Are you charged with event planning for your company’s corporate conference? There’s more to creating a corporate event than booking the venue and selecting a menu, especially these days. Your employees and guests will have certain expectations and preferences you’ll need to consider. And to ensure your New York conference is a complete success, you’ll need to incorporate these key elements into your event planning strategy.
1. Comfortable and Inviting Spaces
Don’t just book a New York venue for your corporate conference; find the space that offers every comfort and inviting convenience. Consider more than just the headcount accommodations and budget. Explore these additional venue aspects to choose the best-fit spaces for your event:
- Parking and Ease of Access
- Comfortable Seating
- Lighting Elements
- First Impressions
- Design Aesthetics
- In-House Assistance and Support
2. Breakout Session Areas
Whatever you program your corporate event is following, learning, presentations, or celebratory, make sure you create smaller, more intimate networking spaces within your venue. Breakout sessions are proven to be more effective with learning and networking. And these spaces will encourage employees and guests to mingle and socialize without the added pressure of an oversized audience or group setting.
3. Brilliant Speakers and Presenters
Most of today’s corporate conferences include stage presentations or at least emcee-guided materials. To really make your event the most engaging and valuable to the attendees, be selective about bringing in the most brilliant speakers and personalities. These elements of your conference will set the tone for the event itself. And choosing a mediocre or bland presentation format without top-notch or inspirational and motivating personalities will only bore your crowds.
4. Thrilling Entertainment
Don’t make your New York conference all work and no play. Today’s in-person events, even those rooted in work or company-related themes, still need some element of entertainment. Consider bringing in the DJ or live band. Hire the magician, the mentalist, or the comedian for break time performances. Introduce the arts or other entertaining aesthetics that bring smiles to your guests’ faces, even if they’re expected to be working.
5. Delicious Meals and Snacks
Don’t let your guests go hungry. Spend some time outlining the perfect meal service, paying special attention to guest meal preferences. Provide snacks, healthy and otherwise. Keep the beverages flowing, including the caffeinated varieties. You can elevate these food and beverage experiences, too, with specialized stations for desserts, espressos, or main courses.
6. Hybrid Virtual Connections
Today’s company events almost always include a virtual audience component. Connect those attendees who can’t be there in person with robust virtual meeting capabilities. Include participation channels, too, so those who aren’t in the room can still feel a part of the conversations. Broaden your event reach with hybrid versatility and be sure everyone within the organization has a chance to experience the engagement.
7. High-Quality AV Technology
You can’t pull off any kind of event presentation or training without all the right audiovisual technology. Nothing spells disaster like a dead mic or crackling speaker. And if your attendees can’t feel immersed in the stage presenter’s discussion, they’re not going to absorb the knowledge you need them to either. Consider bringing in professionals to help set up all the audiovisual components you need to create the perfect acoustics, lighting, visual aids, and presentations.
These elements are essential for event planning and executing a flawless corporate conference. If you’re still feeling overwhelmed, let the professionals at EMRG Media take the reins! We have decades of experience in planning top-rated New York conferences, corporate conferences, product launches, brand events, and company meetings. Let us help you make yours sensational this year!
