INSIGHTS
Three ingredients to mix up a perfect corporate event
Have you ever heard the phrase ‘baking is a science?’ Don’t get too hungry, there is a point to be made here: corporate event planning needs the same creative balance of its elements to be effective, efficient, and memorable. Just like a perfectly crafted cake or croissant. So maybe there is much for event planners to learn from an episode of The Great British Bake Off?
Clear your workstations and don your aprons. Here are the three key ingredients for a successful corporate meeting or event.
1. All-purpose apps & technology
Event technology is the secret sauce of a successful corporate event. While there are many ways to use it, two key ingredients you can’t afford to overlook are registration and itinerary management. Here's what you should include to ensure everyone falls in love at first ‘bite’:
- Accessible from anywhere. Make sure attendees don’t need to switch devices to access your registration site. Today, people do most things from their smartphones, and a recent Pew Research study showed that 15% of American adults are smartphone-only internet users.
- Understand their identity. During registration, gather important information about each attendee, such as dietary requirements and accessibility needs. If you need to make sure you are gathering the correct information (and not overstepping legal boundaries), work with your HR team.
- Be in the know, on the go. Attendees should be able to easily see all available events, sessions, and activities and filter by category or even persona. Better yet, your event mobile app should give attendees the power to build their own schedule and itinerary with built-in alerts and reminders.
2. Fold in the creativity
Just like your favourite recipes, corporate events usually fall into neat categories: incentive, conference, strategic meeting, workshop, etc. But no one ever sets out to bake something that tastes like everything else they’ve had before. You always want to bring something different to the mix. You want the same for your events! Here’s how:
- Brainstorm beforehand. A good meetings & events team will support you with this process but never underestimate the power of pre-planning. Consider arrivals to your first team meeting with a mood board of ideas, from colour palettes to communication strategies.
- Don’t forget interactivity. A conference requires theatre seating, and a strategic meeting needs a U-shaped conference room setup. But think further—how will attendees be engaged outside of the basic event goals? Consider a QR code scavenger hunt that runs the duration of the event or a step challenge—anything that gets attendees’ minds and bodies moving and encourages engagement.
- Make check-in an event itself. Establish your event’s energy when attendees arrive with local entertainment, art from the local culture, and hands-on activities like designing your name tag or water bottle.
Become your next event's 'star baker'!
If you use these tips, you’ll be well on your way to winning it all at your next corporate meeting or event. Just take a thing or two from your favourite pastry chef along the way. And if you need more help, the FCM Meetings & Events team is here to help you get the job done in the sweetest way possible.