The perfect B2B conference or corporate event can feel out of reach, especially in B2B markets. You want your attendees to think back to the event, remember it fondly and have that experience tied to your brand. That emotional connection sustains sales, growth, customer retention and more!
These experiences are definitely achievable – especially for us. With expertise in planning tailored corporate events and conferences that align with brand voice, attendee expectations and desired outcomes dating back to 1996, we’ve got a bit of know-how for delivering experiences. That doesn’t mean that these events come easy!
These take a lot of planning. That’s why we’re breaking down what it takes to plan the perfect conference or corporate event! If you’re looking to plan an event for customers, employees, channel partners or more, reach out today – we’ve got what it takes!
The first step in planning any conference or corporate event is simple: What do you want to get out of it? By establishing your business goals and objectives and clearly understanding your attendees and what they hope to see, you can lay the perfect foundation for any event or conference.
There’s a big difference between an event that aims to educate and one that aims to celebrate a new product launch, and without setting your goals first, you’ll struggle to leave that positive connection in the minds of your attendees.
Consider how many people will attend, what the event is for, and how you want the guests to feel. Engagement levels, capturing new sales leads, or a marketing exercise are all valid reasons to run one. With our talented events team, we run many varied events per year—ask the team, and we can help!
With some of the initial logistics planned out, it’s time to consider where you want to hold your conference or event, which should align with the expected size, style, and goals.
Your venue needs to be accessible to your expected guests and have the capabilities for whatever you’re seeking to achieve—Wi–Fi and A/V options can all be taken for granted until you don’t have them!
212F’s event team has venue connections both at home and globally, so we’ll be able to suggest a plethora of options anywhere you could think of hosting—we can help!
Of course, even the perfect plan can only go astray with effective budgeting. Cost management is a crucial factor for any event or conference and must be considered early in the planning process.
The logistics of a venue, catering, travel expenses, guest speaker fees, marketing and communications, and more can quickly spiral out of control without firm planning, which is why 212F does all of this when preparing a brief for potential clients.
With several potential options, all maximised for a return on investment, we can ensure that no unforeseen, unexpected costs will ruin the day!
All work and no play can make any corporate event dull, which is why it’s important to ensure that the attendee experience is considered and balanced. Your event should balance structured speakers and breakout sessions, allowing guests to interact with each other and be active.
Informative and interactive sessions, downtime and R&R are essential for any event to leave a strong memory. If guests return and feel like they haven’t had a break, it can harm the potential emotional connection that your event set out to capture.
We’re not in the Stone Age anymore—don’t plan your event like we are! Using digital tools like event apps, virtual or hybrid event platforms, and live polling can ensure that your guests take an active role in the experience, letting them feel like they’re part of the action.
Encouraging social media usage through event hashtags and live streaming, coupled with post-event content as a marketing experience, can ensure that the trip lives long after everyone returns to their regular lives, keeping the journey front-of-mind the next time they come to purchase from your business.
As we’ve said, putting together a five-star corporate event involves many moving pieces. That’s why we always recommend partnering with an expert—let us do the heavy lifting so you can just sit back and enjoy!
The beauty of an experienced agency managing all details and relationships with vendors means that your event can go off without a hitch. That’s why we always provide an account manager for each experience who can ensure seamless coordination—we know what can go wrong!
With corporate social responsibility becoming more popular in industries, it’s important to consider how to weave sustainability into your event experience. Trends toward sustainable events, such as paperless invitations, energy-efficient venues, and locally sourced catering, must be considered—but that doesn’t mean at the expense of your experience!
212F believes that sustainability doesn’t have to mean sacrifice, which we back up with our KoruGreen commitment. We provide net-zero carbon events for all our B2B travel incentives and event programs at zero cost to you, with all emissions offset via the United Nations Carbon Offset Platform.
For more on KoruGreen, read below:
We’ve mentioned the attendee experience a few times in this piece, but that’s because it is essential in every aspect of your event. Your event must make the attendees feel like you’ve planned the event around them. It can be supported through personalised elements such as customised agendas and welcome gifts.
This feeling that the trip has been personalised for them will increase your guests’ engagement, which can be amplified through workshops, gamification, and feedback sessions. An engaged guest is a satisfied guest!
The event doesn’t end when the guests return home – by collecting post-event feedback and reviewing the metrics used to measure engagement, you can demonstrate to your attendees that you’re invested in their thoughts and responses.
By providing the guests with post-event resources such as photos, recordings, slideshows, and more, you can keep the trip’s glow lasting long after their tan fades!
These are some broad overviews of what goes into every successful conference or corporate event, but that doesn’t mean it ends here. By partnering with 212F, you can ensure that your experience goes off perfectly, knowing that you’ve planned it with experts in their field. Reach out today!
