

All users in your account can send and track event-related emails from one central inbox. Integrates with your existing email addresses. Easily attach files from your account and link messages to events. INCLUDED IN

Booking Calendar + Appointments

Shared calendars let you and your team manage event dates (with space assignments) and stay on top due dates and appointments. Integrates with Google, Outlook, Apple e-calendars. INCLUDED IN

Floor Plan Builder

Create professional event layouts in minutes. Impress clients, provide staff with clear direction, bring your vision of events to life and boost the event experience. INCLUDED IN

Task Manager

Built for the needs of event pros. Assign due dates, contacts, email/text reminders and attach files. Create smart templates that back out tasks from event dates. INCLUDED IN

Client Portals

Improve the customer experience via client portals, where customers can easily view and sign documents, make payments, fill out forms, complete tasks and more. INCLUDED IN

Proposals & Contracts

Build detailed proposals with line items, categories and image galleries. Collect e-signatures on proposals and contracts, and easily see which documents are still awaiting signatures. INCLUDED IN

Invoices & Payments

Turn a proposal into an invoice in a single click. Set up payment reminders and auto-payments for installments. Collect debit / credit card payments via our payment processing partners. INCLUDED IN

Workflows & Automations

Customize your account with automations that speed up processes. Like set up autoresponder emails to new leads; reminders for assigned tasks; and auto-fill fields for BEOs. INCLUDED IN

Food-&-Beverage Manager

Set up food-&-beverage items (w/ pricing, ingredients, etc.) and package templates and then add them to events, proposals and invoices. Download menu PDFs to send to clients. INCLUDED IN

Banquet Event Orders

Quickly generate multiple custom BEOs (front-of-house, kitchen, client-facing, delivery, etc.). Automatically pull in event data like headcounts, menus, timelines, contact/venue info. INCLUDED IN

Integrations

Integrate your Planning Pod account with popular platforms like Google/Gmail, Outlook, Dropbox, Square and Stripe. Connect to hundreds of others (like Quickbooks, Salesforce) via Zapier. INCLUDED IN

Schedule & Itinerary Builder

Build detailed timelines for your events and assign items to contacts, vendors, categories and spaces. Add files and text/email reminders. INCLUDED IN

Event Registrations

Promote your events with our event registration / RSVP and ticketing tools. Build event websites and registration forms, create custom tickets for paid or free events and collect payments on ticket sales. INCLUDED IN

Attendee Management

Track event attendees' contact information, registration / RSVP details, VIP status, meal choices. Create seating charts and use the check-in app to manage guests at the door. INCLUDED IN

Learn more about Planning Pod’s best-in-class event management platform

Recent post, jeff kear · owner, planning pod, how to choose the best event management software for you.

Event technology has practically exploded in the 21st Century, with thousands of software platforms and apps that event organizers, event managers, venue managers and caterers can choose from.

And the event management software market might just be the broadest of all the event tech markets, mainly because so many types of tools are included under the umbrella of event management, which spans from enterprise-level conference and meeting management software, event registration and ticketing tools, events apps and virtual event platforms to venue management software and event design and layout tools.

What can be even more intimidating is the sheer number of event management systems (which often fall under the rubric of software-as-a-service or SaaS) that offer one, many or most of these tool and feature sets, all with different configurations and pricing structures.

For example, all-in-one event management software solutions like Planning Pod provide a well-balanced set of tools for planning, registration and event management for events under 1,000 people as well as toolsets for venues to manage their room and space bookings, leads, billings, menus and food-and-beverage orders. Tools like Bizzabo, Cvent and Boomset have more enterprise, complex tool sets for managing large, 1,000+ conventions and trade shows. And yet other event software tools are available for niches like event ticket sales, event websites or event pages, mobile event apps, webinars, hybrid events, fundraising events for nonprofits and more.

For an event organizer or venue manager who simply wants the right tools to manage successful events, this can all be a bit daunting, which is why we are going to walk you through the nine most common tool sets that are marketed under the banner of event management software.

NOTE: Although this article is a great place to learn about what event management tools are available in the marketplace, you should first sit down and determine what software and functionality needs you will require for your future events. No event professional’s software wish list is the same, as organizers who plan events for corporations or nonprofits may have dramatically different needs from those of venue managers / sales managers. With that said, take the time to make a list of those needs so that, when you are shopping for the best event management solution for your organization, you know exactly what you are looking for.

Top 10 Event Management Software Apps

Before we get started, let’s take a look at the best event management software options that are popular with event organizers and event managers.

  • Broad base of tools - Includes the ability to manage business details, event bookings, food-and-beverage orders, scheduling, event planning, event design, attendee management, ticketing/registration and more.
  • Time saving by simplifying processes - Our tools significantly streamline our customers’ operations, saving them an average of 62+ hours per month of busywork.
  • Intuitive and easy-to-use - Our tools simplify managing details and staying current on all your events by making it easy to enter and track critical data. They also eliminate the need to double-enter data.
  • Cost savings - Because we offer a true all-in-one solution, you no longer need many applications to manage your events, bookings and clients, cutting your software costs significantly.
  • Full training and customer support - Our customers get up-and-running in hours to days - not weeks to months - with our live online training. And if they ever need help, their questions are answered fast with our dedicated email and live chat support plus comprehensive help center.

2. Eventbrite - One of the largest event directories and communities in the world, Eventbrite offers event organizers the ability to sell tickets, build custom event webpages and registration forms, launch virtual events and promote your events via email, social media and the Eventbrite directory. Great for any type of event, including concerts, seminars, conferences and classes.

3. Cvent - If you manage large events like conventions and trade shows as well as online events, Cvent is an comprehensive enterprise event management platform for virtual and hybrid and in-person events and webinars. Its features include event registration tools, event websites and content management, email communications, event mobile apps, attendee engagement and networking, project management and exhibitor management. Cvent also offers platforms for venues and event planners to connect.

4. Whova - Looking for a cost-effective solution for your event promotions and registrations? Whova has you covered, with an event app featuring agendas, live polling, networking and gamification; event registrations and ticketing with custom webforms; event management tools for managing speakers, attendees, check-ins and social walls; and event marketing tools like websites, bulk emailing, social media posting and website traffic monitoring.

5. Eventtia - Capable of managing virtual or live events, Eventtia offers a full suite of event registration and promotional tools as well as online event hosting, which includes ticketing, websites, emailing, live streaming, virtual matchmaking, attendee management and event apps. It also provides event management tools for managing tasks, agendas, surveys, polling, exhibitors, sponsors and trade show booth registrations.

6. Social Tables - Now part of the Cvent family of applications, Social Tables provides tools for building interactive floor plans and room layouts as well as an event CRM for managing sales and catering leads and clients. Restaurants and hotels will appreciate its functionality for managing BEOs, tasks and contracts.

7. Aventri - Formerly known as eTouches and having recently merged with Meeting Play, Aventri offers a broad suite of tools for live or on-demand virtual events as well as in-person events. Included with their offerings are tools for elevating the attendee experience like networking and engagement tools + mobile apps; event registration and websites; virtual booths with lead generation features; sponsor and exhibitor management; badging and check-in; and reporting and integrations.

8. Eventzilla - Mainly a platform for event registration and marketing, Eventzilla offers ticketing and registration tools for live and virtual events, including event websites, email promotion, SEO tools, event registration form widgets, schedule builder, attendee management, check-in, reporting and mobile apps.

9. Bizzabo - Positioned as a platform to elevate the event experience, Bizzabo provides functionality to promote and host virtual events as well as run in-person events. Great for conferences, webinars, marketing and non-profit events, it offers an event website builder, dynamic registration forms and flows, data-driven event marketing tools, attendee management and activity tracking, sponsor and speaker management, badging and lead retrieval, agendas with personalized content, networking and attendee engagement tools and broadcasting/video production services.

Often many people think event planning and event management are synonymous, but to be honest, event planning software is a subset of event management that focuses on the behind-the-scenes, nuts-and-bolts organizational aspects of events.

This category of event technology has a project management slant with tools that aim to establish workflows and increase productivity when planning multiple events, which is why you will find that many event planning software platforms include tools for managing:

  • Collaborations, including employees, team members, stakeholders and volunteers
  • Vendors and suppliers
  • Event budgets, including costs and income
  • Run-of-show timelines and schedules
  • Task managers for tracking project management flow, deadlines and milestones
  • Shared or team calendars
  • Internal and external communications

Enterprise-level event software apps like Cvent, Bizzabo, Eventbrite and Boomset may also include event planning tools that assist with exhibitor management, sponsor management and more complex event logistics.

Online Event Registration

Online event registration and ticketing tools may make up the largest portion of the event management software market, possibly due to both the high demand for selling event tickets online and the potentially high profit margins.

You will commonly find the following features offered by various registration and ticketing platforms:

  • Event websites or web pages for promoting your event + online ticketing
  • Customizable online registration forms for setting up tickets and collecting registrations, attendee details and payments
  • Sponsorship signups and payments as well as donation collection for fundraising events
  • Credit card payment processing, which can include credit card processing fees plus per-ticket service charges from the software provider
  • Email communications for sending out registration confirmations, notifications and announcements
  • Analytics and reporting throughout the entire event lifecycle for tracking online registrations, revenues and attendance

Note that it is common to see event planning software suites and event apps include event registration and ticketing tools as well as guest list managers in their offerings.

When reviewing event registration tools, pay close attention to the following:

  • How the platform will enhance your attendees' event experience from the first touchpoint through the entire registration process and pre-event time period
  • Pricing structure, including fees and service charges
  • Ticketing setup options, including nested tickets, add-ons, discount codes, timed pricing, questionnaires, donations and legal terms
  • Event marketing options, including websites and social media integrations that can help you attract and sell tickets to more attendees

Floor Plan Creation

Online event design tools have become more and more popular over the last decade as they play an increasingly larger role in the event planning process. They have also become more sophisticated and feature-packed so that they more resemble graphic design software applications in both their user interface and the professional designs you can create with them. However, because many event layout solutions integrate with their own attendee management and check-in tools, they fall squarely under event management and planning. In fact, many of the best event management software solutions now have an integrated design and diagramming component.

Common features for event floor plan apps include element libraries (tables, chairs, furniture, etc.); customized room boundaries; reusable layout templates; automatic alignment of items; auto-generated layouts; and 2D and 3D representation.

Event Marketing

Event organizers usually take one of two approaches in the marketing software tools they choose for their events:

  • They use general marketing applications for managing email marketing campaigns (MailChimp, Constant Contact, etc.), social media posts and profiles (Hootsuite, AgoraPulse, etc.), websites and blogging (WordPress, SquareSpace, etc.), marketing analytics (Google Analytics) or all-in-one marketing platforms (Hubspot, Marketo, etc.).
  • They use marketing tools included in their event management software application of choice.

Regardless of the path you decide to take, if your event management tasks include promoting and marketing your event, you should include this category of tools as part of your product evaluation as well as any necessary integrations with your existing event registration and ticketing tools.

Managing attendee registrations, contact information and outreach is a fairly common event management requirement, so it’s vital for most event and meeting planners to have a reliable event CRM solution for tracking this data.

In the past, a simple guest list tool would suffice in managing this data. But in this era of enhanced attendee engagement and analytics, you would be well served to identify an app that supplies more functionality, including:

  • Registration order and questionnaire response tracking
  • Assigned seating chart creation
  • Advanced attendee detail tracking like VIP status, meal choices, track or session selections and group assignments
  • Name badge creation
  • Attendee check-in app with QR code scanner and ability to sell tickets at the door
  • Event mobile app integration (more on this in a moment)

Another way to engage attendees and enhance the attendee experience prior to and on event day is to deploy an event mobile app. Typically these are used for larger conferences, conventions and trade shows, but really you can use them for any event where you feel your audience would benefit from tools that simplify how they stay informed and connected at your event.

Event apps allow organizers to automate and consolidate many functions and resources into a single app on a smartphone or tablet, and so the most common uses of event apps include:

  • Online event program and directory
  • Interactive digital map of event space
  • Personalized schedule for each attendee
  • Built-in attendee networking and communication tools
  • Gamification of event mobile app networking and participation features
  • Social media integrations
  • Registration and ticketing integrations
  • Polling and surveys
  • Sponsor and exhibitor promotion

Note that some top event management systems don’t offer an integrated event app while others do. If a mobile app is something you don’t need, you may be better off with a SaaS application that focuses on other areas of priority; if it’s something you do need, make sure you have the ability to customize the mobile event app to suit your needs.

Event Business Tools

If you run an events-based business like an event venue or event planning firm, then you may want to consider event management platforms that include business and financial tools for managing clients and billing.

Often tools built specifically for the events industry will have particular features or functions that fit your needs better than generic business or financial tools, but this is something you will need to consider when making your assessment. And there may be certain business management tools (like for accounting, customer relationship management, word processing/spreadsheets, etc.) that don’t fall under the aegis of event management.

With that said, these are the most popular tools and features that are sought after by business-minded event professionals:

  • Lead management - contact manager, lead webforms, pipeline/funnel tracking, fast lead retrieval
  • Email communications - account inbox, integration with existing email addresses, drip campaigns, email marketing tools
  • Proposals - line items, categories, image gallery, electronic signature capture
  • Contracts - standard legal language templates, electronic signature capture
  • Invoices - line items, categories, installment billing, deposit tracking
  • Payment processing - credit card transactions, ACH transactions
  • Financial reporting - revenues, open invoices, past due payments, financial analytics

One thing to attend to is that if you use accounting software like Quickbooks, the business tools in your event management platform should integrate with your bookkeeping tool of choice. Otherwise you will be wasting lots of time double entering data into two software apps.

Venue Management

Any venue that rents out its space or engages in group sales or catering sales (which includes restaurants and hotels as well banquet halls, wedding venues and event facilities within golf courses, wineries, breweries, museums and libraries) is also in the events business, and as such needs event tech tools and venue software apps to help them run the events side of their business.

These venues will probably require some or all of the business tools mentioned above (especially the lead management and invoicing tools) as well as the following additional features:

  • Booking management - team calendars, integrations with other e-calendars, space/time holds, double-booking prevention
  • Event room/space tracking - reservation tracker, floor plan setup templates, room limitations/amenities
  • Food-and-beverage management - food/beverage items (ingredients, recipes, portion sizes, etc.), menu building, quantities/headcounts, billing, offsite and onsite catering orders
  • Kitchen management - banquet event orders, kitchen orders, ingredient and shopping lists
  • Resource management - inventory tracking (rentals, glassware/plateware, linens, audio visual, etc.)

Note that there is a difference between top event venue software platforms (which focus on the ability to manage the events business and customers for a venue) and platforms for facility management (which focus on room and equipment reservations, maintenance, security, lease administration, etc. for an entire building or facility).

Virtual Event Platforms

Possibly the newest form of event technology on this list, virtual event management software has grown in popularity in the 2000s as event planners and event attendees alike have found value in exposing their live events to an Internet audience. Since the arrival of the coronavirus epidemic, this technology has experienced massive growth because it has enabled the events industry to take events online during periods of stay-at-home and social distancing during the COVID-19 threat.

How do virtual event tools fit into the world of event management apps? Mainly by enabling event professionals to self-broadcast events in real-time from a single location or from multiple remote locations. In the past, these tools were used mainly for webinars and training purposes, but now you can find entire conferences and trade shows being broadcast virtually as well as smaller meetings and even social events. These tools are also being deployed more frequently for creating hybrid events, which have both in-person and virtual audiences ... an approach that can boost attendee engagement for your virtual audience by providing a more authentic “live” experience.

While some virtual event management solutions offer online registration / ticketing and event marketing tools (like event websites, email communications and event apps), most of them include these features:

  • Live video/audio broadcasting in high definition
  • Streaming of presentations and pre-recorded video content
  • Attendee engagement tools (live chat, Q&A, live polling)
  • Virtual networking rooms and apps
  • Asset libraries for attendees (videos, white papers, etc.)
  • Integration with social media live streaming platforms

As you can see, event management software can span a wide variety of tools, features and functions, so it’s best to start your search knowing exactly what you need to accomplish and what jobs you want the software to do in managing successful events. Once you have that list, finding the right fit is just a matter of trying out the solutions that align with your needs.

corporate event planner business plan

Bay Area's Handheld Catering in San Jose Santa Clara Full Service Caterer & Event Planning

Catering services in san jose, silicon valley and san francisco bay area since 2012, the event catering experience.

Handheld Catering and Events is the San Francisco Bay Area’s premiere full service catering and event planning company. We specialize in corporate event catering, wedding catering, and private events. Being a full service caterer means that we can execute every aspect of your event from start to finish. From designing the menu, to the planning and coordinating of the event, to décor, flowers and rentals, we can do it all!

We are a California farm to fork style catering company serving delicious gourmet food and delivering an extraordinary culinary experience for your guests! We are also the only caterer in Santa Clara County, the heart of Silicon Valley, that is certified as a green business. Give us a call, we’d love to hear from you. We look forward to catering your next event!

Plan Your Event With Our Services

Private event, corporate event, what our clients say:, bay area catering services since 2012, event showcase, latest posts, top 10 traditional wedding main course ideas, top 5 lunch catering ideas for work, 6 unique breakfast catering ideas to revitalize your morning events, frequently asked questions about our food catering services, how can you choose the right catering services for your event, when do you need catering services, how can you evaluate the quality of a san jose caterer, what factors should you consider when evaluating san jose catering services, what is the budget and cost of the catering service, what type of service and staffing is provided in catering services, what menu options and customization options are available, can you sample the catering services before making a decision, what do you consider when making a catering order, what kind of food can you order from a san jose delivery catering service, get quality silicon valley catering services today, how to delight your guests with delicious food catering – a guide to making your event unforgettable.

Throwing a party can be daunting, but with the right food catering it can be unforgettable! When planning your event, there are several key ingredients to ensure you’ll delight your guests. First and foremost, have a clear vision for the event. Figure out what type of cuisine you’d like to serve (Italian, Mexican or Chinese?), how many people will attend and whether they’ll need special dietary accommodations. Secondly, don’t skimp on quality! Invest in high-quality ingredients that will make your food stand out from the crowd. Thirdly, consider hiring a professional caterer for their expertise and service. They can help you navigate any challenges or difficulties that may arise while also taking care of all the details for you so you don’t have to worry about anything on the day of your event.

Once you’ve decided on these basic elements, it’s time to get creative! Think outside the box and come up with ways to make your food unique and exciting – maybe add in some unexpected flavors or presentation styles? Have fun with it – after all this is YOUR event so let’s make it as memorable as we can! And don’t forget about drinks too – having an array of beverages serves two purposes: firstly, it keeps everyone hydrated during a long night; and secondly, it adds another layer of fun to your party.

Finally, show hospitality by engaging with your guests throughout the evening. Ask them how they’re enjoying their meal; share anecdotes about various dishes; explain why certain ingredients were chosen for particular menus etcetera. Doing so makes guests feel welcomed and appreciated which creates an atmosphere that everyone will enjoy!

In summary, when it comes to making sure your guests love their food experience at your event, focus on having a clear vision (Italian? Mexican? Chinese?), investing in quality ingredients (no shortcuts!), hiring professionals (caterers know best) , getting creative (add flair!) , providing plenty of drinks (hydration AND fun!), and being hospitable (engage!). With this combination of tips guaranteed success is within reach – no doubt about it! It’s time to start planning for an unforgettable party experience that will leave everyone delighted!

Tips for Planning a Successful Breakfast Catering Event in San Jose Santa Clara

Organizing a breakfast catering event in San Jose can be quite a challenge! But with proper planning and attention to detail, you can make sure it’s successful. First of all, decide on the time and date for your event (it would be best to avoid major holidays or weekend days). You’ll also need to figure out how many people will attend, as this will affect the amount of food you’ll have to order. Once you’ve determined these things, you can start shopping around for caterers and supplies.

Additionally, think about what type of foods your guests might like. Do some research online or ask around for ideas; this is essential in creating an enjoyable experience for everyone. Also consider offering vegetarian options if possible – this way everyone’s covered! Furthermore, it’s important to plan ahead and order food in advance so that everything arrives on time.

Finally, don’t forget about beverages – both hot and cold should be available! You may want to include coffee, tea, juice or even smoothies depending on what kind of atmosphere you’re trying to create. If you’re feeling adventurous, try experimenting with different flavors or recipes; your guests could really appreciate something new and interesting! All in all, by following these tips your breakfast catering event in Santa Clara should go off without a hitch!

What is the Secret to Delicious, Stress-Free Lunch Catering in San Jose, Santa Clara?

The secret to delicious, stress-free lunch catering is simple: planning! If you take the time to consider all of your options and prepare ahead of time, you’ll be able to enjoy a delicious meal without any worry. For starters, think about how many people will be attending and what type of food they would like. Consider dietary restrictions and allergies as well; this way, everyone can chow down happily! Next, determine where you’d like the catering to take place. Then figure out the logistics such as ordering food in advance (and double-checking delivery times!), utensils, plates and cups needed for service. Lastly (but just as important) make sure that you have enough help on hand to serve guests quickly and efficiently!

Once all of these details are sorted out, it’s time for the fun part – the actual cooking! To keep things stress-free here, try to opt for dishes that are easy to prepare but still taste scrumptious. Preparing ingredients beforehand is also key; chop vegetables, marinate proteins or set up sauces so that once it’s time to cook everything comes together quickly. (And don’t forget about desserts – nothing puts a smile on people’s faces quite like sweets!)

By taking these steps into consideration prior to catering an event, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy yourself during the lunchtime affair – no sweat! Plus, with careful planning there won’t be any last minute mishaps or surprises either. And there’s really no better feeling than knowing your guests had a wonderful time eating delectable food that was prepared with absolute ease! So go forth and plan away – it’ll definitely pay off in spades!

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Handheld Catering and Events is a local Bay Area Catering company that uses fresh locally grown produce and meat whenever possible for all their events. Servicing the Bay Area; Handheld Catering and Events can cater your next event in style.

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Corporate Event Ideas and Themes for this Winter

Darryl Scotti 1 August 2018

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It might be gloomy and freezing outside, but don’t let that stop you from planning a corporate event, especially on one of those snowy days. The corporate event in winter should be different from events planned during other times of the year. Guests would love to attend an event that is planned keeping the season in mind.

Some people love to just snuggle up under a blanket and watch their favorite series on NetFlix during winter, but those who really want to enjoy the cold months of the year go out to attend parties, wedding and corporate events. They won’t deny your invitation to a corporate event. So, if your guests are willingly to leave the comfort of their homes to attend your winter corporate event, it is your responsibility to reward them with something magnificent. We’ve compiled a list of ideas and themes for your winter event that are sure to heat up your event and leave your guests feeling warm and fuzzy.

1. White Winter Wonderland

Even though it is freezing outside, winter is still the most amazing time of the year. It is beautiful, magical and full of joy. A winter wonderland theme is perfect for such a wonderful time of the year. This sophisticated and elegant theme immediately reminds us of Christmas. To plan a corporate event based on this theme, you must decorate the venue in white. White flowers, white décor, white tablecloths, and white curtains will make your corporate event a winter wonderland.

If you have the budget to make the event more special, you can make your venue come to life through a misty haze and white and blue lightning effects. Ask all your guests to dress in white and serve white fish, crab, lobster or shrimp and white wine to make the event more appealing.

2. Ice-Skating

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3. The Outdoor Event

corporate event planner business plan

Although people mostly stay indoors during the cold winter months, an outdoor corporate event might change their mind. You must select the perfect venue like a huge garden for this purpose. It is chilly outside, but if your guests are adventurous, then they would love to enjoy a cold winter night out with their colleagues and families.

For the outdoor corporate event, you must provide blankets to your guests when they arrive at your venue. You must also arrange comfortable seating like cozy places and chairs and provide a fire area so that your guests don’t feel cold. Light up the venue to create a magical setting. Hang lanterns, candles and fairy lights on trees. Ask your guests to wear cozy sweaters, hats, scarves, boots and socks. Serve roasted beef tenderloins to the guests and for drinks go with Irish coffee to keep your guests warm and cozy.

4. Ski Chalet

Ski Chalet creates a magical feeling of returning home from a day out skiing on the high slopes and lying down on a cozy sofa in front of fire. Take this concept and replicate it in your venue to amaze your guests with a unique corporate event. This theme evokes the cozy wintery feel and allows your guests to enjoy the warmth of log fire. Incorporate wooden accents and rustic pieces to make the venue more appealing for the guests. Serve hearty rabbit or beef stews with red wine and beers to spice up your evening.

5. Fire and Ice

Combine icy white and flame red to create a fire and ice themed corporate event. To decorate the venue for this event, the space must be divided into two areas, one featuring frosty blues and the other fiery reds.

The most important factor for creating this theme is the lighting. For the fiery reds side, you must create a combination of red LED lights against walls and subtle props. The frosty blues side should be created with blue LED lights and shinning ice statues or ice bars. Seafood appetizers would be perfect for this type of corporate event and for the drinks, we suggest Blue Curacao and Fireball Whiskey.

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6. Timeless Event

The timeless winter corporate event is created around the concept of time. For this event, you can merge black and white to create an elegant feel to the event. The venue should be decorated with watches, timepieces, clocks and anything else that’s time-related. Also place seat cushions, furry blankets and pillows across the venue to make it warm for your guests. Ask the guests to dress in black and white for this event. For the menu, we recommend you serve mashed potatoes and roast duck and offer champagne or classic cocktails like cosmos and martinis.

7. Santa’s Workshop

This corporate event is centered on charity. You can plan this event a few days before Christmas. Ask all your guests to bring one gift for a child in need. Donate these gifts to a local toy drive. Your guests would love this generous gesture of yours and would love to attend an event that is designed to bring a smile on the face of the less fortunate children. Decorate the venue with a Christmas tree, colorful garlands and strings of lights. Consider serving soups and have some decorated cookies made for the dessert.

8. Masquerade Ball

Add a touch of mystery to your corporate event by designing a masquerade ball. Everything about a masquerade ball event says intrigue, elegance and mystery. The most important component for your masquerade ball event is the mask. Make sure to inform guests that you are planning a masquerade ball and ask them to bring their own masks that coordinate with their dresses. However, you should still arrange a few masks as some guests are bound to show up without a mask. The menu for this event should include appetizers and light finger foods. For the drinks, we suggest you serve champagne cocktails.

Circus event will leave your guests and employees raving about the ambience and visual effects of the evening for weeks to come. The most important thing in a circus-themed corporate event is the entertainment. Consider hiring clowns, tumblers, jugglers, tightrope walkers etc. to perform at the big stage. Also hire some magicians to walk around the venue and perform street magic so that your guests stay entertained throughout the evening. The venue should be decorated in bright red and black color. For the food, set up circus food stations like roasted peanuts, cotton candy and popcorn.

10. Bowling Night

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11. Cooking with Fire

corporate event planner business plan

These are all the corporate events that you can plan this winter. Pick a theme or an idea from our list and start planning to throw the most epic winter corporate event this year. You may find it hard to successfully pull off the above mentioned corporate events as a lot of planning is required to manage them. But don’t fret, as a professional event planner can successfully plan these types of corporate events for you.

At The Great Event, we have the expertise and experience to plan these types of themed winter corporate events. We’ll take care of the venue, decorations, entertainment, food and drinks to plan a successful corporate event for you. We will impress your guests and they’ll be talking about your wonderful for weeks to come.

If you want us to organize a corporate event for you, call us today at (408) 298-3001 .

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University of Florida To Strengthen Its Sports Program Through AI-Powered Athletics (UF Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering)

  • University of Florida To Strengthen Its Sports Program Through AI-Powered Athletics

A partnership between the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering and the University Athletic Association is undertaking a groundbreaking AI-Powered Athletics project at the University of Florida.

The project is one of five components of the newly funded UF & Sport Collaborative that was announced in December. This multi-faceted initiative aims to make UF a global leader in sports performance, healthcare, and communication, while highlighting world-class sports facilities and partnerships.

The project aims to build an infrastructure to enable AI-powered athletics based on the wearable sensor and health data of student-athletes. The goal is to generate pilot data and initial publications that will then lead to large-scale research proposal for federal agencies.

Dan Ferris, Ph.D., and the Robert W. Adenbaum Professor of Engineering Innovation in the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, says this project is unique in higher education.

“With the large-scale hiring across campus in AI-related fields, UF is unique in the capabilities and resources it can dedicate to this type of research,” said Ferris. ““The UAA collects a large amount of data from UF student-athletes on health, nutrition, and sports performance, including wearable sensors at practices and games. Most of the data is under-analyzed and under-utilized, and our proposed treatment of the data could greatly benefit team performance and student-athlete health and well-being.”  

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  25. Winter Corporate Event Themes and Ideas

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  26. University of Florida To Strengthen Its Sports Program Through AI

    website builders . A partnership between the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering and the University Athletic Association is undertaking a groundbreaking AI-Powered Athletics project at the University of Florida.