Most Common Types of Corporate Events
Darryl Scotti 1 September 2018
Corporate events can range from sprawling conventions to small holiday office parties. Since there are many different types of corporate events, it can be hard to distinguish them. However, the basics of each corporate event are different and by understanding those basics, you can distinguish between different types of corporate events.
We have compiled a list of most common types of corporate events. We’ll highlight the purpose of each corporate event and essential planning details required for each event.
1. Seminars
Seminars provide an opportunity for individuals and companies that operate in the same niche to get together to network, share information and learn from the experience of one another. Seminars are generally more formal and the purpose is to educate the audience. Typically, one speaker addresses the audience and the audience stays at the same place throughout the event. Thus, seminars offer less variety and choice to attendees than other corporate events–like a conference–do.
2. Conferences
In conferences, industry professionals that operate within the same industry or sector get together to discuss business collaborations and opportunities and to learn from the experience of one another. Conferences provide an opportunity to business professionals to connect with other professionals and discuss their views on a specific top or theme. Usually, a keynote address by a guest speaker is featured at the start of the conference and after that, small breakout sessions take place.
Unlike seminars, attendees aren’t required to stay in the same place all the time and different lectures run in various venues simultaneously. Attendees are free to roam around and learn from different groups of professionals giving lectures and sharing their knowledge.
Conferences bring professionals from different places under one roof for a short time so that they can connect with one another and inspire the attendees. Professionals who may not directly contact or interact with one another may be brought together by a conference to share their experience and collaborate.
Conferences are large-scale events that can last for more than a day, therefore, more complex event planning is required to organize them. Airport transfers must be arranged, accommodation must be provided and arrangement for catering and coordinating guests must be made.
3. Trade Shows
Trade shows are large-scale corporate events that organizations attend for lead generation. Companies may also attend trade shows to connect with industry members, potential customers or suppliers and to establish their image as industry leaders.
For trade shows, event planning generally involves negotiating rates of sponsorship for booth space, promotion and advertisement at the show and making sure that staff, giveaways and promotional materials for the organization arrives on time at the event.
4. Team-Building Corporate Events
Team-building corporate events can be organized in-house or an outdoor venue can be chosen for them. The aim of team-building events is to boost employee morale, improve communication skills of employees and encourage them to collaborate and work together more efficiently. Team-building events should be entertaining and fun and should increase collaboration among employees.
Team-building corporate events can be anything that boosts teamwork and collaboration. Some team-building events that a company can organize for its employees include scavenger hunt, laser tags, kart racing, painting class, canoeing, and comedy show.
There are many event planners that can help you plan team-building events for your employees. The kind of games/activities that should be chosen for a team-building event depends on the type of skills that you want to foster among your employees. However, when planning a team-building event, you should keep in mind the common interests and fitness levels of your employees. You obviously wouldn’t want to take 40-year old executives for Kart Racing.
5. Appreciation Events
Appreciation events are corporate events geared towards employee appreciation or client appreciation. There are different types of appreciation corporate events that you can hold for your organization. These include day cruises, private parties, holiday parties, music festival, etc.
6. Executive Retreats
Executive retreats are getaways from unendurable seminars and hectic business meetings. This corporate event is usually held at luxury resorts. The top agendas of executive retreats include organizational planning and business development, but enjoyable activities are also included in the event.
Executive retreats are expensive corporate events and attention must be paid to lodging, transportation, site selection, catering and other event planning activities to successfully pull off these events. You should generally work with a professional event planner to plan executive retreats as requirements of this corporate event are much more complex than other events.
7. Product Launch Events
Product launch corporate events can be small internal meetings to inform employee about upcoming products or massive parties or shows geared towards creating buzz about the release of a new product among the media and customers. Businesses that produce and sell products to consumers usually hold product launch corporate events to promote their upcoming products.
A large product launch corporate event may begin with an interesting introduction to an upcoming product followed by a brief address from executives of the company.
Media coverage is essential for a product launch event to maximize its reach. You can offer bags and other giveaways to promote your product, invite celebrity guests or guest speakers and provide live entertainment to make the event more appealing.
8. Business Dinners
Business dinners are the simplest of corporate events and the aim of this event determines the duration and location of the dinner. For instance, if you are planning to discuss business strategy with your employees, it would be best to hold a dinner in the office. On the other hand, if you wish to discuss a business agenda with a client over dinner, the business dinner should be held at a restaurant. A corporate dinner can also be a team-building dinner where the aim is to increase collaboration and boost employee morale.
Business dinners are easy to plan and all you need to do is select a venue, organize transport (if the dinner isn’t held at the office) and choose a caterer who can provide delicious cuisines.
9. Golf Event
Golf is closely linked with the corporate culture. Many deals take place on the lush green golf course or over dinner in the dining room of the golf club. When planning a golf event to meet your clients, staff or suppliers, the objective should be to foster business relationship growth.
In a golf event, leisure activities should be included, but it should be ensured that these activities don’t lead you away from the main agenda of the corporate event.
10. Board and Shareholder meetings
Board meetings are an important part of any company’s yearly plan and communications strategy. These meetings provide an opportunity to the company’s board to discuss how the company has performed based on their previous strategies and enables them to make imperative decisions about future strategies. Business executives make big decisions that require approval of the board during these meetings.
Shareholder meetings are similar to board meetings and these meetings provide an opportunity to shareholders to acquire feedback on the performance of the company, strategic goals and future targets and strategies. Shareholder or board meetings can be bi-annual or annual and they are usually organized in-house.
11. Year-End Functions
Year-end functions and annual parties allow companies to show to their employees how much their loyal service and hard work throughout the year means to them. These functions are dedicated to employees and their purpose is to boost employee morale by making them realize that the company recognizes their hard work.
Year-end functions may be organized at luxurious venues and desirable locations. At this corporate event, special attention should be paid to entertainment to ensure that your employees can enjoy. Entertainment ideas for year-end functions include photo booths, comedy show, magic show, circus, rock band performance or casino party.
Do you see how various types of corporate events are different from one another? The purpose and the basics of each corporate event are distinct and there are specific planning details involved for each event. If you don’t have prior experience in planning these types of events, you won’t be able to successfully organize them for your company. Therefore, if you are planning to organize any corporate event, you should seek help from professional event planners who are skilled at planning all types of corporate events. Professional event planners can take care of all the planning details, including the venue selection, catering, transportation and entertainment.
If you want to hire a professional event planner for your event, contact The Great Event. Our professional event planners can organize all types of corporate events. Whether you want to boost employee morale through a team-building event or want to reward them with a year-end function, we can make all the arrangements to make your event successful.
Contact us today for your event planning.