There are very few phrases that sound stuffier and more uninviting than “corporate event.” However, call it what you want: a business meet-up, a team hang-out session, or anything else. They are vitally important to helping create the inter-team relationships that foster good communication and cooperation in the workplace. But how do you make sure that they’re organized in the right way and carried out effectively?
Know your budget ahead of time
The costs of accomodating and ensuring that the needs of a whole team are taken care of can be expensive. If you don’t start right by budgeting before you start spending, you can find your big event lacking some pretty basic elements. Software such as https://www.planningpod.com/event-budget-manager.cfm can help you make sure that you put the important part of budgeting ahead of the spending.
Make sure the right people are organizing it
One of the most important things in organizing a company event well is having experience in organizing one before. From choosing the right location to dealing with transport, catering, accommodation, and more, it’s easy to underestimate the complexity of even ensuring your team’s most practical needs. If you have no-one on your team who has experience or knows the location, then services like https://www.mtievents.com/event-and-meeting-services/kc-destination-management-company/ can be very helpful. Having that taken care of for you allows you to focus on other aspects of the event, too.
Choose activities that they will actually enjoy
Company events are a great opportunity to invest some time into building the sense of camaraderie that your team needs. However, team-building exercises are often looked at with derision because they have a reputation for being particularly un-fun. Look at some recommendations like https://info.totalwellnesshealth.com/blog/6-team-building-ideas-that-your-employees-will-actually-like to make sure that, at the very least, you’re not making people hate the event thanks to poorly thought out team-building exercises.
Be Time Conscious
Timing is essential in every business meetup. You need to ensure that you observe time and everything goes to plan as scheduled. Have the organizing team hand out a schedule and plan in time for everyone to prepare beforehand.
You can also incorporate technology and use different apps and software to keep you in check with all you are supposed to do. Recurring Appointment Reminders will help you keep in mind what you need to do and the deadlines for the activities. Ensure that you properly document each activity to avoid disappointments.
Use it to give employees a voice
These corporate get-togethers are a great excuse to look over the past year of work, to celebrate what has been done, and to look forward to what to do in the future. However, don’t make it entirely about the business’s needs. Give the attending members of the team the opportunity to speak about what they want, as well. If you want your team invested in the business and the event, you have to show you’re invested in them, too.
Look back on it
When the event is done, make sure that you reach out to every team member who attended. You can send a company-wide email looking at some of the highlights of the event, as well as takeaways to apply to their work from this point on. There’s nothing quite as effective at making someone feel like their time was appreciated like a few freebies, too.
Don’t forget to gather feedback from every corporate hangout or business meet-up you organize. The best way to make sure that your employees are getting what they need from them is to ask them directly, so don’t neglect it.
