As an event organiser, it’s important to consider corporate event etiquette to ensure that the event you are delivering is well-thought-out, has a respectful atmosphere, is a safe environment, and uses quality staging and production.
Whether you’re organising a conference, gala dinner, product launch, exhibition or trade show, experts from event specialists AYRE Event Solutions delve into the top ten etiquette tips organisers should consider for their next corporate event:
1. Health and safety procedures
As an event organiser, one of the most important things you can do for your attendees is ensure you have the correct health and safety procedures in place. To do this, carrying out a risk assessment should be a top priority once you’ve chosen your venue. This will help you highlight the safety requirements needed for the event. This could include potential fire hazards, medical assistance requirements, and risks from heavy equipment.
2. Covid-19 policies
Although there have been changes to Covid-19 legalisation in the UK, ensuring Coronavirus policies are in place at an event might make attendees feel that little bit safer, even if they do feel comfortable socialising. This includes incorporating hand sanitisation stations throughout the venue, providing optional masks upon arrival, and clear messaging at the venue that encourages attendees to leave the event if they feel like they are carrying Covid-19 symptoms.
3. Offer a virtual option
Even though some corporate event attendees will feel comfortable socialising close to others, some won’t. Therefore, it’s important to consider offering a virtual streaming option for those who would find the event valuable but have hesitations to attend in person.
4. Consider capacity
To ensure a corporate event has a good atmosphere, it must be safe. Organisers should consider the number of people attending, what this means for the size of their venue, and ultimately, the event’s staging. Considering this will make sure that the venue doesn’t feel too big or too small and that production will have the intended impact.
5. Have plenty of staff
Whether you’re planning a small or large corporate event, organisers need to ensure the event is well-staffed. In doing this, attendees will feel comfortable that they are being looked after correctly and if they have any questions or concerns, sufficient staff are available to help.
Organisers and venues have a responsibility to make sure their staff have everything they need to deliver the best experience possible. This includes ensuring they clearly understand the event itself, the venue layout, and health and safety procedures.
6. A clear map of the venue
Making sure a clear map of the venue is visible throughout the event is essential for attendees and anyone working at the venue. For example, if attendees are visiting an exhibition, a map of the venue would be required to ensure they know which stalls they would like to visit.
For other corporate events, it would be etiquette to provide a map of the venue to ensure all attendees and staff are aware of fire exits, toilets, food and drink stalls, and breakout rooms, making for a seamless and worry-free experience.
7. Engaging speakers or activities
Depending on the event, it’s likely that there will be speakers attending the event to talk about particular topics. With this in mind, organisers must choose appropriate and engaging speakers to make the attendees feel like their attendance has been worthwhile. Do your research into who the qualified to be speaking about certain topics. Can you access video reels of their previous talks? If so, it’s worthwhile reviewing to see if they would suit your audience before booking.
8. Take staging seriously
Attendees turn up to events expecting the best, and if they’ve paid their hard-earned money to do this, organisers should make sure they’re giving that to them. One of the ways to do this is to ensure that the production is top tier. From lighting and audio to visual effects and staging, the event solutions should be carefully considered so that not only the goals of the event are being met, but that guests experience the ‘wow’ factor.
9. Offer a clear timetable
Offering a timetable is not only crucial for guests so they have a clear understanding of how the event will play out, but it’s important for the production team so they knowf how long-proposed talks, presentations, or awards will take. This will help the whole event run smoothly.
10. Create breakout rooms
Corporate events can be tiring! Especially if they last a full day or even a weekend. Most corporate events will offer attendees breakout rooms to give them some time to take everything in that they’ve learnt. Ensure these are accessible by all guests and they are suitably placed in the venues to allow for refreshments to be consumed and for toilet breaks to be taken by guests without having to travel to the other side of the venue.
Managing director of AYRE Event Solutions, Chris Ayre, adds: “We’ve attended so many corporate events over the years, providing event solutions and support to organisers and venues. We’ve seen first-hand what goes into a successful event to ensure attendees feel like they are being treated respectfully, which ultimately ensures they have an excellent and seamless experience.
“There are so many types of corporate events out there, but the top ten corporate event etiquette tips above are vital for the success of any event. If attendees feel like their needs are being catered for and are getting value from an event, then the event organisers have done a good job.”
