The best laid plans won’t always survive contact with reality, but event planning experts say not having one is the best way to ruin a corporate event.
“There’s a lot of different timelines involved; to make sure you have those all mapped out is only going to save your company money,” said Trina Moynihan, associate director-meetings and events at Destination Kohler.
But the planning of a successful event must go beyond meeting deadlines. Whether the event is to recognize sales staff, launch a new product or show customers your appreciation, understanding the purpose of the event and how it aligns with a company’s mission is critically important, experts said.
“Understanding the objective is going to really lay the foundation for where you go next,” said Rochelle Rupnick, meeting and event management instructor at Milwaukee Area Technical College.
Rupnick said many larger companies will have their own event planners, but that isn’t the case at smaller companies. She said the responsibility for planning an event often falls to someone in an assistant or secretary role. Her advice for planning an event is to turn to experts whenever possible, including the local convention and visitors bureau.
Having a budget is also incredibly important, experts said.
“You can really nail things down and be realistic about it,” said Stephanie Wagner, a hospitality and culinary arts management instructor at Waukesha County Technical College and owner of O2M Productions.
Wagner said in a fast-paced business environment, there is temptation to plan events at the last minute, but companies will save money by planning ahead.
With a budget set and a clear purpose in mind, it is then time to turn to actually planning the event. MATC’s Rupnick said before booking a venue, it is important to actually see the space where the event will be held.
“You cannot rely solely on what their website shows,” she said.
Rupnick said that when planners tour a venue, they should try to think of themselves as an attendee. Pay attention to details and nuances, she said. Are there lights out? Is there a strange smell? Is a garbage can overflowing with trash? She said it is important to ask a lot of questions.
The goal should be to create a positive, memorable experience, Rupnick said. That means taking the meeting design to another level when possible to incorporate all the senses and leave attendees with a great impression. Timing, logistics and even transportation are important considerations for an event, Moynihan said.
Also, consider the demographics of the attendees, Rupnick said. A younger audience may allow for incorporating more technology, while an audience with deep knowledge on a topic will alter the content of presentations. It is vital to gather demographic information in the registration process, she said.
Before inking a deal to hold an event at a certain venue, it is important to check all the aspects of the contract. It is crucial to look at attrition clauses and what would happen if you fall short of the number of guests, along with cancellation clauses, Rupnick said.
“It’s really risk management is what it is,” she said.
Because there can be so many moving parts, it is important to have open communication between the planner and the venue event director, said Becki Jump, events and program coordinator at Waukesha County Business Alliance.
Jump and fellow Business Alliance events and program coordinator Shelby Myszka plan more than 150 events each year. They both said the communication has to continue through the day of the event and beyond.
“You have to learn to smile and go with the flow,” Jump said. “Being flexible— if it’s not your personality, it needs to be quickly.”
All of the experts stressed the importance of gathering feedback after the event. Whether the event is a monthly occurrence or won’t be held again, gathering opinions from attendees will help make the next program better.
Comprehensive feedback can be difficult to obtain, Rupnick said. Attendees who had a negative experience are more likely to offer feedback than those who enjoyed themselves.
“It’s really a challenge in the industry to get that solid, concrete, honest feedback,” she said.
One option the experts suggested was listening to those who were working the event. They may overhear things that don’t show up on the comment cards.
