Whether you’re celebrating success or launching a new product range, party planners in the UK play an essential role. As a professional corporate party planner team, we know how challenging managing large scale events can be. Our ultimate guide to party planning lets you know exactly what’s involved in planning your next event!
What is corporate event planning?
Don’t be fooled by the name. Corporate events can be as casual, fun, or formal as your company requires.
An experienced corporate party planner can organise anything from a conference or team building day to a summer BBQ, charity fundraiser or Christmas party. Planning and executing your events can take months of organisation, but the result is worth it to build solid team relationships or boost your marketing.
Understanding the process lets you plan a party that gives you the maximum return for your budget.
Set goals and objectives
Before organising any event, we’ll ask you, “what’s the objective?”
Gaining a deeper understanding of what you want your party to achieve is critical for success. It means we can build the entire event concept around your messaging and goals, creating a bespoke party that meets your deliverables.
In turn, those decisions affect everything from the choice of venue to the date, so you achieve the ultimate exposure and success.
Create a budget
Your budget impacts every aspect of party planning, including venue, technology, staff and catering. If you’ve already staged a similar event, you’ll have a baseline budget in place.
Allocate your budget depending on what’s most important to your company culture and your expectations from the event.
Finally, make sure your budget is flexible enough to meet unexpected or hidden costs. Budgeting is not an exact science, so make sure you add a contingency.
The perfect venue
The ideal venue needs to meet your needs, so your party can achieve your goals. So when we’re organising your event, we look for:
- Location: Is there suitable accommodation, a choice of restaurants, bars and cafes and excellent transport links nearby?
- Capacity: Does the size match your guest list?
- Facilities: Is there a PA system that can handle entertainment and speeches?
- Flexibility: Does the venue offer bespoke packages to suit your needs?
The choice of venue reflects on your company, so whether you’re holding a sophisticated reception or a relaxed party, we’ll source a venue to match.
Be original
Going that extra mile will always make your party more memorable, from choosing a killer theme to those little extras — like a free cloakroom and cocktail on arrival. Queuing for the cloakroom is much more fun with a drink in your hand!
Corporate parties often have a reputation as being dull and tedious affairs. So why not try the following:
- Make your event interactive with games and unique ice-breakers.
- Hire some quality entertainment — music, comedy or guest speakers.
- Create a selfie wall that lets guests capture the moment to share on their social channels.
Or ask us to create engaging content that leaves your audience saying, “what a party!” Remember, the more engaged your audience is, the better the impression you make and the more positive their associations with your brand.
Virtual parties
A virtual party is an unparalleled way to bring together your remote teams with fun and inspiring interactions. If you’re planning this type of event, ask yourself these questions:
- Is the event casual or formal?
- What level of collaboration and interaction do you need?
- Do you have the technology to support a virtual event?
While the actual event planning is similar to virtual and real-life events, you’ll need to think about the presentation and production of your event.
What a party, What An Event
We’re one of the most experienced and professional event management agencies in the UK, and we deliver bespoke events in unique venues. So if you want great feedback from your next corporate party, get in touch with us at What An Event.