The world of corporate events is quite different from the social events industry. Gathering a group of professionals together takes work to ensure they’re able to effectively network or learn! They’re taking precious time away from the office to attend your event, whether it be a large industry conference, a training seminar, or even a company retreat. It’s important that you execute a professional event that provides high value to your attendees.
Producing an event like this takes time and expertise, and there are a ton of factors to consider when planning, but bringing an event planner on to handle the logistics can make a huge impact on the success of your event.
Budget experience
Managing an event budget is no joke! From catering to speakers to A/V, there are a lot of costs to consider and it can be a disaster if you forget to properly budget for something. An event planner who has worked on an event like yours before knows exactly what to expect. They understand the unexpected expenses that can pop up, they remember every line item you may forget, and they have a good sense of what things cost so you don’t end up with a vendor overcharging you.
The ability to see & solve problems before they happen
A good event planner can see fires before they even start and a great event planner can put them out before you’re even aware there is a problem. In fact, this skill alone is well worth it to add an event planner to your team! Experienced event planners are expert problem solvers and are very solutions-oriented. It’s a skill we’ve honed over the years and is indispensable when you’re planning and executing events. If you hired a truly experienced event planner, then they’ve seen it all. They know exactly what to do when a panelist doesn’t show up or if the catering order is incorrect. They’re prepared to handle unexpected challenges like when a sponsor’s banner is hanging in the wrong location or your conference mobile app stops working. Let’s be honest, not everyone is great at handling stressful situations, and that’s okay! Being able to juggle multiple things at once and quickly handle any issues that arise is a huge skill that event planners have, so why not hire someone who can make sure your event runs as smoothly as possible?
An understanding of hotel and venue contracts
Hotel or other venue contracts can be seriously complicated to those who have never dealt with them before. You’re likely putting a lot of money into securing the venue and there’s usually a ton of small print. Event planners have worked with many types of venues and often specialize in planning with specific venues, like hotels. They’ll be able to not only save you time but also money as they navigate the contract process for you. They know what you’re able to negotiate for or understand what venue expectations are, like the minimum amount of money required of you to spend on catering or the number of hotel rooms that need to be booked. They’re also really great at finding a venue that suits your needs perfectly! Event planners have a great sense of the factors that go into choosing a venue, and they’ll be able to guide you through the process to make sure you have a venue that meets all of your event requirements.
Connections with vendor partners
If there’s one thing an event planner is sure to have, it’s connections. After years of planning events, they’ll have begun developing relationships with the various vendor partner and suppliers required to produce events: caterers, A/V, transportation services, photographers, and more. It’s always helpful to have recommendations from someone you know and trust rather than blindly searching Google, reading reviews from strangers, and hoping for the best. Your event planner will be able to confidently recommend a host of trusted vendors whose services you require.
You can relax and enjoy the event!
Okay, sure, corporate events aren’t necessarily about having fun, but they’re certainly intended to be enjoyable even if they are about networking or education. An event planner’s job is to be behind the scenes handling everything so that you can relax more and focus on building relationships with your sponsors and event attendees. Your primary role during an event may not be to hang out and have fun, but being able to participate in it like an attendee will give you a unique perspective and allow you to see ideas for improvements for your next event while also making connections with everyone who’s there.
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