Why organise a corporate event?

Whether to reward your partners, bring your teams together, launch a new product, thank your customers, or to introduce your company and services to new prospects, organising a corporate event combines performance and convenience. It is important to establish the purpose of your professional event beforehand. What benefits would you like to get? Who are you targeting? What does your audience expect from this type of corporate event? Many questions then arise... The organisation of a professional event must serve a very specific purpose. Next, you will need to think about the nature of the event: what type of corporate event do you want to organise?

 

What is the nature of your corporate event?

A corporate party, a gala, a professional convention, a professional seminar, a dinner... There are many varieties of corporate events with different aims. First of all, set out the target audience for your event: are you going to invite employees, prospects or customers? Then consider the nature of the event: should it be fun, or instead encourage work sessions? Once the nature of the event has been decided, as well as your budget, you will need to set a key date, envisage how it will unfold and, above all, find the ideal location to receive your guests.

When and where will your corporate event take place and what budget do you need to allocate?

Set out the date of your corporate event

To make your corporate event a reality, first define the date: this is critical, as your guests must be available. Selecting the day of your event is a very important step, it should not coincide with a national event or anything that might prevent your guests from coming. Don't hesitate to contact the Convention Bureau in the city where your corporate event is taking place to make sure you are not competing with a major local event. If accommodation is required for your event, they will also be able to provide you with information on hotel availability for the period you have chosen. Whether your event is a corporate party or a professional convention, allow plenty of time to organise your event, and as soon as the date is chosen, set up a reverse schedule to make sure you stay on schedule!

The allocated budget

Once the date has been set, next think about the size of the budget you need to allocate in order to successfully organise your corporate event and achieve your goals. The budget must be precisely defined as it will guide all your choices when organising your corporate event. All the details must be considered and, above all, think about all the services you will need once you have rented the venue: invitations, hostesses, the scenography of your event, including sound, light and possibly video, of course the catering, which is one of the pillars of your event, and the entertainment.

You can also decide on a turnkey package, offered by certain event venues, which includes most of the services required for your event, along with the rental of the venue.

Finding the perfect event space for your corporate event

Is your budget set out? Now look for the event space that will host your corporate event.

There are many criteria for the choice of location. These include of course the budget and number of people expected to attend the corporate event, the location of the site and its access points, but also the image it reflects and its atmosphere. The place, like the date, is a strategic element. It will set the mood of your corporate event, whether through its architecture, atmosphere or reputation. Your corporate event must be easily accessible, whether by car or by public transport.

The selected venue will set the mood of your corporate event. For example, to create a friendly, sporty atmosphere, the Matmut Stadium in Gerland, with private boxes overlooking the stadium, is the perfect place for an original conference in Lyon. The 250m² rooftop of the Lyon Convention Centre is another outstanding venue in Lyon, as are the Eurexpo Espace Paul Bocuse and La Sucrière located on the banks of the Saône. Here are some ideas on how to find the best venue for your company seminar.

We recommend that you select your venue and book it between three and six months in advance.

To organise your corporate event in Lyon, our reception venues are the perfect solution: The Lyon Convention Centre, La Sucrière, Eurexpo Lyon or the Matmut Stadium are outstanding venues in the heart of the Lyon metropolitan area, making your event unique.

Is the date set? Have you set out your budget and chosen your venue? It's time to move on to logistics, the most time consuming part of the organisation of a professional event!

How to organise it?

The unfolding process of a corporate event

Is the date set? Then move on to the organisation of your professional event. To do this, you have two choices: either entrust the entire organisation of the event to an event agency, or hire a dedicated in-house team, possibly with the help of the teams at the venue you have chosen, who will be able to support you. Never work alone when organising a corporate event, this way you won't forget anything and you'll be able to focus on the details.

If you have chosen to organise this corporate event on your own, you must be able to itemise the programme so that nothing is forgotten. Make a schedule in order to note the important stages of your day or evening: guests' arrival, scenography, entertainment, catering... To respect the timetable, you have to consider each stage. Do not hesitate to contact us so that we can put you in touch with our team of experts.

Team organisation

For the best and most successful organisation of a professional event, it is essential to organise your teams. Each member of the committed team must always be aware of what they have to do in order to progress in the best possible way. To ensure that everyone respects the deadlines, use reverse scheduling. This will prevent any delays. Who is in charge of project management? Who should contact the service providers? Who will take care iof the invitations? A kick-off meeting should be organised so that together you can define who is in charge of each step.

The teams of our various locations are at your disposal to accompany you throughout the organisation of a professional event, contact us for more information!

The invitations

It's time to move on to the invitations! Whether for a professional seminar, a corporate party or an annual convention, you should send the invitation at least one month in advance, in order to be able to gather as many people as possible: if you send your invitations too early, there is a risk that your guests will forget about your corporate event; if you send them too late, they may already have plans for that date...

Before sending the invitation, remember to send a "Save The Date" message so that the guests can pencil in the date in their diaries.

The invitation to the corporate event itself can take several forms, depending on your goals and the audience you are looking for. For an internal event, a company's own messaging system provides a convenient, inexpensive means of communication. For an external audience, traditional paper invitations are increasingly being replaced by electronic invitations. Indeed, beyond the economic, ecological side, attendees can easily register and confirm their participation in the corporate event directly through online ticketing providers who offer a new registration service for professional events. Some platforms also allow the corporate event to be registered directly on each guest's electronic agenda. A guaranteed way to put your corporate event on your guests' agenda!

What type of entertainment should be planned?

Entertainment is crucial to the success of your event. It will make your professional event engage, connect and surprise the attendees, and ultimately leave them with unforgettable memories of your corporate event. This is particularly the case for team building. The activities must correspond to your objectives to ensure the your guests’ participation on the day.

The entertainment should be chosen according to the goal of your corporate event: to inspire your teams, choose activities that will allow participants to excel. To bring them together and encourage teamwork, activities such as sports, as well as other interactive and collective activities will be essential. Thus, by selecting activities to suit your goals, you can organise an original conference in Lyon. Finally, if you want to thank your teams, your partners or your customers at a corporate party, you can choose from a wide range of unique or classic events.

On the day

The day is approaching. To guarantee that your corporate event runs smoothly, run a rehearsal or hold a meeting to make sure that everything is ready and that the schedules are respected.

How to advertise your corporate event?

Often overlooked in the organisation of a professional event, communication is an indispensable step. If your event is aimed at your employees, remember to inform them about it before, during and after the event. Email, social networks (internal and external such as LinkedIn or Facebook At Work) or even posters on your premises, there are many possible ways to get the word out about your professional event.

Before the day

Before the day, you can set up a countdown or several posts across social networks that will keep your guests waiting.

During the corporate event

Think about going live on Linkedin, Twitter or Youtube, to share the experience with those who could not make it to the corporate event, or for the brand image. However, be careful not to disclose confidential information.

And afterwards?

Lastly, after your corporate event, you can post any photos taken on social networks or create an "aftermovie" to commemorate the event. Don't forget to thank your guests for coming!

Finally, try to get some feedback on your corporate event, whether for internal organisation or on the day itself. Give yourself feedback so that you know the positive points and areas for improvement. Also analyse whether the goals set at the beginning have been achieved. This will help you with organising a professional event next time.