What to Know When Hosting a Corporate Event: 5 Top Tips for Planning a Company Party
Putting on a corporate event for your employees and their families is a great way to celebrate your business and honor those who show up every day with passion and dedication. Everything from company picnics, to holiday parties and award celebrations are a chance to celebrate your company and bring your employees closer together.
At Circle D Farm, we’re no stranger to hosting large casual outdoor BBQs and indoor formal ceremonies for retiree celebrations and more – we’ve seen everything from let-loose to black-tie and we’ve learned what helps a corporate event go off with a bang.
These are our top tips for anyone looking to host a company event – what not to forget, how to maximize guest comfort, and how to improve overall guest interactions for a fun, memorable time.
Corporate Event Tip #1
Unleash the Potential: Understanding the Purpose of Your Corporate Event
This might sound like an odd one but trust us: first things first is knowing what your event is doing.
Award celebrations, company picnics, holiday parties, launch celebrations, and more all have a central focus and yet they all can have very similar, or very different, purposes. We urge everyone to consider what the purpose of your event is:
- Team building
- Employee appreciation
- Family and friend celebration
- Company success and goal setting
Knowing the purpose of your award celebration (aside from the honoree) or picnic (aside from food and bonding) helps you structure the format of the day. This impacts whether you select formal or more casual attire, if you plan yard games or celebration presentations, and if your guest list is only employees or also family and friends.
Corporate Event Tip #2
Select Your Guest List
Circling right back to Tip #1, knowing your event purpose, this will influence who your guest list ends up being. Just because it’s a corporate event doesn’t mean it’s limited to employees – holiday parties or award ceremonies can often expand out to family and friends.
If you’re opting for a company picnic for team building, you may only have your employees attend. However, some events are tailor-made for family and friends, so consider how many guests each employee can get and if the event is kid-friendly or adult-only.
All of these guest list decisions will help you find the perfect corporate event venue in Maryland based on size, accessibility, entertainment possibilities, and more.
Bonus tip– Circle D Farm is both family-friendly and easily accommodates adult-only events, so if you’re not sure what way you want your guest list to go, view our event space in Woodbine today to visualize both possibilities with ease and compare the pros and cons of each for your corporate event.
Corporate Event Tip #3
Choose an Event Theme - Yes, Even If It’s “Cheesy”
Think themes are out? Think again. Every event needs a theme and a company event is no different.
While a theme doesn’t need to be elaborate, a good theme helps set the tone for the company event. Even if it’s subtle and broad, a theme gives direction for entertainment, music, guest expectations, attire, and more.
Talk with your event planning team and discuss what embodies the purpose of your event – select from ideas like “Summer Never Ends” to “All Employees Are Stars.” Even cheesy or “overdone” themes can help set a fun and relaxed atmosphere that encourages participation and helps you select the best entertainment – like apple bobbing or a galaxy-themed backdrop for your photobooth. Keep it cohesive, simple, and easy for the best shot at success.
Corporate Event Tip #4
Decide on Entertainment and Activities to Fill Your Event Venue
Dinner, a ceremony, and speeches only fill so much time at a company event. Regardless of the purpose, you have hours to fill to keep a range of guests and personalities engaged and involved. While mingling and free food is never a letdown, corporate events need more to keep guests on-site and enthusiastic about the company.
Entertainment doesn’t have to be elaborate, luxurious, or costly – simple events or venue additions can go a long way to helping employees feel celebrated.
Photobooths, a live band or popular DJ, outdoor activities, interactive games, silent auctions, talent shows, optional icebreakers, and more all go a long way to help team building and positive associations with the event that keep people talking.
Bonus tip– Ask your local corporate event venue in Maryland what activities have worked well for similar events held at their location in the past. Your event venue is a great resource for all things deco, entertainment, and more. Plus, they may be able to recommend vendors that already know the space and offer discounts.
Corporate Event Tip #5
Promote Your Company Event - Before and After
Even if your company event is entirely internal, you still need to promote the occasion. This is because many employees don’t glance at emails, forget about after-work-hours events, or simply may opt to not go if they don’t think it’ll be fun.
Promote not just the event time, date, and location, but promote the cause for the celebration, your theme, any entertainment, special giveaways, and more. If the company event is open to family and friends, send home newsletters or invites and continue with weekly email reminders so you can get the most accurate RSVP list.
During the event, have photobooths or selfie stations and encourage employees to share on social media – your company thrives because of the employees and branding is everything to consumers, so you want everyone to be talking to encourage client interaction and internal employee growth and commitment. Use hashtags, social media filters or frames, and more to keep people talking.
Time To Tour Corporate Event Venues in Maryland Near You
As a leading event venue in Woodbine, MD, we are excited every time we work with a new client or get to host a returning crew of guests. There is so much fun and celebration to be had and we love to break the mold of traditional event venues in Maryland for your corporate space.
Now that you know what you’re looking for and what needs planning, set up local tours and consult with event spaces near you. This will help you determine which Maryland event venues can accommodate your guests, entertainment, theme, and more.
Ready to work with an event venue in Woodbine today? Contact us!
