Shedding New Light on Corporate Event Planning

by: corporatejacks

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Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 Time: 9:59 AM - 0 comments

The best of intentions do not always guarantee the desired results, as any event planner knows. Those who are entrusted with corporate event planning have not only an agenda of business items to attend to, but the entertainment of the staff as well. Perhaps to some this may not be the top priority as compared to the significance of the scheduled meetings, yet the opportunity exists to improve staff morale and foster new energy into the company’s future undertakings.

How and when to use corporate entertainment at annual conferences is a definite skill, if not an art form. A combination of office manager, concierge, and entertainment director is required to ensure a successful event, not only for the business at hand but for the reaffirmation of the staff’s commitment to the goals of the company.

For instance, some envision corporate event planning as a strictly hour-by-hour schedule. This will take care of any seminars and meetings that need to take place, but will leave a general aura of “a day at the office” in the minds of staff and management alike. Many planners make the mistake of trying to schedule fun time as if they were scheduling employee work quotas.

Instead, a full agenda of meetings can be scheduled around one or two special events that are presented as fully separate and equally important parts of the conference. Even if one of the special events is a “come-as-you-are” informal dinner party, the fact that it is a unique part of the event calendar will receive a vote of appreciation from all concerned.

Another trick of corporate event planning is to bring fresh ideas to the table. One of the more recent ideas in corporate entertainment that is extremely popular is the inclusion of a casino-style evening. This can be a fun and relaxing way for each and every member of the organization to let go of some of the pressure of the day and have a lively time to boot.

Casino nights can also be a valuable tool in the event planner’s bag of tricks. Not only will the staff and management be guaranteed an unusual and thrilling evening’s entertainment, they can also strengthen their commitment to the organization as well as hone their team building skills – all achieved transparently by management.

This happens as a result of competing against the roulette wheel or the blackjack dealer. Although this is usually seen as an individual battle against the “house”, the spirit of camaraderie will spark up when one or the other staff members start beating the odds and running up a pile of chips in the process. The cheers around a winner’s table will boost the morale of any group, and especially a group of co-workers who will find new reasons to support one another’s efforts, be it at a craps table or around a conference table.

The idea that corporate event planning has to be an overwhelming and unwelcome task is no longer true. There are so many avenues available in corporate entertainment, such as a casino night, that can attend to business as well as the needs of the staff with one flick of the magic wand.