Corporate Event Planning: Is It Time Outsource?

Have you been tasked with planning the next annual sales conference?

Organizing a trade show?

Arranging a product launch party?

Shaping the next company annual retreat?

Whatever the purpose of your next corporate event, you know that planning is paramount.

Even the best laid plans can be prone to problems, but a less than perfect event plan will make problems inevitable.

Many people outside of the meeting planning world think that corporate event planning only involves picking a venue, choosing table linens, and finalizing menus.

We know event management is so much more than that. The time spent on negotiating hotel rates, securing room blocks, setting up group air flights and ground transportation, and event registration can be more than overwhelming.

Depending on the size of your corporate event, you may think that managing all the details yourself will give you greater control and save your company money.

So how do you know when to tackle your meeting planning on your own or when is it better to bring in some help?

Should You Manage Your Own Event?

Are you prepared to not only plan the entirety of your event but also ensure its success? Before you answer, ask yourself the following questions:

Should You Plan your Next Corporate Event?

Will the planning of this event put you or your team seriously behind on any other duties or projects?

Does your team have the experience and skill to facilitate every part of the event including (but not limited to) travel arrangement, hotel booking, equipment logistics, budget development, program management, venue coordination, event promotion, and registration?

Does your company have any established relationships with vendors to help negotiate the best prices?
Is your company prepared to handle any emergency situations that might arise both at the event and while your attendees are in transit?

Does your organization possess the tools and technology needed to not only successfully manage the event but also capture and report key measures of success?

Are there any other potential distractions or priorities you or your team might face that could jeopardize the success of the event?

If you are unable to confidently answer “yes” to all of questions above you might want to consider outsourcing your next event.

The Benefits of Outsourcing

It might seem intimidating at first to entrust your event planning to an outside agency. However, it’s important to know that corporate event planners design events to specifically match the requirements and requests of their clients.

In essence, outsourcing your event keeps you in creative control without having to worry about logistical nitty-gritty.

An event management agency can help you:

Save money: An event planner can (and will) leverage their industry expertise and partnerships to help you secure the best rates when it comes to hotel, air, dining, and more.

Coordinate attendees: An event planner will synchronize your attendee’s registrations, flights, and hotel reservations all under one roof through experienced service and state of the art technology.

Manage your budget: Corporate event managers and planners work within your budget and ensure that all expenses are accounted for.

Stay compliant: Corporate event planning agencies adapt to your industry specific requirements and also have the tools and resources to guarantee PCI DSS compliance.

Research venues: An experienced event coordinator will help you find a location that perfectly suits your company’s needs.

Respond to an emergency: Qualified meeting and event planning professionals will draft crisis response plans before an emergency occurs and often continue to monitor any potential threats to attendees both during the event and while they are in transit.

Measure actionable success: Event management companies use technology to track and report valuable data such as flights, hotel usage, attendance, costs, and more.

Most importantly, an event planner can help you save your most precious recourse: time. Keep in mind that any time you spend organizing your event is time taken away from other projects that could also be supporting your organization and your bottom line.

Considering outsourcing your next event?

Buflus Event planners are here to give you the level of event management you desire.

We can help by becoming an extension of your company’s meeting planning department or by filling the role of a meeting planner and managing your entire event.

Learn more about how Buflus Events Solutions can help you execute amazing meetings with proven cost-savings.