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What is Corporate Event Management?
Corporate event management describes the act of planning and managing an event for corporate purposes. Corporate events range from networking meets to full-blown conferences.
What does a Corporate Event Manager do?
A corporate event manager is responsible for the creation and development of large corporate events which are usually B2B such as conferences, conventions, meetups, online and virtual events and town halls. The corporate event manager heads up and leads the corporate event management team which consists of event planners, event coordinators and event specialists.
The 5C’s of Corporate Event Management
- Concept – The event idea which is born from wanting to achieve a certain action. It’s important that all stakeholders and event planners understand what they want their event to fulfil.
- Coordination – The planning and processes of the event. This will include the event management software, event logistics, event budgets, event plans and event strategy.
- Control – Deciding who manages specific event aspects. Putting into motion the event planning from the coordination stage.
- Culmination – Event day! The corporate event managers job on an actual day to manage suppliers, visitors, staff and taking care of the front event corporate event management.
- Closing – Evaluation stage, closing out the event and reflecting. Returning and measuring the event against the event KPI’s.
Corporate Event Management Best Practices
Set SMART Goals
As part of all corporate event management strategy, you need to define event goals. Without event goals, you will be planning and executing an event with no clear objective or purpose. Set aside time with the events team and all other stakeholders to clearly identify the event goals.
Define your audience, create your SMART goals ensuring that they are specific, measurable, achievable, reachable and timely. An example of an event goal would be to increase event attendance by 20% across all online events in Q1. All goals need to be aligned across marketing and sales.
Use Event Management Software
There are plenty of moving parts when it comes to event planning, and it can be difficult to keep your head above water. Using an event management software to help plan, manage and execute your event is the first step to a successful corporate event.
Using an event management software for your corporate event management means you can automate your invitations and registrations and store and manage all your contacts information and confirmations in the one place.
Managing Contacts
You can also use your event management software to create databases and segment your data, so your event marketing is more targeted and effective. An event management platform will make it easy for you to edit and update your registrants on the go, helping you keep track of attendees on event day in a smooth and organised fashion.
Integrate with your CRM
Make sure your event management software integrates with your CRM so you can track your, your communications and campaigns. More on integration here.
Event Promotion
Corporate event management is strongly linked with the event marketers and promoters. This includes designing, creating your event assets (invitation, registration, website and landing page), event comms such as email marketing and offline and online advertising.
Email Marketing
Your event management platform will double up as your email marketing services. Use this to create your event assets such as your invitation and registration forms and segment your database based on location, interests, engagement rates. Each segment should follow its own campaign and trigger emails at certain times depending on their actions.
Social media
Alongside your email and event marketing to promote your event you should use social media and make use of hashtags. It’s important to plan your social media campaign in your event plan and discuss which social handle and hashtags you will be using, be sure to maintain uniformity when utilising social media for promotion. Include your social posts in a content calendar as part of your wider event plan.
Website and Landing Pages
Create a dedicated website or landing page for your event, this will be the primary touchpoint for your potential registrants. If you have a lot of time and resources on your side then setting up a dedicated branded website for your event would be great for brand and event exposure.
A landing page is a lot quicker and easier to set up than a website. Set up a landing page for each part of your registrant’s journey and include strong CTA’s inviting them to register. If you have several events or sessions, use your landing page to display your events to make
What is a Corporate Event Management Agency?
Corporate event management agencies take care of most of the tasks involved with planning and managing a corporate event, including (but not limited to):
- Organising event logistics (sourcing a venue, liaising with vendors, etc)
- Program development (coming up with event content)
- Organising entertainment and catering
- Marketing an event
- Managing event registration
- On-the-day event management (such as supplying a conference manager)
- Administrative tasks throughout pre-event planning to post-event reporting
If your company regularly runs corporate events, it may save you sweat and tears, in the long run, to outsource corporate event management to an agency that specialises in exactly that.
Looking for a corporate event management company in Australia? Here’s a list of some of the best-known agencies…
Corporate Event Management Agencies in Australia
Catalyst Event Solutions
Catalyst Event Solutions are a boutique corporate event management agency located in Sydney (they also have teams in Melbourne and Brisbane). They plan and manage events for associations, government, not for profits and corporate organisations.
Past client events include:
- The EEC Team National Conference
- Organising Committee Association National Conference
- Intensive Care – International Conference
- National Tourism Alliance – Gala Dinners
Liberty Events
Livert Events is an event management company located in Melbourne. They create, plan and execute corporate events – and not only in Melbourne, but Australia wide and even in the Asia Pacific region. They specialise in meetings, residentials conferences, roadshows, galas and more. They are used to managing large events with up to 1000 guests.
Past client events include:
- Melbourne Water – OzWater ‘19 conference
- Stockdale & Leggo – Annual Awards Gala Dinner
- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) – Annual Sales Conference & Gala dinner
Phoenix Creative Management
Phoenix Creative Management is an events and marketing agency based in Melbourne. They help to design and execute both your corporate event itself, and the marketing strategy needed to help your event reach its goals.
Past clients/events include:
- Soul & Wolf – NO/BS Conference
- AfterPay – Global Staff Conference
- Adopt Changa – Gala
Virtual Corporate Event Management
You might be reading this and scoffing at the idea of ‘sourcing a venue’ or ‘finding a caterer’, especially if you’re currently residing in an area with strict social distancing measures. Who knows when we may be able to hold large corporate conferences and galas, anyway?
The benefits of running corporate events still stand, regardless of whether you can hold your events face-to-face or not. 52% of respondents asked about the importance of events in their marketing strategy said that events drove more results than other marketing channels.
Don’t give up on corporate events just yet. You can continue to reap the ROI of holding events without breaking social restrictions. Consider managing your corporate events virtually.
We’ve done up a Virtual Event Management Handbook that you can check out for inspiration.
Powerful Event Management Software
Even if you’re holding your corporate event virtually, you can still save time and headaches by employing a corporate event management agency to look after much of the process for you.
Whilst holding an event virtually may not require tasks such as venue and vendor sourcing, it does pose other hurdles such as learning how to use video conferencing software, and knowing how best to manage and produce a live event on a virtual platform in order to still provide value to attendees.
These sorts of hurdles could be overcome by getting help from experts in the corporate event management space.
Planning a virtual event? Use our Virtual Event Planning Guide to help you and also Download our handy virtual event planning checklist.
Virtual Event Checklist
Planning a virtual event? Download our handy virtual event planning checklist.
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