Hosting events, especially a formal one, can mean you have a lot of work to do. You have to find a list of potential venues and personally check them out. You have to think of details such as seasons, weather conditions, availability of your target guests — the list goes on.
But once you pull it off, all your efforts would be worth it. When done right, formal events can be fun. Here are four things you can do to pull off a successful event for you or your company.
1. Location is key
When it comes to formal events, choosing the ‘perfect’ location is the key for an enjoyable day or evening. You can choose a corporate event space in NYC and go with something that provides world-class space to hold your event.
You should also consider the time and day with the location that you might have in mind. Along with this, think about how easy or difficult it is to locate the venue. If all else fails, provide a map of the event location in your invitation.
2. Set your budget
Before you actually start on the planning of the whole event, consider your budget first. Some formal events have an open bar policy. Others provide guests with two free drinks. On the other hand, you can choose to provide guests with their free drinks and have them pay for any extra.
To be safe, it’s better that you specify the food and refreshments included in the event when you send your invitation. Something you would also have to consider is whether or not having your guests drink too much alcohol is something that you would like.
3. Decide on your mode of entertainment
While formal events can be formal, they also require a bit of entertainment. Some can do by playing songs on their iPods or hiring a DJ. But if you wish to do better, hiring a band or going with a string quartet would be good choices.
You can also up the fun and the entertainment by hiring a photographer on the event and including a photo booth so that guests will have mementos of themselves for the occasion. You also have to think about getting the right host for the event. This could make or break the entire program.
4. Plan the kind of media coverage to invite
No upscale event is complete without media outlets covering it. But just as important is the kind of media outlets present in your event.
You have to think about the brand the event is carrying and assess if you would want to associate it with a certain publication or influencer. Some people would argue that bad publicity is still good publicity, as long as you get the word out. This is no longer true.
In planning a formal event, setting up your goals is very important. This way, you will be able to plan your event well, set your budget, and specify targets that are measurable before the actual event happens.
