Corporate events are frequently organised to communicate company strategy, change internal company behaviour, launch a product or service, encourage, train, or reward employees, or impact customers’ external behaviour toward the brand. In many cases, they bring together firm employees, assist larger marketing or sales initiatives, incentivize team achievements, or amuse top executives.

Meeting planning is only one aspect of corporate event preparation. Although conferences and meetings may take up time, event planners also organises corporate hospitality, client entertaining, conventions, exhibitions, and employee events. Corporate events include incentive travel reward programmes, team building, motivational events, receptions, and charity fundraising days.

It is not easy to plan and execute a successful corporate event. It is usually a months-long procedure that includes numerous stages and a range of organisational steps. Company conferences and internal training seminars, as well as team outings and client hospitality, are examples of corporate events. When arranging any form of corporate event, it is best to examine them in terms of size.

Micro events (also known as “simple events”) are often arranged for up to 100 attendees and take the shape of meetings or more intimate training sessions.

The planning needs for these micro events may be as simple as reserving a venue, providing presentation facilities, providing break-out refreshments, and registering. However, referring to them as “simple events” might be misleading, as preparing an away-day or hospitality for 50 senior managers can be just as difficult as planning a conference for 500 people.

Small events have between 100 and 250 delegates. Seminars, training days, or departmental conferences are all possibilities. Planners may need to coordinate a main stage itinerary as well as multiple break-out sessions, as well as lunch, refreshments, audio-visual equipment, online registration, and transportation.

Midsize events rely on technology more. They could be company-wide conferences with up to 1,000 attendees or leadership summits with top leaders for major client customers.

Budgetary considerations should include a branded website, pre-event messaging, and an event mobile app. Delegates may require hotel accommodations as well as transportation to and from the venue. As part of a complex multi-stream conference agenda, a pre- or post-event reception or evening entertainment may be required.

Large-scale events frequently necessitate the use of corporate IT platforms to manage features such as hotel room reservations, delegate flights, budgets, and online registration. Offsite activities, dinners, partner programmes, an awards ceremony, or other complex itinerary preparation may be required for multi-day events.

Staffing, food, registration, and speaker and delegate management will all need to be meticulously prepared on a large scale. Conventions, for example, can attract up to 1000 attendees and last several days.