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In this article, we’ll cover all of the different corporate events, their purpose, and a few ways to make them engaging and memorable for delegates.
Seminars
A seminar is a gathering of people that takes place to educate and share information around a specific topic. It is often described as somewhere between a lecture and a workshop as, while there are interactive opportunities within a seminar, they tend to take a more presentational format with pockets of discussion and debate across the duration.
How to make a seminar engaging?
Use icebreakers at the beginning of your seminar to warm up the audience, familiarise them with one another and introduce a topic. Utilise storytelling to make what you are presenting interesting and easy to understand. Ask questions and incorporate interactive elements throughout to keep your audience in the moment.
Conferences
Conferences are usually organised on a much larger scale than seminars, sometimes spanning a number of days. They are an opportunity to bring groups of people with a shared interest together. Throughout the course of a conference there may be seminars, talks, workshops, interactive stations, and activities arranged with the purpose of conveying messages or discussing a topic.
How to make a conference engaging?
Make your conference engaging by planning a robust itinerary, sourcing exciting event speakers, using technology throughout and offering interactive elements where possible. When your guests can get involved and hands on, they’re more likely to remain engaged, so maximise these opportunities when you see them.
Trade Shows
A trade show is an opportunity for organisations and businesses to exhibit their products and services. Trade shows are usually focused on a niche market in order to attract a specific audience.
How to make a trade show engaging?
If you are exhibiting at a trade show, think outside of the box for new ideas and ways to present your product or service. Interactive elements, such as virtual or augmented reality, can be very effective. As can allowing visitors to get hands on with a product and see it in action through demonstrations.
If you are organising a trade show, go beyond just seeking out organisations as exhibitors. You could ask a few leaders in the field to do a talk on a specific topic or hold one yourself!
Product Launch
Product launches are used to introduce a new product to the market in an exciting and dynamic way. They are usually aimed at retailers or potential customers and aim to ‘show off’ a new product or service and create a buzz around it.
How to make a product launch engaging?
Your main aim with a product launch is to make it exciting and get people talking about it. This starts way before the actual day of the product launch, so use social media and other advertising channels (such as an email marketing campaign) to create curiosity around your new product prior to launch.
On the day, let attendees get hands on and showcase the USPs of your new product in new and inventive ways.
Team Building
Team building is used to build relationships between team members and help them strengthen their skills to work together more effectively. The size and scale of team building can vary from small groups to company-wide events.
How to make team building engaging?
Team building is about so much more than just having fun. But that’s an important element too! In your planning, take into account the strengths and weaknesses of your team so you choose an activity that focuses on these. Ensure the objectives of the chosen activity are clear from the beginning and make it accessible to everyone so each and every person gets the most out of it.
Christmas Parties
Christmas parties are mainly a celebration and tend to be a bit less corporate than most corporate events. They are a chance to gather employees together, thank them for their hard work over the course of the year and let your hair down. Within reason of course!
How to make a Christmas party engaging?
Don’t make it all about work! Christmas parties are meant to be fun, so try and steer clear of getting too corporate throughout it. Let attendees be themselves, arrange for nice food and entertainment and encourage everyone to relax!
Networking Events
The purpose of a networking event is to build contacts within your industry, whether that be potential clients, customers, partners or employees.
How to make a networking event engaging?
Networking happens most effectively when people are relaxed. In these types of events, the human aspect is much more important than the corporate one, so give plenty of time and opportunities for attendees to chat and get to know each other. Don’t put too much pressure on people to present or push themselves out of their comfort zone. Instead, have a loose agenda that allows attendees to relax and feel comfortable.
Charity Events
Businesses use charity events to demonstrate how they are acting on their social responsibility. These can range from tournaments and competitions to concerts, golf days and gala dinners. The overall purpose of these is to raise money and awareness for a charity.
How to make charity events engaging?
With the key aim of a charity event being to raise money, be sure to organise an activity that gets people reaching into their pockets! Charity is all about being human and showing support to one another, so make this the key focus when you approach this type of corporate event.
Whatever form your corporate event takes and whatever you’re trying to achieve, making it enjoyable and memorable comes down to robust planning. No matter how large or small your event, in the planning stages you must ensure all your bases are covered, from the venue to transport and feedback.
And don’t forget to be creative! Many of us have attended corporate events and the traditional formats can sometimes feel a bit stale. So, shake things up where you can and do something unexpected.
If you need some support in planning your next corporate event, we can help! Our team is made up of a wide range of individuals with extensive experience in event planning. From bouncing around ideas to helping you make your event a smooth, enjoyable experience for everyone involved, we can take the pressure off you in the areas you need, allowing you more time to focus on other things. For more information, and an informal chat about your event, contact us today!
