Organizing a corporate event of any kind comes with a lot of pressure. But when the event will be held virtually? It can feel like even more pressure.
Many companies are looking to reduce the time employees are spending in the office after the COVID-19 pandemic. It saves money, creates a healthier workplace, and can reduce employee stress by minimizing commuting and other downsides of in-person work, such as the potential spread of illness. This means that many events are no longer being held in the office and organizers have to get creative if they want to host a successful corporate event.
So, how can you organize an event that gets everyone talking for the right reasons? Use these 5 tips.
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Create a Vision & Goal
One of the best ways to get started with planning a remote corporate event is to work backward. What is the goal of the event? Will it promote team-building, warm up leads, skill up employees, etc.?
Holding an event simply for the sake of holding an event isn’t typically worthwhile. You need a specific goal to create a vision for the event and use that to scaffold your agenda. For example, if your goal is to bring the team closer together, something fun like hosting a day of virtual games could be appropriate. For skilling up, you’d want to bring in effective trainers and teachers.
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Decide on the Event Type & Structure
Once you have a vision for your event, you’ll be able to decide on the event type and structure. Do you want to host an online retreat? A seminar/webinar? Think about your audience — what content delivery is most likely to engage them?
Your goals and vision will guide you in what makes sense for the event. An employee bonding event will look very different from a fundraiser, for instance. Choosing the right structure for the event will lay the groundwork for the planning process.
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Delegate & Oversee the Process
It’s important to realize that unless you’re organizing a very small event, more than one person will need to get involved. Although it requires a lot of trusts, one of the best ways to organize a great event without burning yourself out is to delegate tasks to different people and give them ownership.
Once you’ve handed off tasks to others, your own to-do list will be a lot smaller. You can oversee the process and make sure everything is on track as needed (just don’t hover!).
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Prepare for the Worst
Technology never seems to cooperate when you need it to. People get sick. Even with virtual events, things can go wrong. Having a plan B for potential problems can go a long way toward ensuring that your event will be successful.
Is Zoom not working? Switch to Google Meet. A speaker gets sick? Have a backup activity that doesn’t require much prep waiting to fill the space. While you can’t prepare for everything that might go wrong, having alternative plans ready to go will give you peace of mind and ensure a smooth event.
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Learn from the Experience
No event is going to be perfect. No matter how many events you organize and host, you’re likely to have a unique experience every single time. Use those experiences to improve your skills and better understand your audience. That way, each event will be better than the last.
Don’t Forget to Be Creative
Engaging people remotely can be difficult. It’s important to have interactive elements if possible to encourage people to engage with the event more fully.
Putting a creative spin on your events can help make them more memorable and effective in reaching your goals. For example, you could host a tasting party with a variety of treats sent out to participants in advance — then have them describe the tastes in the silliest way they can think of. Obviously, not all activities are suited to a remote event, but you’ve got more options than you might think.
Making an event a true success often means doing something a little unexpected. As long as you keep your goals at the top of the priority list and understand your audience, don’t be afraid to have a little bit of fun with it!
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