Dine founder Daniel Gill knows good hospitality and is a perfectionist when it comes to delivery for our clients. Daniel was trained by Prue Leith and then by exclusive catering company Mustard, with clients including leading blue-chip companies, the US embassy and the British Royal Family, Daniel has a deep understanding of how to make your corporate event work for you. We asked him to give us his 5 mistakes people make when planning a corporate event.
Corporate events should have a clear aim
Are you seeking to build connections? To attract new clients? To say thank you to your existing ones? Failure to understand the purpose of your corporate event means you are much more likely to choose the wrong format for your event. It’s very easy to roll out the same tired format thinking that it is what people expect.
By working out what you want to achieve, you can better target the right guest list and create an event that will deliver to those targets. Who, what, where, what menu, what timings? It’s all crucial.
We’ve seen wine tasting dinners, Ready Steady Cook events, Countryside activities, Venetian balls… make your event different from the crowd and not only will you attract more of your target guests but they’ll be more likely to remember your company.
Don’t rush planning your corporate event
Corporate events are so often planned in a short time scale- due to fitting in with budgets, or business requirements, for example- but the longer you have to plan your event the better. You will have the pick of suppliers- whether that’s the ultimate speaker for your conference, or the wow venue for your awards dinner, these things book up months in advance. Plus, planning a corporate event that will get everyone talking requires those little details that can make all the difference.
Of course, we’re used to delivering amazing events for several hundred at extremely short notice – but book ahead and give our Event Managers the chance to do what they do best: perfect the details where the difference between a good event and a really exceptional one lie.
Corporate events need the right venue
Your guests will have numerous invitations on their desk that promise to cut into valuable family time. The boring ones will go in the bin, so make yours stand out. That budget hotel next to the motorway may be convenient, but does anyone look forward to visiting? No.
Choose an interesting and exciting venue to compliment the tone of your event and bring the decision makers through the door.
Don’t stick to the same guest list
It’s safe but dull to see the same folk at the opening of every envelope. Why not mix things up a little?
Try expanding your guest list to include trusted individuals who can be useful to your clients without necessarily directly benefitting you. They’ll remember the referral next time it comes to placing business, plus, new faces keep the conversation flowing and the mood light.
Don’t choose the wrong team
Rolling out the same Christmas Party year on year? Is another turkey dinner really what your guests want? How about an oxygen bar and creative bowl food for a standout seasonal soiree?
If you want your marketing budget to deliver, be careful to employ someone who knows how to make that happen and who will deliver a striking result. At Dine we are ideas people, and will make your event unforgettable for the right reasons.
