In most offices, there is at least one party or event a year. Whether it's to celebrate an employee's retirement, a successful year for the business, or a holiday party, most people in the office yawn or roll their eyes when they hear a corporate event is coming up. I've even heard people say things such as "Well, at least we can get out of work for a few hours."
But corporate events do not have to be boring. Here are some great tips to make your next corporate get-together memorable:
- Hire live entertainment. Just playing music from a CD is not enough to truly entertain your employees. A live band can get them dancing and enjoying themselves. To play it safe, choose a tribute act rather than an original band, because most likely a band that plays hits from the 80s would be enjoyed more than an original band playing music no one has ever heard before.
- Set up the room appropriately. If you're going to have speakers at the front of the room or behind a podium, make sure everyone in the room can clearly see the speaker, and make sure the sound system works properly so that even those in the back can hear what is being said.
- Try not to serve food during a presentation. As a general rule, it is very hard to compete with food. Try to avoid letting your audience have food while you are speaking, or while your entertainment is performing. If at all possible, serve dinner before or after the entertainment and/or presentation you are going to make.
- Anticipate technical problems. Make sure the entertainment has all their technical bases covered, and that whatever presentation you will make goes over smoothly. Without preparation you are almost guaranteed to have the microphones not working, or the band will need half an hour to sound check that you did not anticipate, or you will notice your overhead projections being out of focus. Plan ahead for these and make sure everything is working day before the event.
Above all, relax and try not to take on everything yourself! Most likely if you are planning a party for your business, you have employees that you can delegate certain tasks to. If you prepare properly and anticipate your guests' needs, your event is sure to be a hit rather than a typical corporate yawner.
Show the world your art!> 
Ran across your blog while searching for event planning tips. Great info. Thanks for sharing.
Ed
http://www.CarolinaEventPlanning.com
Posted by: Carolina Event Planning | May 08, 2007 at 07:35 PM