Have you been assigned to organizing the next annual sales conference? Organizing an exhibition? Setting up a product launch party? Designing the next company annual retreat? Whatever the objective of your next corporate event, you know that planning is critical. Even the very best-laid plans can be susceptible to problems, but a less than perfect event planning will make problems inevitable.
Lots of people outside of the meeting planning world believe that corporate event planning only includes choosing a venue, selecting table linens, and finalizing food menus. We understand that event management is so much more than that. The time invested in negotiating hotel prices, getting room blocks, booking group air flights and ground transportation, and event registration can be more than overwhelming.
Depending upon the size of your corporate event, you may feel that handling all the details yourself will provide you better control and save your company money. So how do you know when to deal with your meeting planning by yourself or when is it better to get some help?
Can You Manage Your Own Event?
Are you ready to not only organize the entirety of your event but also ensure its success? Before you respond, ask yourself the following questions:
Will the planning of this particular event put you or your team actually behind on any other responsibilities or projects?
Does your team have the experience and capability to assist in every part of the event including (but not limited to) traveling arrangement, accommodation booking, equipment logistics, budget formulation, program management, venue coordination, event marketing, and registration?
Does your company have any well-established connections with vendors to help bargain the best prices?
Is your company trained to deal with any emergency situations that might develop both at the event and while your participants are in transit?
Does your company have the tools and technology required to not only successfully handle the event but also monitor and report vital measures of success?
Are there some other potential disturbances or priorities you or your team might face that could endanger the success of the event?
If you are not able to confidently answer “yes” to all of the questions above, you might need to consider outsourcing your next corporate event
The Benefits of Outsourcing
It might seem frightening initially to delegate your event planning to an outside agency. Though, it’s necessary to know that corporate event planners craft events to especially match the requirements and requests of their customers. Basically, outsourcing your corporate event keeps you in creative control without having to bother about the logistical nitty-gritty.
An event management agency can help you:
Save money: An event organizer can (and will) utilize their industry knowledge and connections to help you secure the best prices when it comes down to hotels, flights, dining, and more.
Coordinate guests: An event organizer will synchronize your guest’s registrations, airline flights, and hotel bookings all under one roof through professional service and cutting-edge technology.
Manage your budget: Corporate event planners and managers work within your budget and make sure that all spending is accounted for.
Stay compliant: Corporate event planning agencies adjust to your industry-specific demands
Research venues: An experienced event planner will help you choose a location that completely suits your company’s needs.
Handle an emergency: Experienced event and meeting planning experts will prepare crisis response strategies before an emergency takes place and often continue to monitor any potential threats to guests both during the corporate event and while they are in transit.
Measure actionable success: Event management companies use modern technology to monitor and report important data like airline flights, hotel usage, attendance, expenses, and much more.
Most notably, an event planner can help you save your most valuable resource: time. Remember that any time you invest in arranging your event is time taken away from other tasks that could also be supporting your company and your bottom line.
The Final Call
Eventually, you have the final decision on whether you should outsource the planning of your next corporate event. It is also worth noting that outsourcing your corporate event is not an all or nothing decision. Many times outside agencies can support or supplement existing in-house coordination.
If you are confident in your capability to plan and organize your own event there are benefits to facilitating an event in-house. Though, if you have any doubts about your ability to successfully handle all parts of an event from beginning to end considering the services of a trusted and professional corporate event management agency could be more than worthwhile.
Considering outsourcing your next event?
Corporate Compass meeting planners are here to offer you the level of event management you need. We can really help by becoming an extension of your company’s meeting planning division or by filling the role of a meeting planner and managing your whole event. Find out more about how Corporate Compass’s Meetings and Events Solutions can help you plan amazing meetings with proven cost-savings.