Whether your employees work in one location, multiple locations, or work remotely hundreds of miles apart, getting everyone together for an official corporate event often requires more than just booking a conference room and ordering take-out lunches.
From an intimate meeting of C-suite executives to a company-wide gathering, a successful corporate event requires clear communication, attention to detail, precise execution, and a focused plan to guide you through it all. As they say in construction, “measure twice, cut once.” It’s all about proper planning.
This handy event planning checklist will guide you on how to plan a corporate event and is perfect for planners, HR personnel, executive assistants or anyone tasked with putting together such an event. Use this as a starting point to create a custom corporate event planning checklist that is unique to your event. And take a deep breath; it’s not as difficult as it seems!
12+ Weeks Out: Strategic Planning
Ideally, you have an event planning timeline that allows 12 weeks from your preferred event date. A generic checklist for planning an event includes the following:
Define the goals for your event and the audience
Identify ~3 achievable goals for your event. This might include introducing new company branding or positioning, rolling out new initiatives, meeting new leaders, identifying high-performing employees, and boosting morale. After your event, you can measure its success more definitively with clear goals in mind.
Also, identify the number of attendees you expect and who the attendees will be. For instance, is it a company wide event or a more focused group, like a sales staff.
Set a budget
Set a reasonable budget that will include the cost of the venue, food, paid speakers, equipment rentals (for anything not provided by the venue), promotional materials, printed signage and anything else you may have as part of your event. Set a budget early and stick to it.
Choose a date
If you have an ideal date, great! But give yourself some flexibility with alternate dates and work with your venue coordinator as soon as you have a date. One of the first questions a venue coordinator will ask is what your preferred date is and attendee headcount. Our lead time depends on the type and size of the event. Typically, you can plan on the following:
- Conventions: 2-3 years
- Conferences:1-2 years
- Weddings: 1-2 years
- Galas/Banquets 1-2 years
- Holiday Parties: Same Year, start months in advance
The above are only averages. You can always check with us to see if we have space, and if so, we can book at any available time.
Research venues and plan site visits
You may already have a venue in mind, but if you’re considering options, start your venue search as soon as you have a date and number of attendees you expect.
Develop an agenda
Start documenting how you want the day(s) to go. For instance, you might start with a continental breakfast, leading to an introductory speaker, followed by a keynote speaker and breakout sessions. Don’t forget to plan multiple breaks.
Once you have these steps completed, it’s time to dive into more of the details in the next 4 weeks of your timeline.
8-12 Weeks Out: Lock in Logistics
This is a crucial part of your event planning. You’ll be juggling a lot of different balls, but by the end of this logistical phase, you’ll be in great shape. Here’s what you need to do:
Finalize venue and sign contracts
Getting your venue locked in is key, because your venue partner may be providing the bulk of the supporting materials for your event. Monona Terrace offers comprehensive support for events of all sizes and complexities, including catering and A/V and live streaming. Whatever venue you choose, make sure you review contracts closely before signing.
Coordinate AV/tech support
A/V and tech support can make or break your event. This includes a PA system(s), presentation support (projector / displays), computers to drive presentations, Wi-Fi, stage/lighting, and more. Also, if you need break-out rooms, make sure each room has the support you need. Monona Terrace provides on-site professional staffing to ensure your event runs smoothly. Check out this handy FAQ about our A/V offerings.
Coordinate catering menu
Many venues provide wonderful catering options for breakfast, lunch, dinner and beverages. However, if your venue does not provide catering and you’re using an outside caterer, make sure you coordinate directly with the venue and caterer to ensure each can accommodate the other.
Also, consider your menu, which will consume a large part of your budget, so plan ahead. For instance, do you need multiple meals? Buffet or table service? Hors d’Oeuvres? Boxed lunches? Your catering partner can help you decide.
Monona Terrace has full service catering and can accommodate virtually any event type. Check out our catering offerings here.
Plan accommodations if needed
If you have attendees coming who need overnight accommodations, make sure you have nearby hotel options, and if necessary, block out rooms at a hotel. Monona Terrace has multiple hotels within walking distance and one that is attached via a skywalk. Also, be sure and provide parking options. Learn more about accommodations nearby Monona Terrace here.
Start promotional materials
Everyone loves to get something at company events, right? If it’s a goodie bag with branded tchotchkes like mugs, water bottles, t-shirts, etc., remember to get it ordered so you can have it delivered before your event.
Good news! This heavy lifting phase is over. Now it’s about the finer details and driving your event to the finish line.
4-8 Weeks Out: Details & Promotion
Let’s focus on awareness of your event and finalizing the people you need to pull it off.
Send out invites / start registration
Whether it’s an email or printed invites, make sure you get them out to all attendees with an RSVP and registration, if needed. Many online options are available that are free with sign-up.
Finalize speakers, presentations, materials
Your event is likely to include speakers and presenters from inside the company. Reach out with a friendly reminder, so they can be prepared and can inform you of anything they need. With outside speakers, they should be locked in by now. If any printed or digital materials are needed, finalize any requests and identify any potential hiccups.
Coordinate transportation & signage
Typically, attendees prefer to manage their own transportation, but if you need to transport groups of attendees from a hotel, reach out to the hotel directly to coordinate transportation.
Signage for events is often overlooked, so plan now for design and printing. You may also need display stands, which your venue may or may not provide. Many venues, including Monona Terrace, offer digital signage, which can add a more elegant and upscale experience for your attendees.
Confirm staffing & volunteer needs
Make sure you have the staff you need to accommodate the needs of your attendees during the event. Having on-site IT personnel is recommended if you have sophisticated A/V and Wi-Fi needs. Also consider if you’ll be registering attendees at the entrance, providing an information center, and greeters who will welcome and guide your attendees. Your venue may provide staff to do set-up and take-down of tables, booths, and equipment. Also, depending on the size and location of your event, you may want valet parking and extra security.
Alright! Now it’s time to dot the “i’s” and cross the “t’s.”
1-2 Weeks Out: Final Touches
Your event is almost here, but if you’ve followed your plan, you should have nothing to worry about, right? Famous last words. Let’s look at some final touches to ensure your event is hitch-free.
Walkthrough with venue coordinator
Do an on-site walkthrough with our venue coordinator. Use your checklist (run-of-show) based upon your master plan and review all the details. This is your chance to ask the “what if” questions.
Confirm headcounts
This is where the RSVP comes into play. Event “melt” can be as high as 20%, so plan accordingly. You’ll also have a few attendees show up without having registered.
Prepare print materials, name badges
Gather all your printed materials and finalize how you will get them to the venue and your process for distribution. You may be distributing name badges and lanyards prior to the event, but if you’re printing on-site, make sure you have the infrastructure at your venue to accommodate this.
Reconfirm vendor timelines
Touch base with all your outside vendors and participants and make sure they’re all on board with your predetermined timeline.
Plan for contingencies
Expect something to go wrong and plan for potential issues, such as A/V not working, a delay with your keynote speaker, presentations not loading, print materials not delivered. Have a fallback option, just in case.
This is your final opportunity to ensure nothing is falling through the cracks.
The Day of the Event
Today’s the big day! Let’s do a final walkthrough. Yes, something will probably go wrong, but now’s the time to mitigate any problems.
Arrive early for setup
Get there an hour or more before the event begins. Your job now is to oversee set up and prep for attendee arrival.
Assign team members to key roles
Your team members should already know what their responsibilities are, but be prepared for curve balls. You’ll have to make adjustments on the fly, so remain calm and delegate tasks to the appropriate team member.
Check AV and tech
Testing, testing… make sure it all works. Ideally, you have an on-site technician who is handling it all. Do a test to make sure all the digital screens work.
Keep a copy of the run-of-show
Remember your checklist? This is your “bible” today. Keep it handy and refer to it often.
Congratulations! Your event was a huge success thanks to all the planning and preparation you and your team did. But, your work isn’t quite over.
Post-Event Follow-Up
A successful corporate event requires follow-up. Here’s what we recommend as a few final steps:
Send thank-you emails
Send a gracious, heartfelt “thank you” to your attendees. It will go a long way in getting your attendees to do the following…
Gather feedback from attendees
Create a quick questionnaire for your attendees and include it in your “thank you” email. Ask 10-12 questions with numerical type answers, like a typical product review. Keep it simple and quick so you’ll get as many replies as possible. Provide one open-ended question for comments.
Reconcile budget
Map every budgeted line item against the actual cost. Hopefully, you came in under budget and your CFO will be happy!
Analyze and attribute success metrics
You will likely be tasked with presenting your success metrics. Hitting your budget and getting positive feedback are key, but did you accomplish your goals? Why or why not? What can you improve upon or include in your next event? Once compiled, your feedback questionnaire can provide definitive success metrics.
Conclusion: Proper Planning is Paramount for a Successful Corporate Event
The importance of having a structured plan for a corporate event is critical to ensuring its success. The checklist is a starting point that can be customized for your needs and a foundation for your planning process.
As you begin your search for a venue partner, hopefully you’ll consider Monona Terrace! Monona Terrace has been a premier event host for decades. Our comprehensive offerings, professional staff, unrivaled catering, and magnificent location have made Monona Terrace a go-to venue for corporate events in Madison and throughout the Midwest. Let one of our venue coordinators help you on our way to a successful corporate event. Contact us at 608.261.4000 or info@mononaterrace.com.