Avoid These 8 Mistakes While Hosting a Corporate Event

 Hosting a corporate event can be exciting, but it is easy to make mistakes. While some mistakes are allowed in an event of large scale, some mistakes can paint a bad image for the company. Hence, if it is your first time planning an event, it is best to learn about these 8 common corporate event-planning mistakes and the solutions for them. But the best advice is to hire an experienced corporate event planner in India to take care of all the details and avoid any chance of mistakes. To help you avoid them, here is a list of the common corporate event-planning mistakes and how to fix them.

1. Ignoring the On-Site Experience

Make sure the event space is ready before the event. Check if the venue is big enough and has clean restrooms. Confirm that the seating arrangement allows people to see and hear clearly. Test the sound system and lighting beforehand to avoid last-minute glitches. A simple walk-through before the event can save you from many issues. 

It is best to look into multiple venue options and go through the past events hosted at those venues to choose the final one. This way you will know the venue has the capacity and experience of hosting an event of the scale you want to host. 

When your event is hybrid, it is commonly difficult to give equal attention to planning both online and offline parts. This is where a professional event planner comes in to make sure your event is a hit among all attendees.

2. Poor Guest Communication

Let your guests know about the event 4–6 weeks in advance. This gives them enough time to plan. Include all necessary details in the invitation — like the venue, timing, dress code, and agenda. You can post a countdown on your social media. But even then, do not assume everyone will follow your social handles. Use different channels to send reminders – emails, text and messages.

A week before the event, send a reminder email with a clear itinerary. Two days before, send a final reminder with parking details, entry instructions, and other updates. For any last-minute changes, notify your guests immediately through the fastest communication channel available.

3. Forgetting What Your Audience Wants

Your event itinerary should be planned according to your guests’ preferences and not just your own ideas. Research your audience to understand their interests, food preferences, and expectations. For professional events, it is best to choose activities that align with the audience’s goals. It could be networking opportunities or skill-building workshops - whatever your audience prefers. You can find this out simply through a pre-event survey form sent to them. People also like to interact through Q&A and live polls. 

Food is another area where you get plenty of room to be personal. Plan your menu to have diverse food options to accommodate dietary restrictions. Take a head count of attendees who prefer vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free meals and make sure you have enough arrangement for more than that. 

4. Running Out of Budget

Don’t plan an event without a proper budget. Start by listing every expense. It is recommended to start with the bigger expenses first – venue rental, catering, décor and then move on to entertainment, staff, and transportation. Add a buffer of at least 10–15% for unexpected costs. 

You will find many vendors for one single service. So its best not to rush and compare prices to avoid overspending. If you are struggling with vendor negotiations, Encore Events can help by connecting you with high-quality leads within your budgets. Our teams take care of the negotiations, contracts, and terms on your behalf to get you the best deal.

Prioritize essential items first and allocate funds accordingly. Track your expenses regularly to ensure you stay within budget. If you realize midway that you’re overspending, adjust non-essential elements like décor or extra services to cut costs. Always have a clear picture of where every dollar is going.

5. Rushing the Setup

Give yourself enough time to set up everything. You should start with enough time on hand especially if it is a large or complex setup. Assign tasks to a team so responsibilities are clear. Test all equipment, like projectors, microphones, and lighting, before guests arrive. Make sure signage, name tags, and other materials are ready and in place. Keep extra supplies like tape, scissors, and extension cords handy to deal with last-minute fixes. If possible, hire additional staff to assist with setup and avoid rushing at the last minute.

6. Choosing the Wrong Date

It is common to see companies hosting big events on holiday season as venue prices are usually cheaper then. But there is a loophole you need to avoid here. Avoid hosting events if there are other big events, holidays, festivals, or strikes on that day or week. Because this usually affects the participation and your event might not get the traction you want. 

Use an online calendar to spot potential conflicts. Avoid dates close to long weekends or busy travel seasons when people are likely to be unavailable. For international attendees, consider different time zones to ensure they can join. Lock in the date early and confirm it with all vendors and key participants to avoid scheduling issues later.

7. No Backup Plan

Every person who has planned an event before knows. Things can go wrong even in the best-planned events. There can be issues like bad weather, technical failures, sudden cancellations, route blockage, and so many things. Having a backup plan is important. If you are hosting outdoors, secure an indoor venue or rent tents in case of rain. Test all technology in advance, but also have backup equipment like extra microphones or a spare laptop. If catering runs late, prepare small snacks to keep guests happy. Sometimes, you might find guest your chief guest cancelling at the last moment. Have a backup list of speakers or performers ready to step in. The more scenarios you plan for, the easier it will be to handle unexpected problems.

8. Skipping Follow-Ups

After the event, thank your guests and ask for feedback. A personalized email or message saying ‘thank you for attending’ goes a long way. After your event, share highlights from it like photos or key takeaways on your social handles for them to look back and interact. This will also increase traction for the next big event you plan. 

Another step you cannot miss in a corporate event is to conduct a short survey to gather feedback on what they liked and what could be improved. This will come in handy to plan plan even better events in the future. Following up shows professionalism and paints a shiny picture for companies.

Conclusion

The best decision you can take is to hire a professional event planner in India with experience in corporate events of all sizes and kinds. Encore Events is one such sought-after name in the corporate event planning space in India with over 2000+ events executed and 500+ happy clients in the past 11 years.