Frequently Asked Questions

Conference vs Summit: What’s the Difference?

Updated: July 17, 2023

There’s a chance that you have read in the news or on social media about a particular summit or conference. Often, more than once per year, global attention is shunned towards well-known summits that see political dignitaries join from all over the world to discuss pressing matters, including social, political, economical, and environmental issues.

In the most basic definition, it’s best conceived that a summit can be considered a meeting between different heads of government, who usually gather to resolve an issue or discuss the same topic. On the other end of the spectrum, a conference is a formal gathering that discusses several topics of interest and usually involves businesses or corporate executives.

Though these definitions are used interchangeably, it’s important to consider that there is still a significant difference between what each of them aims to achieve, and the people that attend them.

Summit Meeting Definition

According to an official definition by The Britannica Dictionary, a summit can be defined as

a “meeting or series of meetings between the leaders of two or more governments.” More so, a summit can also be considered the collaboration of leaders to help resolve global issues through a series of discussions and meetings.

We often see a summit being held each year to help tackle several important issues. In more recent times, summits related to climate change and environmental policy have received more media attention as global citizens look to the government to resolve the ongoing climate crisis.

What’s a Conference

When looking up what a conference stands to be, it becomes clear that although both summit and conference are used interchangeably, there are some differences between each of these gatherings.

A conference, in this case, focuses on bringing different people from several organizations together to discuss a specific case, either finance, marketing, or even corporate governance. In more use cases than usual, a conference can be held on an annual or bi-annual basis and helps to inform attendees about a specific topic.

It’s also possible to see a conference as networking events that provides business development and professional opinions to help foster new ideas and develop techniques that could be used for solving problems.

Typically corporate companies and multinational firms will host a conference, bringing together different organizational leaders and creating an opportunity for them to network and establish relationships with other working professionals. Even though a conference is not as widely known as a summit, it’s still a formal event that sees several high-profile attendees.

Check Out Difference Between Symposiums, Workshops, Conferences, Summits, Seminars and Webinars?:

Summit vs Conference: A More Detailed Look

Now that we have a basic idea of what each of these gatherings is and who attends them, we can take a deep look into the different characteristics and objectives each of these events will have.

Though both may discuss a certain topic, it’s often clear that the outcomes or objectives thereof will be different in the near and long term.

Topics and Objectives

Starting off, here’s a look at the type of topics one might be discussing at a summit:

Climate change
Geopolitical tension
World poverty
Economic prosperity.

Ultimately, in the long run, the aim or objective of a summit would be:

To establish a shared opinion and vision about the road forward.
Finding imperatives that could change.
Helping to establish guidelines for future decision-making.
Bringing about improved relationships among political heads of state and national governments.
Trying to establish a course of direction that can be followed by all involved members or states.

There is an abundance of different themes that can be discussed at conferences, some include:

Healthcare
Market dynamics
Consumer and customer experience
Leadership
Marketing
Sales and increased profits
Food, consumables
Gaming and technology

These are only among some of the most popular conference topics today, and the list has been growing over the last few years as technology and digital tools have made it easier to give conferences better marketplace exposure. Conference topics may have a narrow focus, but during break-out panels, professionals will have a common interest related to services and business agendas.

Develop measurable goals that can be achieved by those organizations involved in the conference.
Establish a common or shared opinion regarding a specific topic.
Helping to inform shareholders and attendees about possible changes or developments.
Clearly indicating a forward-looking strategy that helps to motivate and encourage attendees.
Share valuable resources and information that will make a near and long-term impact.
Help to facilitate the overarching decision-making process.

Check Out Climate Change to Market Dynamics: Difference of Summits and Conferences:

Audience

Those that attend either a summit or conference will often hold a similar position in their respective organization or industry. Though attendees can range across the board, they are still considered high-level management that aims to resolve issues and find solutions based on their goals and objectives.

A summit generally involves a head of state, such as a president, prime minister, royalty, or any departmental head that will help make a difference within their respective area of expertise. Think of the COP27 Climate Summit which sees world leaders from some of the most developed economies come together to discuss environmental policy and climate change initiatives.

On the other hand, conferences see a lot more people coming from upper and middle management in a big company, corporation, or multinational firm. Typically these will include executives, founders, owners, board of directors, and the odd politician or two.

The audience makes all the difference here, seeing as those that do end up attending either a summit or a conference will be left with a responsibility to implement change and be a driving force of improvement for either the general public or the company itself.

Style

There is no denying that each of these events will be slightly more formal and that the audience will often be individuals who are respected in their line of work.

Summits are not only for discussing ideas but to help find possible and workable solutions. Typically the style of conversation will be high-level, with most of the attendees having a strong understanding and working knowledge of the problem.

Additionally, with summits, there tend to be no break-out panel discussions as with a conference. That means that all of the attendees, including guest speakers and hosts, will attend all of the different sessions instead of having break-out discussions.

The same is almost true for conferences, but in this case, attendees have the option of joining in several different break-out panel discussions that often go more in-depth on the topic. These panel discussions will also be led by experts in their field or industry leaders.

The style of conversation at a conference may often be less formal than what you can expect at a summit, yet there is still a large percentage of the discussion being led by high-level topics and informative conversations.

Though the styles may differ, they tend to share a similar element that allows attendees to debate on a specific topic. Although a public debate can be an intimidating experience, these conversations and interactions are monitored, and controlled by a leader or head speaker.

At a conference, there are certainly a lot of debates that take place, and executives are often placed under the spotlight to answer some hard-hitting questions to the audience. Depending on the type of conference, there may be break-out panel debates or debates in a controlled environment with a larger audience.

Conference: Things to Do

With conferences being more directed towards businesses and large-scale organizations, this is often the perfect opportunity to network and build a strong contact list of influential individuals.

While it’s possible to get the best conference experience by putting yourself into difficult situations, such as talking to business and thought leaders, it’s also advised to follow some pointers on what you can do to make the conference more worthwhile.

Bring Business Cards

As outdated as it may seem, business cards remain one of the best ways to share your contact details in real-time with interested professionals. Not only this, but it enables one to leave a small memento in the hands of potential business clients and other like-minded individuals.

Business cards should always be professionally designed, with the company name or your name at the front. Additionally, make sure to include the necessary contact information and also where you may be located in case you have a physical address.

Finally, if you want to make an impression, ensure to include your title, rank, or position. Often, business executives will clearly state their rank in a company to ensure clients and other professionals will remember who they are working and interacting with.

Take Notes

At first, it may seem as if you’re only attending a conference to network with professionals, but in reality, it can be more than that. Taking notes during the conference helps you bring some of the information and knowledge back to your company.

Although there are instances where brochures or information packages are provided after the conference, it’s best advised to write down some important pointers in case you may have any questions or topics you’d like to circle back to at a later stage.

Listen

A hard skill for many, but in these environments where a lot of useful and important information is being openly shared, it’s always best to have an attentive attitude to make sure you pick up on things other people might have missed.

While everyone is attending the same conference, not everyone is listening for the same pieces of information. This means that if you’re going to learn more about a specific topic, chances are that someone else is going to improve their already existing knowledge.

Be sure to listen throughout most of the discussions, and write down some follow-up questions or queries you may have. You don’t want to stand up in front of a crowd of people to ask a question, only to realize it’s off-topic or not related to what is being discussed.

Network

Ever heard of the saying, ‘it’s about who you know, not what you know?’

In the fast-paced world of business, networking will help you build a contact list of high-profile individuals that can help you with certain projects in the near future.

Networking has become a vital tool for any person looking to advance their career or build relationships with important and influential people. Putting yourself in stressful and uncomfortable positions will help you learn how to work with people and also ensures that you can utilize their influence when the time is right.

Networking with the right people will help open new doors and opportunities, and at a conference where there is a nearly endless amount of like-minded professionals, you should start learning how to be more punctual in starting and keeping a conversation with strangers.

Summit: Things to Do

Seeing as a summit might be more formal and include several important political dignitaries, it’s best to know what to expect and how you should carry yourself throughout the entire event.

Understand the Summit Discussion

A good place to start is to educate yourself on the topics that will be discussed at the summit. Although it’s highly unlikely that you will find yourself at a summit where you don’t already have some form of knowledge related to the topic of discussion, it’s considered a plus if you know more than the average attendee.

Make time to read through the notes that are handed out before and during the summit meeting so that you can form a hard-hitting question that will receive the necessary answer.

Pay Attention

This forms part of actively listening to the discussions being held, as most of the information that is being shared will help drive bigger and more important micro-discussions down the road.

Be sure that during the summit, you pay attention to what the topics are and how thought leaders are addressing the issue. Consider their approach to the problem or issue at hand and how they will be looking to achieve certain objectives.

It’s good to attend the summit with an open mind, as this allows you to draw a personal opinion once the summit has come to a close. Make sure that although you are going into the situation with an open mind, you’re still in a state where you can have a firm argument and opinion, regardless of which side of the political aisle you may be sitting on.

Connect as a Team

If you may be attending a summit as part of a group or team, make sure that every member of the team is well-connected and is able to represent either your company or organization without the need for additional guidance.

Connecting as a team allows individual members to carry on conversations with dignitaries while also having a similar or shared opinion.

On top of this, when you can connect as a team, it’s possible to have more micro discussions after the summit has ended. This way, it’s possible to compile different points of interest and information to deliver a final briefing. Consider the last part of the summit as a steady debriefing of what you and your team are going to do going forward and how you will be addressing issues with the information and knowledge you’ve garnered at the summit.

Attend the Workshops and Discussions

It’s one thing to attend either the opening ceremony, but it’s often more important to join in on the conversations that take place in workshops or group discussions. Although these settings are more intimate and require you to pay attention to the topic and what is being said, they can help to drive the argument in a specific direction.

Be sure that you attend the workshops or discussions that you are interested in, and that you have signed up for any smaller group meetings that might take place throughout the summit. Be open to learning, but also, take the time to foster a new argument or opinion about a specific topic.

How to Get the Most Out of a Conference

To make sure your attendance at a conference was successful, here are some useful tips we’d recommend.

Go to learn and improve your knowledge.
Take the time you need to become comfortable with other professionals.
Be ready to network and build new relationships.
Ensure that you have read through the brief, or have been briefed by another colleague.
Have a social and charismatic attitude, as this is more welcoming to others.
Talk to speakers.
Be ready to socialize with different people at social events.
Come prepared with questions.
Be professional, but take the time to relax and have fun.
Make sure that you get the information you want from the right people.
Always write down important contact details.

FAQs

What Are the 5 C’s of Event Management?

Concept, coordination, control, closeout, and culmination.

What Is a Formal Meeting Called?

Depending on the business or organizational structure, a formal meeting can be called a committee meeting, council meeting, board meeting, or congressional hearing.

What Are Informal Meetings Called?

In the corporate and political ecosystem, an informal meeting is often known as an impromptu meeting or an ad-hoc meeting.

What Are the Two Types of Conferences?

– A seminar will generally discuss a particular topic with a smaller group of attendees.
– A symposium is a more casual gathering or event that connects like-minded professionals more socially.

Final Thoughts

It’s best practice to ensure you are well informed about the difference between a conference and a summit; although these two events or gatherings are often used interchangeably, some significant elements make up the final delivery of each.

For the most part, the takeaway is that a summit can be considered a highly formal gathering of political dignitaries that discuss global events and topics. A conference on the other hand is also still a formal event but is more focused on bringing like-minded professionals together and creating a platform for them to network and foster relationships.

Kelly Murphy

PRESIDENT & FOUNDER

Certified Meeting planner with 20+ years of event management experience, founder of ConferenceSource, expert in meeting facility sourcing & contracting in North America, Europe, South America and Asia. Kelly will manage your budget as if they were her own, negotiating the best possible rate and hotel contract to benefit and protect every client and exceed all expectations for all planning aspects for sales meetings, educational meetings, product launches, incentive trips down to a small board of directors meeting. We make meetings easy understanding your meeting objectives and delivering meeting matched components.

Need Help Planning Your Next Corporate Event or Meeting?

Boosting Moral & Productivity: Tips In Designing An Effective Incentive Travel Programs

Updated: July 17, 2023

Payments for hard work, creative thinking, and problem-solving can differ for every company. Specific reimbursement will motivate and push team members to work harder based on the payment incentive.

Travel incentive is when a corporate company gives an all-expenses paid trip to a certain individual or group. These incentives are a different way to pay the team for their hard work and show them that their work is being recognized. Paying staff in this way can ensure that the individual gets the necessary rest and enjoyment of seeing a new location, covered by the business.

Companies can use these incentive travel programs in multiple different ways, but the aim is always the same. Not only do they want to reimburse individuals for what they have done, but also give them the time to take a breath, discover more, and come back refreshed with new ideas and creativity.

What Is An Incentive Travel Program?

These are programs set out to reward staff members and employees with an all-expenses paid trip to a certain destination. Some of the incentives include paying for the whole family or spouse, while others only cover the employee.

Companies will use these incentives instead of rewarding the team members with a financial reward. These programs can be used for individuals or groups and can include a few days of work, while the remaining days can be used for rest and exploring.

There are various incentive travel programs, some having a full itinerary while other programs, provide a destination and all expenses paid, but it is up to the employee to decide what they want to do and see at these specific locations.

Deciding on a reward system can be a difficult task. A specific group of employees prefers a cash reward such as bonuses while others promote travel programs or extra days off. These different programs can make it difficult for companies to ensure that they provide an incentive that is suitable for every employee.

Converting to a incentive travel program can benefit your company in multiple ways and these benefits can leave all your employees energized, motivated, and excited about where they can go next.

Check Out What Is Incentive Travel Program & Does It Work?:

Pros & Cons of Travel Incentive Programs

Pros of A Travel Incentive

Productivity and Healthy Competition among Staff Members

Competition is the drive behind many companies. This advantage can also be used as a drive within the company. The corporation can use travel programs to ensure that members work hard intending to obtain the ultimate free trip to a specific holiday location.

Healthy competition will push the members of the company to work harder to obtain that advantage over others to win the big prize. This will also lead to staff members being more productive and focusing on the tasks that will give them the lead over other employees.

These incentive travel programs rewards will motivate staff members to use the time they have on their hands to work on each goal set by the corporation, which will inevitably lead to these members obtaining the reward of a free holiday.

Boost Employee Morale

Working without being recognized other than a financial payment can be demeaning and will lead some employees to feel invaluable. Moreover, most employees work at their most productive and peak level when there is external motivation.

By opening up the floor to a travel program employees can see that hard work will and can pay off, on more than just the financial side. This will boost the morale in the office because people will start to push the teams they work with to reach their goals quicker and with better solutions.

With team incentive trips, the group will help individuals to ensure that the whole team reaches the goal and in the end achieve the reward of a travel incentive.

Flexibility and Adjustability

Not every person enjoys the great outdoors or the snowy side of America. Some individuals love spending time indoors or walking through old buildings and beautiful museums.

Companies can consider this and adjust the location based on the employee that received the reward. This will ensure that the employee receiving the travel program can rest, recoup and reenergize on the trip, which will allow them to come back to the office, well-rested and motivated to work on the next goals.

Employee Availability and Retention

Employees competing for the reward program will ensure that they work a certain amount of hours to establish their competitive advantage. This will lead them to be available for work more often, focusing on staying in the lead and winning the incentive.

Staff members will tend to stay longer at a company to work on achieving the ultimate goal of the travel incentive program. This will assist the company in retaining its employees for longer, and to an extent investing more time and energy into them so that they can help grow the company.

Increase Sales and Profits

Travel incentive programs are a great way to raise profits and increase sales. The employees will work harder and smarter to achieve their goals more quickly. And this will lead to the company’s boost in sales.

These incentive travels can increase the company’s profit even as it will cost the company money to pay for all the expenses that are connected to the traveling program.

Cons of a Travel Incentive

Taking Strong Employees Out of Action

Rewards can cost a company money, while a travel incentive can cost have a bigger impact than just finances. It can cost the company sales and profits.

By taking one of the key role players in a sales team out of the system, the company can lose the weekly profit of its strongest players. This can leave clients with poor customer service, or other staff members not having the strength to close deals like the star employee.

Lack of Budget or Spending on Incentive Programs

Providing a travel incentive when the company is making big profits is one thing, however, the problems start to rise as the corporation goes through a slump and the rewards are at a minimum.

Companies can commit to a set amount of incentive rewards and only later discover that there are no funds to fully cover these trips. This can lead to demotivated staff members which can lead them to be sluggish or depart from the job.

Planning and Scheduling

The entire concept behind a travel incentive program is that employees can enjoy a program that is fully financed with an itinerary for what they can and need to do.

The itinerary must be completed by another member of the company. This can take up to several hours to dot out and plan, which leads to another hire or delegating it to other staff that does not necessarily have it in their job description.

Cheating and Crockery to Get What They Want

Competition can bring out the worst in some candidates. These competitors will fight and cheat their way to the top without feeling shameful about their actions. This can lead to chaotic and unfair competition which will reward the wrong employee.

Miss Aligned Motivation

Motivation can be a key part of obtaining a productive day. Employees tend to work harder if they are fighting for a cause or facing a deadline. Competitions can lead to employees only focusing on obtaining the reward and not tuning into what the company goals, values, and driving forces are.

Examples of Incentive Travel Program From Incentive Travel Solutions

There are multiple ways of rewarding employees for the hard work and goals they achieve. These incentives can other than capital gain, and can exceptionally motivate the staff members.

International Incentive

These programs are trips that are fully paid for to a specific location that will be decided by the company. This incentive will allow the employee to discover a different country and location without needing to contribute to the trip.

Choosing an international location can pinch the employee’s curiosity with the desire to discover and experience a different culture and location than what they are used to. These locations are not part of the employee’s regular holiday destination.

Local Traveling Incentive Program

Not all competitors have the curiosity to experience a different culture or international location. Some of these competitors love their own countries. Corporations can add local locations to the incentive program to motivate individuals that loves local traveling and want to visit locations in their own country.

These will be locations that not all locals get to experience due to a lack of free time, or even funds to travel halfway across their own country. This incentive makes it easy for the individual receiving these incentives to explore experiences that they have desired to see.

Check Out the Fundamentals of an Incentive Travel Program:

Common Incentive Travel Destinations

According to Brightspot, their locations are the ultimate options for a travel incentive program. These locations can be international or locally based. The main focus is to treat the staff with a trip based on a location that they have never been, to or would not pay to see on their own.

Here are specific international destinations that will leave any employee speechless.

Sorrento, Italy

This small town based on the Almafi coast of Italy is a great location for a high-achieving member of any business. Some of the fun activities to do in and around Sorrento are visiting the old town, the Marina Grande, and the Piazza Tasso.

Portugal

Portugal is one of the more affordable countries to visit. This location has various beaches, festivals, and easily accessible towns to visit. It is also known for its’s liveliness and enthusiastic locals.

Prague

This architectural phenomenon leaves travelers in awe with all the beautifully built and designed chapels, cathedrals, and cellars. Prague will leave all music lovers satisfied with the wide range available. The adventurer can enjoy parks and nature hikes in the natural landscape that Prague presents.

Ireland

The country of Ireland is well known for its beautiful natural landscape, lively cities, and fascinating castles. This county is rich with history and the size will allow visitors to explore every part of it in one trip.

Tips For Designing An Effective Corporate Travel Incentive Program

Get Suggestions From Your Staff

Planning an incentive program for a location that none of the competitors find attractive is a lifeless goal. The employees will have no motivation to reap the reward. Rather ask the staff members of specific locations and set up incentive programs based on those suggestions.

This will enrich the team, as they will feel validated and as a result of their opinions now have a goal to obtain.

Know The Objectives Of Your Program

Enterprises can miss their main objectives when zooming in on the rewards and programs that will motivate their staff. These companies need to first state why they are rewarding individuals or teams with incentive programs, and sole focus on the objective at hand. Some objectives can be to ensure bigger profit, raise team morale or gain more sales.

Prepare Clear Guidelines

Preparing an itinerary plays a key role in the program. This allows the winning competition to know exactly where they will be going, what they can do, and how much and the exact products the company pays for.

Clear guidelines need to be presented with the reward to ensure that the candidate can prepare and spend the company money on the correct services and products, such as taxis and hotels or food and leisure activities. The employee can spend all the allocated money on leisure activities and end up stranded due to insufficient funds.

Some first-time travelers need clear indications of where to go, what to pay for, and how to get around in a foreign location or country. By providing these guidelines, the company can prevent overspending and traveler safety.

Consult Travel Experts

Consulting an expert in a field to ensure that the company knows how to gain the most without paying for all of it is a great way to make traveling incentives a viable option. These experts can provide the corporation with detail that will influence the destination choice and money allocations.

Travel experts can provide the company with cheaper flight options, free or less expensive leisure activities that the competitors will enjoy, and local hotels or locations that are a steal to stay at. These experts know the local hangout spaces and can provide the company with amazing sights to experience as a first-time traveler.

Look At Different Vendors

Do not use the first option that arises. Companies can take the time to search for vendors that will provide a good service that will take care of all the planning and services. Taking care of the employees should be the priority and all vendors should know that. Ensure that you spend the money on the best vendor.

Negotiate

Not every part of the trip or location should be set in stone. Corporate companies should leave a distance to ensure that negotiation can take place. Do not sign or accept set plans far ahead of the traveling date. Circumstances can change and the important task can arise which needs prior attention.

Stick To The Budget

Set a budget and stick to it. Employees must stick to the budget to ensure that the trips do not cost an additional amount to cover for a lack of planning or execution. If companies and employees do not stick to the budget, the forthcoming programs can be canceled to pay for the current traveling plan. Provide a strict budget and stick with it.

Offer a Wide Range of Choices

Provide more than one option for the travel incentive program. The enterprise can formulate multiple options in which the winning candidate can choose the location that they want to travel to. This will allow companies to touch all competitors and team interests.

Some candidates may have experienced a certain location before the program, thus not peaking their interest. This can lead to candidates not competing, and demotivating other staff. Companies can counter this by providing various options for traveling programs and locations.

Make The Program Appealing To A Diverse Group of Employees

Choose a location that offers a wide range of different activities. Not all individuals enjoy the same activities on a holiday. Some enjoy long beach days, while hiking or sightseeing might be more enjoyable to others. These different activities can motivate staff members to participate and work towards receiving traveling incentives.

Emphasize Overall Experience

Creating a beautiful picture by emphasizing more than just the big exciting locations can play a crucial part in motivating employees. Express everything on the itinerary and explaining every possible part will ensure that there are no false ideas about what to expect.

If the staff members know exactly what they will experience, their motivation to obtain it can grow. Traveling can come with a few bumps and ensuring that everyone knows that will set an expectation.

Provide Support

Out of sight out of mind is not the best way to provide support to employees on a traveling incentive. These individuals are traveling on the company account. So regular check-ins to ensure they are safe and enjoying the trip can add value to the current and future trips and programs.

Broaden Perspectives of Employees

Traveling and experiencing divergent cultures is a quick way to broaden a tourist perspective. These travel incentives will teach travelers that people think and live in different ways, some drastically different from them.

Employees will come back after an incentive program, with certain experiences that will broaden their way of thinking. This is extremely beneficial to the company because the employees will start to address problems with a broader perspective.

Utilize Personal Experiences and Endorsements of Employees

Companies can use the personal experiences of the employees to decide on travel locations and endorsements. Once an employee had a good or bad experience, the company can take these experiences to plan a better trip.

Provide Non-travel Options

Traveling can be a stressful experience and some individuals prefer to stay at home where they know everything. Providing non-traveling options will motivate the individuals that prefer to stay at home with options such as financial benefits, extra off days, or a breakaway weekend in the city they stay in, which can be just as motivational as a trip to a foreign country.

What Are Other Options Beside Traveling?

Other options besides traveling are firstly financial benefits. Instead of providing a free trip, companies can provide a cash bonus incentive where the employees receive a certain amount of money for their hard work.

Using extra days as an incentive program. Secondly, companies can allow a few extra days off instead of a traveling incentive. This will motivate some individuals because they can spend more time with their families and friends, which they might not see on a regular base.

Lastly hotel incentive programs. This refers to companies providing incentives such as retirement programs, mentoring programs, or allowing flexible working hours.

FAQs

What Are Examples of Hotel Employee Incentive Programs?

Providing incentives such as a retirement plan, flexible working hours, or career and personal development are strong examples of hotel incentive programs.

What Is The Best Sales Incentive Trip?

The best sales trip is the one where a company has asked the employees to provide input on where to go, and what they want to see and experience. Ensuring that there are different activities for every personality will provide a great sales incentive trip for anyone.

Are Noncash Incentive Rewards Most Effective Motivators?

Noncash incentives are a more effective way to motivate employees. Tapping into the emotional aspect of the employee and providing more value on paper than a financial check, is a more effective way of motivation.

Final Thoughts

Incentives are an effective way to motivate employees to reach the goals that the corporation set for their teams. These programs show employees that they are valuable. Companies should use more than one incentive program to ensure that the whole team, which is full of different personalities, can chase the incentives and goals without excluding anyone.

Kelly Murphy

PRESIDENT & FOUNDER

Need Help Planning Your Next Corporate Event or Meeting?

Going Virtual: Weighing the Benefits and Drawbacks of Online Events

Updated: July 15, 2023

With the drastic change that the online presence has brought, companies just like individuals need to adapt and change their approach to marketing and live events. Is it still necessary to run live corporate events or can organizations move and adapt to an online virtual meeting?

The pros outweigh the cons when it comes to virtual events. Not only can these events reach more people, but is more cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and can be watched or followed any time of the day, right across the world.

Corporate events have been used for multiple different reasons such as marketing, spreading new information, or advising and helping clients all across the world. With these events moving online certain pros and cons have a wider effect on not just the individuals attending but also the environment and online servers that need to provide this platform for these corporate events.

Benefits of Virtual Events

Cost-effectiveness

Live corporate event prices are rarely the only reason why clients decide to deter from attending them. Most clients need to travel, book accommodation and pay for transport and food for numerous employees to attend these conferences.

However, with the live conferences moving to an online platform companies can spend money on the entrance for their employees without weighing any of the other expenses racking up the bill.

Corporate companies are saving the bulk of their expenses by not needing to pay for multiple venues or sound at these venues and can save money on food preparation, multiple sound teams, rentals, and staff to maintain and entertain all the guests and clients that are attending.

Increased Accessibility

Accessing the right people can be a struggle for big corporate companies. These institutions take pride in marketing and advertising to the people that need their products or services the most.

These online events give corporate companies a wider and further reach than ever before. They can now add clients from across the globe to their live events by simply inviting them. And these clients are accessing the live event with one click, from anywhere in the world.

Increased Reach and Audience

Inclusion is part of live events. Individuals can take part in many activities or seminars by simply being present. With online event meetings, this is even more so. Clients and attendees can join by simply clicking a link that will take them exactly where they want to be.

Online conferences take away the stress of long queues and seating arrangements. This also allows the attendees to be in the right place at the right time. Clients and customers can come in and leave as they please without disturbing anyone.

Flexibility and Convenience

One-location events can cause substantial inconvenience for clients that need to travel or make arrangements to attend. This is where online events add some of the most value to their customers and attendees.

Corporate clients can attend these live events without leaving their homes. They can watch, follow and participate in the comfort of their own home office. Customers have the flexibility to attend important meetings while having time for their personal or other professional matters that could occur at the same time as the virtual event.

Environmental Benefits

Virtual events can have a colossal impact on more than just one environmental area. The main area will be the energy it cost to run an entire live event. This ranges from the fuel airplanes and cars used to commute all the clients to the corporate event.

Simple things such as paper waste and the amount of rubbish that needs to be taken into consideration can have an immense impact on the environment. With online events, corporations can start replacing paper with online documents. This will save physical space, paper waste, and the loss of documents we can save a substantial amount of energy.

By simply moving to online events, corporate companies can lower their carbon footprint and drive others to follow to ensure a cleaner planet.

Check Out What Are The Pros & Cons of Virtual Event: Explained:

Cons of Virtual Events

As with all things, with pros, there will be cons. Live conferences are no different from that perspective.

Lack of in-person Interaction

Feeling the energy and atmosphere of a live event is one of the most thrilling feelings that drive individuals to this event. The lack of in-person interaction can lead to a plummet in numbers.

Some clients use live events to connect and interact with people from different backgrounds and occupational fields. However, online events take away the opportunity to network with different individuals. Bridging the gap between in-person meetings the online meeting can leave some customers feeling a void that is not worth attending.

Technical Difficulties

Connection errors can be extremely frustrating for clients when they are in an online meeting. These issues can distort information that needs to be communicated to the team or client. If both parties do have a technical team on board it can be resolved in quick succession.

Moreover, most clients, customers, and event attendees do not have access to a technician close by. This can lead to information that is crucial for both parties to go unheard. Even more, technical difficulties can cause a lack of valuable input from some clients due to microphones or video problems.

Difficulty in Networking

The great advantage of having online events is the reach it gives companies, however, most companies do not take into consideration the service and network providers that their customers use. Some countries struggle with power outages, while others face problems such as network issues.

These clients struggle to connect to the server itself and sometimes miss a great length of the event purely based on a bad connection and network errors. These problems can cause clients to leave events early or equally not be able to join the conference due to networking difficulties.

Difficulty in Recreating the Atmosphere of In-person Events

Loud music is playing, and a group of people singing and clapping their hands. Free merchandise and all things connected to live events are some of the few reasons why people attend these events.

Replicating the atmosphere and energy that clients feel at a live event can be a challenge. Companies struggle to incorporate the feeling of excitement into their events, and this can leave customers avoiding or not taking in crucial information due to their lack of energy and diversion of attention.

Having a set location for an in-person event leads people to concentrate and focus on a deeper level. While online events allow people to sign in from home sounds incredible, the household duties and family members might steal some attention away from these conferences due to their mere presence.

Potential for Fatigue and Burnout

With online meetings at the fingertips of any corporation, manager, and staff member, they can happen any time during work hours. Some events can occur after hours when clients are at home. Although these opportunities are present, they can leave individuals tired.

Burnouts are skyrocketing in all businesses. Having online meetings around the clock leaves clients with a lack of rest. Some meetings will be compulsory and individuals on leave will be forced to sign in and take part due to the importance of these meetings.

Thus leaving most individuals on the spectrum of burnout and feeling fatigued on a regular base.

Summary of the Pros and Cons of Virtual Events

There are multiple reasons to embrace online events. They are not only more cost-effective but reduce environmental issues such as paper waste and energy usage.

These conferences can also be attended by more clients all over the world, and by simply clicking a button they can access different information from the event.

These events do come at a cost. Technical and networking issues can lead multiple individuals to feel frustrated. These issues can lead clients to leave early or not add any of their valuable information and knowledge to these meetings.

Some events can be long or happen at inconvenient times which can push some employees and attendees to burn out or feel fatigued, moreover with the lack of the live event hype and energy, these employees can see these events as normal uninteresting, energy-sucking events.

Tips on How To Make Virtual Events More Successful

To start with, companies can focus on providing solutions to all the cons previously mentioned. These solutions can lead employees and clients to enjoy virtual events just as much as live events.

Corporations can start by allowing attendees to engage on social media. By allowing all the individuals on a platform where they can ask questions, or say share insightful knowledge these corporate bodies can improve their online events.

Another suggestion by Forbes is to focus on your attendees. Simply understanding what these individuals want to hear at these conferences can drastically improve the numbers at their events.

Companies can also focus on not over-extending attendees’ attention span, to ensure that all the information shared is taken in.

Lastly, another way to improve any online event is to allow camera access and open Q&A with breakout rooms. Let all attendees feel heard by allowing them to ask questions.

Allowing camera access to see the faces also gives each attendee the feeling of being there. Which will also limit distractions due to their camera being on. Break-out rooms also leave space for attendees to converse over the information and obtain a complete understanding.

Check Out How To Host a Virtual Event: Tips for the Most Profitable Events Online:

Future of Virtual Events

There is a bright future for virtual events. Even without the live event hype and energy, virtual events can have a greater impact on the way corporate companies see meetings.

With easy accessibility and the spreading of information, virtual conferences can aid in more meetings than live events.

Corporate companies can gain input from individuals halfway across the world, and grow their meetings by allowing the right individuals to access it, with one click of a button.

FAQs

Why People Should Attend Online Events?

These events are easily accessible and can be attended without much effort. With all the information still being provided while sitting on the other side of the world. Obtain all the benefits of live events while sitting in the comfort of your house or office.

Final Thoughts

Virtual events are the way forward and corporate companies can not only enhance their reach but also have a greater impact with and through these events.

By adapting to the online era companies can move their business forward by simply allowing more people to attend their events. This can be done by saving money and time simply by the use of virtual events.

Kelly Murphy

PRESIDENT & FOUNDER

Need Help Planning Your Next Corporate Event or Meeting?

How to Be an Event Planner: From Beginner to Pro

Updated: July 11, 2023

Events are one of the companies’ best methods to access their customers directly. Events will provide any company with the platform to present and display the information they know the customer, attendees, and clients need.

Hosting a successful event involves planning, employee contributions, and an event planner. Many ask how to be an event planner, and this question has a complex answer. Event planners have a passion for planning and directing successful events; thus, having the necessary skills will allow the individual to take pride in creating any event.

Becoming an event planner can be a long process, and individuals will have to learn and grow through every mistake they make in planning and hosting events. The key, however, is to understand the process and use the stepping stones within the events industry to reach the top of the ranks, ensuring a successful event planning job.

Are Event Planners in High Demand?

Event professionals have so much to offer to social events and corporate event planning. These planning teams can use their skills and resources to bring an idea to life. Companies only see an event planner’s benefits once they use these services.

This lack of information will decrease the demand for an event planner, which will cause the planner or the planning company to work on their approach to marketing and advertising their services.

There are two main types of planners that many individuals will move into. The first planner will solely focus on social events, while the other aims to plan corporate events. These two event types can be intertwined. The key, however, is to design a specific kind of event successfully.

Planners for Social Events

Social events professionals have the amazing opportunity to build and create an event to use social gatherings. There are many social events, and planners are responsible for creating a party that will fulfill the goals of the owner of the event.

Social events can come in many forms. The most popular social events are birthday parties, weddings, anniversaries, birthday parties, engagement parties, bridal and baby showers, or holiday parties. Themes accompany these parties and client base specific ideas. Thus, clear communication and direction will assist the planner in running a successful event.

Planners for Corporate Events

Corporate events will have an entirely different feel and atmosphere around them. The corporate conference aims to educate, inform or solve specific problems within an industry. The planner will have to create an event that suits the attendees and meet every goal and objective of the client proposal. These events will take longer to plan and organize, as the stakes are higher than a social event.

Conferences, meetings, team building, product launches, and seminars are all popular corporate events that meeting planners must be able to plan. These events will provide the platform for corporations to advertise, communicate and inform their customers, clients, and potential attendees with the correct information and detail on the leading problems and products within the events industry.

How to Become an Event Planner?

There are various ways to become an event planner. The road looks different to every individual that wants to become an event planner. However, determining the stepping stones to becoming an event planner is key. The stepping stones are qualifications, valuable experience, and education. By overcoming these three barriers, any individual can become a world-class planner.

What Kind of Education Do You Need To Be an Event Planner?

No college degree requirements must be achieved before anyone can become an event organizer, and education should be pursued. Individuals can use a bachelor’s degree in marketing, finance, or any other relevant field within the event planning industry.

The aim should be to enhance the event planning skills and knowledge in specific areas within the event management scheme to ensure that the individual can use their expertise to assist and guide the hosting company or group.

Be Certified

Continued growth and building up expertise will be part of the journey to becoming one of the best in the events industry. There are multiple options for certification that individuals can pursue. The organizer must identify areas where they are uncomfortable or have no knowledge and obtain a certificate of completion. This will allow the organizer to grow their knowledge and build experience opportunities in every field of the event management industry.

Certificate programs in budgeting or communication to strengthen the weaker aspects will allow the planner to learn and grow rapidly. However, The new knowledge must be tested as quickly as possible to ensure the return on investment in the certificate program is as high as possible.

Get Experience & Build Your Portfolio

Experience will be the key to success, and this will be the area that will provide any future clients with the necessary information on whether the team and planner will be able to plan the corporate event. The portfolio summarizes all past events that the organizer arranged and ran.

The portfolio is a wall of testimonies of outstanding accomplishments and events that align with the possibilities the organizer wants to run in the future. Event planning experience is one of the critical focus points within the event industry. Companies want to identify a planner that has already created an event similar to theirs, and the portfolio will provide them with precisely that.

What Skills Must Event Planners Have?

Every industry requires its type of skills. The event-organizing sector is the same. Specific event planning skills will provide planners with the platform to deal with all the challenges that will surface within planning events.

The very first skill that professional event planners must develop is communication skills. This skill is the foundation of the successful career that individuals can create in the event planning business. Event organizers constantly talk, communicate, and advise many people around them. Thus, strong communication skills will allow the individual to precisely direct, explain, and communicate the needs and progress.

Organizing is another key skill that all planners need. This will be accompanied by leadership and management. The planner must be able to create a system that displays the event’s tasks, objectives, and goals. The planner must organize and delegate multiple tasks to ensure that every part of the event can be completed. Leadership and management will accompany this skill. These event planning skills will be used to manage the teams and lead them in what must be done.

Budgeting is of utmost importance. This skill will portray where the company will spend its finances. A budget will give the hosting company a clear layout of what and why the money is spent. This will allow the rest of the team to work according to the guidelines to prevent overspending. This skill will ensure the event finances will dry at any event planning stage.

Problem-solving and decision-making will save the event organizer a lot of time. The planner must solve many problems throughout the event’s planning. This skill will allow the organizer to use creative methods of finding new solutions to recurring problems. The decision-making process will assist the planner in making quick and direct decisions, not lingering too long, and saving time and energy.

There are many more skills that event planners can focus on, and those mentioned above are the essential skills that will lay the foundation for to rest of the skills. Thus focusing on developing and building these skills will assist the planner in multiple ways.

Check Out 6 Skills to Become a Great Event Planner:

Free Resources For Event Planners

The internet is a fantastic tool; event planners can use this source to build and create the skills and information they lack. These sources are accessible and can be accessed by any event planner worldwide. The key, however, is to find reliable sources that will provide the planner with accurate and knowledgeable data.

Resumes

A resume is a document that provides companies with information on the event planner. Event planners will have to send this document to event managers, and in the document, there will be personal and professional information about the candidate.

The first bit of information in the resume will be based on the planner, such as the name, surname, date of birth other identification information. The second part of the resume will be an educational and credible document to display the courses and studies the planner finished. Skills and additional essential planning information will be ideal in this area.

The individual can portray their work in the last part of the resume. This will be an event that they have planned and organized to date. The individual can use this area to display the goals and direction they want to pursue as an event planner. This will allow the company to see whether the individual wants to grow with the company.

The resume is a document that will be used before any interviews. The individual will have to provide companies or clients with as much information as possible without bombarding them with unnecessary and boring information. Finding the balance will take time and research. Thus, using online documents to assist will be of great benefit.

Interviews

Interviews can be studied and improved throughout the career of the event planner. This part of the planner’s career will stay the same, no matter what event the company or individual has in mind. The planner will have to sit in an interview to assure the hiring company that this is the right choice.

The planner can study many interviews online to ensure they have the right mindset and strategy to obtain the company as a client. The discussion will have multiple client questionnaires and queries about the standard, capacity, and skills of the event planner and their team. The hiring team can identify whether the two parties can work together by providing the best answers.

There is information on the internet that will provide the planner with specific frequently asked questions to prepare. The planner can use other types and traits such as attire and tone of voice to ensure they are professional and knowledgeable throughout the interview.

Checklists

The checklist will give the planner an easy-to-follow lineup to ensure they complete all the tasks and objectives necessary to run a successful event. Lists will have tasks and goals to complete before a particular time or date, setting the foundation for the next task.

These checklists can be for every part of the event. A checklist can be created online to ensure that the entire team can see and follow the direction and tasks that must be done throughout the event.

What You Need to Know Before You Start An Event Planner Career

An event planner career sounds perfect for those who love creating and running events. However, there are specific aspects to consider that will determine whether any individual will become an event planner.

Balance Your Logistical Knowledge and Creative Production

The key to a long and successful event-planning career is obtaining new information and solving problems creatively. The planner will have to collect data, goals, and other information from the hosting company to create the perfect event according to their desires.

A pharmaceutical meeting planner, for instance, must build and create a meeting that will suit the company. The goals and objectives must be clearly stated and followed to ensure a successful event. The meeting planner will have to follow a pharmaceutical meeting strategy that suits the logistical information that the company provides.

Establish Connections & Networks

Connection and networking opportunities are part of a planner’s everyday life. These individuals will meet new companies, vendors, and sponsors daily. By building a strong network, the planner will have multiple options for different requirements.

A simple example comes in the form of event venue hire. A strong network will allow the planner to determine the type of event they are creating and decide on the best venue their network provides. Some venues will be smaller and only focus on conferences, while other venues are more extensive and can be used to host a reward ceremony. A great network will allow the planning team to determine the best option for each event style in every area of the event.

Know What an Event Planner Does

Event organizers is a broad term. These individuals must fulfill multiple tasks and objectives before receiving a pat on the back for running a successful event. The first task these individuals face is meeting an event’s prospective clients. The individual will have to sit through interviews that will allow them to turn potential clients into definite customers.

After the team was on board, the planning started. The event planner must find and acquire all the logistics that will be part of the event. These logistics include event goals, type of event, target audience, and other information regarding the event. After acquiring the information, the planner must create checklists and start finishing tasks.

If a company requests a product launch, the planner must find all the necessary information, documents, and vendors to suit the event. The planner can use online tips and tricks to ensure they host the same event the company wants to host. Tips and tricks for a successful pharmaceutical product launch are examples of these resources that will guide the event planner.

The planner will organize the entire event and manage multiple teams while creating the perfect event. The planner must be present on the event day to ensure that the meeting runs according to the plan.

After the event, the planner must provide feedback through post-meeting evaluations combining the personal experience and the attendee’s experience with the hosting company. This will allow the team to improve their strategy and direction for all future events. After the feedback, the event can be seen as done, and the planner can set their eyes on the next event.

Plan Your Career Path

There are multiple career paths to choose from within event planning. Individuals can decide between the type of events and between planning and coordinating an event. The individual must complete thorough research to find the perfect direction that fits their plan.

Choose Your Focus Sector

Firstly the planner must focus on becoming a coordinator or a planner. The responsibilities and tasks between a planner and coordinator differ, and determining the direction will significantly benefit the planner.

There are two main types of event planner: social planning and corporate event planning. Individuals must determine whether they want to host and plan social events or work with big corporate companies planning and running meetings throughout their careers. The individual can decide on a specific sector within these events, such as wedding planners or baby shower planners for social events. Options like conferences, team-building, or product launch events are open within corporate event planning.

FAQs

What Are The Seven Stages of Event Planning

The first step is identifying and clarifying clear goals for the event. After that, the planner must create a budget with the customer to ensure that the financial support can carry the entire planning of the event. The planner will decide on a solid team to work with them. Stages four and five of the event planning will be to create a plan and determine the venue and vendors. Branding and advertisement must be designed to draw the attendees. After the entire event, a feedback form must be completed, as this concludes the seven-stage process.

Is Event Planning A Skill?

Event planning is not a set skill; it is a combination of various skills that will ensure the planning and creation of a successful event. Event managers within the event industry all have a set amount of skills to plan virtual and hybrid or in-person events. The corporate event planner will be able to create a custom event according to the client’s goals, which is a great skill.

How To Promote Yourself As An Event Planner

The individual must create a great resume with the best qualifications. After that, they must network and connect with as many event companies as possible. Have a strong personality that will be attractive to other companies. Be up to date with the news and resources for the industry and attend as many seminars and meetings as possible. Talking to the hosts and leading companies within the sector might produce an excellent opening for an upcoming planner. Build the portfolio to ensure that it displays the previous success of the individual.

How To Run A Successful Event

The focus should be on identifying the meeting goals after setting a budget and following these guidelines to create a successful event. The team must advertise and attract the attendees through a marketing strategy and advertisement, which will build on the success and goals that the company sets.

Final Thoughts

Event planning can be a brutal occupation with planning, people management, and problem-solving. The main problem is that companies need to see the need for this skill set. Planning organizations must start by displaying and advertising their skills as a necessity for successful virtual events or in-person events.

These individuals and teams have a set group of skills and will use them to benefit the customer. Thus, allowing them to assist the company will greatly help both parties. However, individuals must continuously grow and develop their skills and portfolio to ensure that they set the standard and create successful events throughout their careers in event planning.

Kelly Murphy

PRESIDENT & FOUNDER

Need Help Planning Your Next Corporate Event or Meeting?

Decoding Event Planning: What Is An Event Planner?

Updated: July 11, 2023

With the growing popularity of events, many companies are changing and adapting their strategies to include various events in their event planning for the year. The planning, however, can add a particular burden to the internal team.

The key to this problem is the services of an event planner. Many might ask: “What is an event planner?” An event manager is an individual or team that plans, creates, and builds an event from the ground up. These teams plan and organize the event according to the business’s goals and objectives.

Event planners have the difficult task of bringing an idea to life. Companies will hire these individuals or teams to plan an entire event for the company. The main reason for these services is to reduce the stress and planning time for the company’s employees. The event organizer will have the expertise and knowledge to build an event that will fulfill all the company’s objectives.

What Is It Like To Work As An Event Planner?

Many perceive event planners as the individuals that direct and order all employees around to ensure that others do the assigned tasks. The fact is not true. Event planners run the back office of the entire event. The organizer will have to communicate, plan and solve multiple problems that might exist.

The planner must have the character to work under pressure. The planner must assemble a team with the skills to create and build a company’s vision for the event. The planner will work hard over long periods of time to make the ideal event through event logistics.

The event planners must do many tasks and objectives that must be visible to the public. These are the tasks that are tedious and put stress and time management skills to the test. Planners must deal with vendors, customers, and corporate companies to plan an event. And many individuals view that as an easy task. Event planning, however, does come with its challenges.

What Are The Duties of An Event Planner?

The duties of event managers can differ from separate companies. The foundation, however, will be the same for all event organizers. These duties include meeting planning with vendors, corporate businesses, and staff members to ensure the entire team is on the same page.

An event planner will coordinate and plan the entire event. The event organizer must identify the critical goals for the event, then determine the best solution to ensure that the meeting meets every requirement. Some planners must find exotic locations for corporate conferences to ensure the client’s approval is received.

Another duty that falls in the hands of the event planner is to determine the type of event and find a suitable format and venue that will fit the event type. Creating a checklist to ensure that the entire team completes the tasks is paramount. The planner must communicate clearly and with precision to the whole team.

What Tasks An Event Planner Handle?

The exact duties of an event organizer include obtaining the company goals and creating an event type that fits the objectives. The planner must decide on a venue, vendors, and equipment used at the event. And another task that plays a key role will be to create marketing content to ensure that the attendees sign up for the event. Creating event budgets and event layouts are critical tasks for these individuals.

The event producers must have the agenda and event material ready to ensure that all the attendees know the format and progression of the event. The material will allow the attendees to come with an expectation. The planner will have the opportunity to arrange keynote speakers.

Planning and arranging accommodations for the keynote speakers is a task that many planners miss. Another task comes in the form of product placement and setup of the event. This can, however, be shared with an event coordinator. On the event day, the manager must manage the event attendees and the event staff to ensure that the event goals are reached through the event.

Director of events must adjust their tasks according to the type of event. If the event is based on a pharmaceutical product launch, the planner must change the checklist to a pharmaceutical checklist.

Post-meeting evaluation is a task that many forget. This will allow the team to improve their future events by obtaining client feedback. The previous clients will provide the necessary information to ensure prospective potential clients have a better experience.

What Are The Distinct Types of Event Planners?

There are a variety of event planners within the event industry. These planners will all focus on a specific style of event, and the planner’s expertise will be based on the type of event they are comfortable planning and hosting. The distinct planners all have different event planning tools, which will ensure that the event quality is top form.

The first type of director of events is the organizing of social events. These planners take pride in their ability to create a successful social event. This will include birthday parties, company social events, or weddings. Wedding planners and outdoor events are usually part of these major events.

The second planner that companies can use is a corporate event planner. These individuals aim to build the perfect corporate event through trade shows, product launches, business meetings, or team-building experiences. Networking events and client communication are great examples of where individuals can use their innovative ideas for corporate meetings.

Charity event planners take the lead in non-profit events. The aim here is to create an event that will be used to raise finances to ensure that the charity has the capital to solve the problems that they are facing. These event planners must be creative due to the themes and fun parties connected to charity events.

Is It Possible For Anyone To Become An Event Planner?

Becoming an event planner is a task that can be achieved through hard work and dedication. There are multiple ways that an event planner can take to ensure that their dream of planning and organizing events as an occupation comes true.

Check Out EVENTS MANAGER CAREER | What to Know Before Choosing this Career!!:

How To Become An Event Planner?

The process of becoming an event planner can be extended. The first step will be to acquire as much information as possible. The data will allow the individuals to asses all the tasks and objectives they will face daily.

Secondly, the individual must develop event-planning skills to prepare for a happy career. Time management, communication, and planning are crucial to becoming a successful planner. The individual must use the time to study methods of being creative, thinking outside the box, and handling problems when they appear. These skills will be crucial for the road ahead. The individual must be able to manage an event planning team through the entire process.

The individual can determine the educational procedures after focusing on and building the essential skills. There are many courses to choose from. The importance of this choice is to evaluate the type of planner the individual wants to be. Then determining which method will set them up for great success.

After the qualification finding a job will be easy, and the individual will start growing their network and building long-lasting relationships to ensure substantial event planning career success. Continued growth and learning experiences will be essential to ensure that the planner grows throughout the entire journey.

What Makes You A Good Event Planner?

There are specific skills that an individual must develop to ensure that they become a good event planner. These skills can be picked up and improved throughout the planner’s journey with the career choice.

The first skill to develop as an event planner is time management skills accompanied by working under pressure. The planner will always have a deadline that they will be chasing, and the event will be time-bound, and the planner must be able to deal with pressure from the corporate company or event vendors.

The second pair of skills to acquire will be communication and listening. The planner must develop a clear and concise method of communication. With recent updates and requests to be sent to the entire team, the planner must ensure they speak clearly and with authority. This, however, must be accompanied by listening skills. The planner must listen to understand the perspective of the customer. The event will be created for the customers; thus, developing attendance skills will significantly benefit the planner.

The event attendees must be managed throughout the entire event. The event staff must ensure they create a future event that will receive the client’s approval. The focus should be to provide satisfied clients and attendees. Creating an event that will be great for both parties.

One of the skills that will ensure a successful planning career is negotiation and planning. The planner must be able to negotiate great deals with vendors, change the setup and arrange approval from the corporate company. The planner will have many tips and tricks to ease the process; communication and negotiation will be the key to event success. Tips in pharmaceutical events are great but useless if the company does not accept or use them.

FAQs

What Are The Requirements Needed as an Event Planner?

Critical requirements for an event planner are experience in event planning by providing a portfolio. Another essential requirement comes in the form of time management and stress management skills. The planner must be able to communicate and run multiple projects simultaneously.

What Is An Average Salary of an Event Planner?

An individual can make around $3000-$5000, depending on the state and company the event planner works for.

What Does An Event Planner Do Daily?

Planning events is not the only task that individuals focus on. The daily functions differ from month to month. The daily tasks will be filled with meetings if the planner has a busy event. These meetings will be with the corporate company, potential vendors, or the event team. The planner can have more minor jobs, such as finding a venue or determining material for the event, as tasks for the day.

Are There Other Titles With Similar Responsibilities To Event Planners?

Event coordinator, site coordinator, venue manager, or party planner are all well-known names for event planners.

Final Thoughts

Event planning is a fantastic career that can lead to great opportunities. Individuals can create the perfect job by focusing on the necessary skills and education. The key, however, is to research and focus on the positives to ensure that the career is exactly what the individual desires. Event planners significantly impact the world, touching multiple industries and companies through the memorable events that they create.

Kelly Murphy

PRESIDENT & FOUNDER

Need Help Planning Your Next Corporate Event or Meeting?

What Type of Recognition Do Employees Want? (Types & Ideas)

Posted: July 11, 2023

A strong team will complete tasks with high quality before their deadlines. Every company wants to create a resilient group that will complete tasks at a high pace and on consistent bases. This, however, is not a simple quest, and companies must use their skills, time, and energy to build such a team.

Employees are the backbone of any company. They deal with the customers, complete multiple tasks and work continuously in a company. These completed objectives and functions must be recognized. So many ask What type of recognition do employees want?

Employee recognition has many forms, and team leaders must use the best-suited program to ensure that every team member feels recognized throughout their career. The praise should be a weekly or monthly task to ensure the team feels validated and appreciated, leading to higher productivity and motivation.

According to Zippia, only 60% of employees receive recognition and appreciation. Of that 60%, only 3% say they are recognized frequently enough.

What Does Giving Recognition Mean For Employees?

Recognition occurs when an employee or team completes tasks and objectives or reaches goals that the team manager or company provided. The employee will have to complete multiple tasks within a time frame.

Recognition given to employees can have multiple benefits. When employees feel appreciated, validated, and recognized, they tend to have higher production and motivation and strive in their everyday tasks and objectives provided by the manager or company leader.

Companies can reinstall their company values through recognition programs. By looking after and recognizing employees, the company will reinforce its core values of caring for them.

A business leader can use recognition to encourage employee engagement. Employee recognition can increase their engagement. Employees tend to share more innovative and creative ideas when they feel heard and recognized by the company.

Many will ask if incentives really work and if they genuinely impact the company culture. This is true; by using non-monetary recognition programs regularly, a company can build a strong team and a more robust company culture that will increase multiple aspects within the company.

Small businesses can access benefits of employee recognition by using the same format or type of incentives throughout their business, motivating and recognizing the team for their dedication and hard work.

Challenges Of Recognizing Employees In a Modern Work Environment

There are multiple methods of recognition of employees for their achievements and high performance. Non-monetary recognition leads to employees receiving extra off days, working from home, or leaving the office earlier on some days.

The challenges for this specific program will leave the company without its best employee. Allowing them to have an extra day off, or work shorter hours, as stated by the program, will leave the office with one employee short. This can lead to burnout of employees covering for the absent one, work needing to be completed, or late submissions of tasks connected to a deadline.

Employees will work hard to feel recognized and appreciated by their manager or company CEO. This can lead to employees manipulating and cheating their way to the top. Competition is healthy; however, once employees start to use external methods to reach the top, the company might lose the power and benefits of its recognition program.

One of the biggest problems that occurs with employee recognition programs is the limitations that are created. Employees will work hard on the one project that will give them recognition while avoiding all other tasks and goals. The employee will only complete one task expecting praise while neglecting all other less critical duties.

What Do Employees Want?

Employees want recognition. More importantly, they want it on a consistent base. When a company creates a program that incentivizes and recognizes hard work, it must ensure that it can be repeated at least once a month throughout the year.

Companies should use reputable incentives to assign it to an employee without skipping a month or a week. Some incentives can cost the company money. These monetary bonuses can occur once a quarter or twice a year to ensure they can be repeated, while non-monetary recognition occurs once a month or as the goals are being completed.

Employees want consistency not only with when the recognition programs are handed out but with the same intent and measuring stick. If an employee receives a shoutout in front of all peers, a similar task completed by another employee should receive the same type of recognition.

All employees must be informed of these programs if companies have recognition programs. A low 58% of employees that work in a company with a tangible reward system know of the program. Sales teams will use incentives to ensure that the members are motivated. Employees want to know that they will receive recognition and appreciation as they complete their goals and objectives.

Most employees want to feel appreciated and validated. The recognition program will ensure that employees and company teams receive recognition and appreciation throughout the year for their hard work and dedication to the company.

Surveying all employees to discover what they want will be the best feedback the company needs. Rewards and recognition should be determined by what the employees want and need, not solely what the employer can afford or provide.

When To Give Recognition?

Timing is everything when it comes to recognition programs. Employees will become lazy and only complete some tasks if a company provides recognition early. If a company offers credit too late, employees will feel undervalued, and the program will not have the necessary effect that the company desires.

Department heads can start by rewarding employees based on performance. When an employee completes a difficult assignment or project, the manager can recognize and reward the employee. This will allow the employee to feel validated by their hard work. Performance-based recognition is one of the popular rewards in the business world.

Other great times to reward an employee or team are when they are promoted or advanced within the company, when an employee completes a class, achieves a new level of professional development suggested or required by the company, or on employee anniversaries or birthdays.

Employers can provide staff members with recognition when they improve areas highlighted as troublesome by their manager or employer.

Check Out Why Employee Recognition is Essential for Performance Management:

Recognition Types

There are various methods, formats, and types of recognition programs. Each recognition reward will benefit different employees and allow the business to access various benefits through the recognition type.

One type of recognition will only suit some employees or employers. Thus, finding the balance between what works for each employee and the employer will be critical. The best practice is to have multiple types of recognition available and allow the employee to pick or determine the reward that fits them.

Public Recognition

Public recognition refers to employers rewarding their staff before the entire company, team, or peers. The employee will receive a few words of recognition due to their performance. This will allow the whole group or company to identify the hard work and performance that the individual did to achieve this recognition.

Shout Outs

Shoutouts are when the employer or team manager shares their gratitude to a specific person in front of the team. The manager or employer will share the employee’s name and recognize and share their hard work and performance with the rest of the team. They are validating and appreciating it.

Peer-to-Peer

Peer-to-peer recognition is when an employer or manager acknowledges a set of skills, performance, or goals an employee achieves and praises them by sharing it with others. The employer will honor and recognize the hardworking employee to their peers to ensure the other employees can appreciate the hard work. This will motivate them to work hard and increase their performance to ensure they receive the same recognition as their peers.

Use Social Media

Social media is a robust platform that allows companies to share their team achievements with the world. A post or story on these platforms to recognize and appreciate hardworking employees will lead to a motivated and valued team.

Social media posts will be acknowledged by peers and team members and by the entire following of the company page. This will allow external individuals and companies to recognize the employee’s hard work and dedication. More people will remember the employee and feel validated and appreciated throughout the program.

Team

Individual recognition will differ from a team incentive program. There will be more individuals to consider, and employers must find a reward system to benefit the entire project team. The aim should be to ensure the whole team receives the reward, making them feel acknowledged, validated, and appreciated.

Incentive Trips For The Team

Incentive trips are rewards programs allowing the team to travel without paying for expenses. These trips usually will be to a location where the team can relax and recoup or complete multiple team-building exercises to strengthen and reenergize the team. Incentive trips are a powerful tool companies can use to reward hard work. These trips depend financially on the company, and the employer must ensure they budget for them.

Appreciation To The Best Team

A strong team will need external motivation, which can be achieved through recognition. Showing appreciation in front of the entire company will ensure that the company understands and rewards each individual’s hard work to provide a successful project. By acknowledging the team in front of others, the entire group will experience gratitude and appreciation for their work.

Structured

Structures recognition comes in the form of a specific location within the company. A fixed location will be used to recognize and appreciate employees. This location can be an entire wall, a corner in the business, or a company room with pictures, prizes, and appreciation text to a team or employee. Employee of the Month, or performance recognition, can be placed on the structure where everyone can identify the hardworking staff members of the month.

Wall of Recognition

A wall of recognition is a structure where employers can set pictures of the employee or team that are rewarded for their strong performance. The wall will allow individuals that pass by to identify hardworking individuals and teams within the company.

Outstanding Employee Event

Creating a structure that consistently praises employees for their hard work is critical. A personal event can be hosted monthly or quarterly to ensure that every team member and employee knows who the hardworking individuals are. This will show recognition to the standout employees and motivate other employees to achieve their goals to ensure that they can be recognized at any future event.

Private

Sometimes acknowledging hard work in private will do the job. Employers do not have to overcomplicate or create a big event to show recognition. Some employees prefer a firm shake of the hand and the words well done to feel appreciated and recognized. Private recognition only works for some, but most employees will appreciate this gesture above not being recognized.

Instant Performance Feedback

Instant performance feedback will allow the employer or manager to provide instant feedback on a project or task the employee completed. Going through the entire project and stating clear positives will enable employees to feel they have achieved something. Many use this feedback opportunity to communicate negative aspects, but employers should provide the good and the bad throughout the project.

The sharing of positive feedback will boost the confidence of the employee. This form of recognition will lead to employees going the extra mile or reaching the ultimate goal to ensure that they receive the recognition reward.

A Simple Thank You!

Sometimes a simple thank you will do just fine. Managers can say well done to the employee when they complete various tasks or achieve set goals. The simple thank you will allow the employee to feel validated, increasing productivity and motivation. Be careful not only to use this method.

Time-offs

After a long and hard-fought project, employers can give employees a few hours or days off to rest. The employees will feel appreciated and valued and return with more energy, motivation, and inspiration to tackle the next big task.

Milestone

Instead of celebrating the completion of a project or a goal, employers can focus on milestones. Milestone moments recognition will increase employee appreciation and motivation for the rest of the project. This will allow employees to feel supported throughout the entire project. When they feel stuck, they can ask for support and will engage throughout the project due to the milestone recognition.

Why Should You Personalize Employee Rewards and Recognition?

Every employee is different. Some employees enjoy the recognition and rewards in public spaces where every staff member can put them on a pedestal, while others enjoy the enclosed thank you with the feedback to ensure that they can improve.

Employers must know each team member’s style and method of appreciation. Employees will not experience the desired recognition and reward when the wrong type of recognition is used. Thus, providing employees with multiple recognition options will reward them best.

FAQs

What Do Employees Want To Be Recognized For

Performance, anniversaries, and birthdays are some of the reasons that employees want to be recognized. Other reasons can be due to the achievement of a goal, the completion of a project, or promotions.

How to Recognize Success at Work

Employers can use a variety of methods to show appreciation. There are structured ways, such as events and walls, that lead to recognition. Public recognition can be through shoutouts, peer-to-peer appraisal, or sharing the individual employee on social media platforms. Some employees prefer private recognition where only the team managers and the employee know of the success and the hard work.

Final Considerations

Employee recognition can influence company culture. Monetary rewards can significantly benefit, but a few simple words in public to show appreciation to an employee might last longer and have a bigger impact.

There are many types of employee recognition, and every method has its place within the company. Instead of spending too much time and money, companies can ask employees to provide straightforward recognition programs to suit them. In this way, the employer and manager can thank the employees for their hard work, and employees will experience validation and appreciation regularly.

Kelly Murphy

PRESIDENT & FOUNDER

Need Help Planning Your Next Corporate Event or Meeting?

Fueling Discoveries: The Impact of Investigator Meetings

Updated: June 29, 2023

Meetings some days can feel like a waste of time. Some prefer an online arrangement and discussions to save time and energy. Meetings are a necessity in all businesses, and while most managers understand the effectiveness of investigator meetings, some employees are still in the dark.

Investigator meetings focus on clinical trials or problems that must be solved within a company or group. These meetings focus on identifying problem factors and solving them while the entire team is present. These meetings will ensure that all members have the time to add their perspectives and value to provide the team with the best solutions.

These meetings can be used to inform and update participants on a specific study or situation that affects the entire team. The key to these types of meetings is to provide a space where all affected participants can come together to treat the problem at hand.

How to Boost Participation in Investigator Meetings

As with any meeting, participation is key. The meeting will have no impact if the team does not participate and contribute to the meeting. Thus encouraging and boosting participation is of utmost importance in any meeting, and more so in investigator meetings.

1. Identify Key Content for a Focused Event and Set Clear Objectives

The road to a successful event or meeting can be created by starting with the end in mind. If the managers and meeting leaders know exactly where they want the meeting to end, they can create a path backward to ensure that they complete all set objectives.

Companies and study leaders must identify and set clear objectives to ensure that the meeting has a goal and direction. When there is no clear objective the meeting will take longer than expected and reach no conclusion.

By creating a set content list the attendees, and managers know exactly what will be dealt with and why the meeting is held in the first place. The entire meeting will be run on focus points which will provide attendees with specific points to prepare beforehand.

2. Collaborate

In a virtual meeting of one speaker and many attendees, employees and staff members can feel lost and worthless. Collaboration is the key to a successful investigation meeting. Once a team works together in unison, the investigation meeting will have more input and solutions provided by the entire team.

Companies must allow their entire team to partake in a meeting. The benefits are magnificent and it will increase employee engagement and productivity within the company. These meetings are solution based, and the employees work with the problem on a daily base, so they might have the best solutions to company problems.

3. Choose the Right Event Technology Partner

All companies must have a technology partner. With many employees working from home, and the rapid growth of technology, businesses must find a reliable partner that can set up and fix problems at a rapid pace.

These technology partners will be able to set up a host platform where employees from all over the world will be able to join. This will allow the team to join the meeting, provide their input and enjoy the meeting without needing to commute to or from the office. This will increase the time spent to rally the entire team into the office block to start with the set meeting.

The team must however find a partner they can trust, and fulfill the occupations required. The partner team will be assigned to set tasks and objectives that will ensure the success of the meeting.

4. Engage Intentionally for Learning Retention

Engagement must be done intentionally and at a set pace. Most students and staff members can retain information shared with them. The key however is to share the information at a steady pace, allowing the entire team to spend time processing the information.

Engaging intentionally will provide the team with better solutions. The team will know what to focus on as well as what is important for the business. Intentional engagement plays a key role in the success of an investigative meeting.

5. Put Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria into Practice

Investigator meetings have sectors and areas where participation is needed, while other sections are better to have specific participants or no participation. Inclusion is a great tool to use if all members and attendees can benefit from what’s being shared.

Exclusion has negative connections. This however can be of great benefit to employees attending specific meetings. Employees and students do not want to attend a meeting that has no particular connection to them. This is both time and energy-wasting. Thus stating exclusive meetings for specific individuals can be of great value.

6. Invite Feedback to Identify and Overcome Challenges

Feedback is a great tool to find inside information from the participants and students. The individuals that had to experience the entire teaching will have valuable advice and feedback to provide to the host. By simply inviting feedback and identifying challenges the speaker can improve his entire presentations, which will allow future students to gain even more value out of the meeting.

The feedback can be used for virtual investigator meetings as well. When investigator training was provided the entire site team will be able to provide feedback to the company team for their services. By simply using the feedback the team can evaluate the depth of knowledge and extensive experience the entire team had. This will ensure that they improve their continued knowledge gap and training abilities.

7. Leverage Event Data to Extend Support and Resources

Leveraging data will allow the team to extend their support and resources. Information and data are valuable in the modern age, and when a team has access to the data, resources, and support can be extended.

Most companies have access to resources and supporting tools, however obtaining the data can be a struggle they have. When the team has access to the data, they can leverage it to obtain supporting materials and resources to ensure that the data is accurate and trustworthy.

8. Learn From Your History to Improve

The best teacher is past mistakes. This statement provides all companies and speakers with a valuable lesson. Individuals must look back at their past mistakes, and find solutions to all the mistakes and problems that occurred.

This will assist the speaker to improve their meeting, which will allow attendees to feel more comfortable, and obtain more value from any meeting held by the speaker. Improvement will ensure growth for both the speaker and the business.

Types of Investigator Meetings

Investigator meetings all have different tasks and goals within a company. Thus determining which type of meeting to use plays a key role in achieving and completing tasks and goals.

Interim Meetings

This meeting type refers to a meeting with directors and the leadership of a company. These meetings do not occur often. These meetings are held to identify what direction the company will be going, what major problems must be solved, and in which way to company can grow. These strategic meetings are part of the core meetings.

Site Initiation Meetings

These meetings are created for researchers to evaluate a set site or area. This will allow the team to evaluate whether the site will work specifically for a study, research, or meeting. Some meetings and studies require specific parameters and equipment, thus allowing the team to determine whether this site will add value to the study or meeting.

Close-Out Meetings

This meeting type focuses on closing a specific task or study by acquiring all the data, information, and part of the assignment. The meeting allows the entire team to bring their tasks together to ensure that every part of the assignment or task is present.

The company will collect and pile everything into a set document and send it through to the client or research facility. These meetings allow the team to close the task, by either sending all information or canceling the entire project.

Pre-Study Meetings

As the term pre means before, this type of meeting will occur before a project or task will start. The team or individual will be provided with some fundamental information that will add value to the entire project. These meetings are created to ensure that the entire team is on the same page and that every individual knows what to do. This meeting can be used to add deadlines and tasks to every individual in the team.

Check Out The Future of Investigator Meetings:

How Does One Even Start Planning an Investigator Meeting?

This has been a question that has been asked by event planners and meeting coordinators all over the world. The key to planning an investigator meeting is the same as all other meetings. Identify and set SMART goals. These goals must be specific, measurable, relative, and time-based.

After the goals are set, the team must determine the budget, locations, and the date of the meeting. This will allow the team to plan according to the set size of the needed locations and the date.

Lastly, the team must identify key role players and attendees that must be present at the meeting. This will ensure that all related to the meeting are aware of it, and will be present at the meeting, with all needed documents and questions.

Objectives of Investigator Meetings

All meetings have objectives to meet. These objectives provide the team with guidelines as to what to prepare, what the meeting is about, and the final goal and objective of the set meeting. This will allow all attendees to be prepared with questions, answers, and anything related to the meeting.

Discussing Study Progress and Data

The main objective for investigator meetings will be to obtain and discuss the progress of a specific study. The meeting will be held to obtain information on the study that the team or individuals are currently busy with. The data will showcase whether the team is on route to finish their project or study in time.

Addressing Concerns and Questions

Engagement in meetings plays a key role in determining the success of the meeting. Students and employees are allowed to have questions and concerns about their study or topic. These meetings have the objective of which will allow the team or individual to raise their concerns and questions. Discussion questions will allow the entire team to receive in-depth knowledge which will be beneficial to all attendees.

The study leader or manager will have time to answer all questions and settle the concerns. Allowing the team to settle any nerves or concerns about their tasks and study. This can be used to assess whether the team is on track and within the set time frame of the study.

Training on Study Procedures and Techniques

Students and employees both must have adequate training opportunities to perform certain tasks. These meetings will provide the teacher or manager to equip the team with the necessary techniques and procedures to ensure that they can complete the tasks.

These training opportunities are of utmost importance because they will provide the team with all the needed information to not only complete the task but do so at the highest level possible. Techniques and study procedures must be understood to ensure a high-quality and accurate result.

Sharing Study Protocols and Objectives

Most individuals have worked on a project and realized halfway through that they have completely missed the entire project’s objectives. These meetings will ensure that the team knows exactly what the objectives are, and what to follow to obtain them.

The team will use this time to share study protocols and objectives, which will assist some members in the study to improve their current way of completing the tasks.

Pharma / Biotech Investigator Meetings

Pharmaceutical and biotech meetings can be beneficial to the entire team. These meetings will be used to assist the team with problems that might occur. The team will have the opportunity to raise concerns and questions as well as align the objectives of the task to ensure that it is clear and concise.

These meetings can be used to arrange the launch party for a pharmaceutical event or deal with problems while the clinical team is already busy with a specific task. Pharmaceutical investigator meeting plays a key role in the success of testing, launching, and selling drugs to the public. The more meetings are held, the higher the success rate of the product or study will be.

Check Out What Are Investigator Meetings In Clinical Research?:

How to Hold Successful Investigator Meetings

Some certain processes and arrangements will increase the effectiveness of an investigator meeting. This process will ensure that any meeting held will be successful and will deal with all the necessary information needed.

Bring in Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for in-person meetings

An individual or team that has all the knowledge or information that the team needs and that is willing to share this knowledge is called a subject matter expert. These individuals play a key role in the investigator meetings.

SMEs will provide accurate information to the team, that will assist them in creating high-quality studies or work. There are many different ways of working with SMEs, and every method has its benefits. The key is to listen actively, never assume anything, and always set expectations for the meeting.

Use on-Demand Training

On-demand training can lead to a student or employee recollecting and using the information learned directly after learning. This will provide the student with time to use the newly gained knowledge in a form or situation that is applicable to the clinical trial sites.

On-demand training will allow the team to excel and use the training information to its fullest potential. With a high millennial workforce, employees must provide on-demand training to ensure that all team members can solve problems that are situated within the study or workplace.

Who Attends an Investigator Meeting?

All are involved in a new trial, study, or ongoing task. These meetings will provide the entire team to identify the objectives and align tasks to ensure the success of the trial or study. The event management and students must attend these clinical trial training

How Can My Business Hold Successful Investigator Meetings?

The key to a successful investigator meeting is to host the meeting with a subject matter expert. This will allow the team to access important information that will impact the entire study. Another factor to success is on-demand training. Students must obtain on-demand training to ensure that they can use the newly gained information in the best way possible.

How Should an Investigator Meeting Be Organized?

The organization of an investigator meeting should be around key aspects The team must identify what the talking points should be. And clearly stating these focus points, and arranging a meeting around them will add to the effectiveness of the meeting.

Final Thoughts

Arranging meetings and organizing them can feel like a tedious task. The key to planning a meeting is to keep the end in mind. What results and objectives must be completed after the meeting is completed? This will allow the team to create a meeting with directions and an end goal.

Investigator meetings will add great success to all studies and trials if they are used. These meetings will create a space where students can raise concerns and lectures or managers can check-up on their students to assist where needed. Investigator meetings can change the direction of a trial before it is too late.

Kelly Murphy

PRESIDENT & FOUNDER

Need Help Planning Your Next Corporate Event or Meeting?

Are Virtual Events Going to Take Over Live Events? [Trends]

Updated: June 26, 2023

The online era has taken the event industry by storm. After Covid as place the entire world in lockdown, industry leaders found different methods and ways to host events and conferences. These methods have been so influential that even after lockdown, companies still make use of these methods.

With the evolution and advancement of technology, many are asking the key question: Are virtual events going to take over life events? The development has shown that there is a place for both these types of events. Both have benefits and downfalls that could lead individuals to decide on the other options.

Companies have learned to adjust through the last two years, and the future will be no different. Moving events from online to in-person will be determined by every company. The main company’s face is which of the options will outlive the other one.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Virtual Events

As with every part of business decisions, virtual event platforms have their advantages and disadvantages. Companies must evaluate both sides of the coin to determine if virtual events are a viable option.

Benefits of Live Virtual Events

Many in the event industry questioned the start of live virtual events. With a lot of negative perspectives and complaints, a few have made it work. With the rapid growth of events, companies have tapped into the potential and benefits. The first benefit of a virtual event is the cost reduction. The cost can be reduced for both the hosting company and the attendees.

The company will save money on venue hire, vendor selections, and other expenses that are not visible. And while this is a great benefit to the company, attendees will save just as much. Participants do not have to spend money on traveling and accommodation costs and will only have to budget for the registration costs connected to the event.

The second benefit is the reach companies can access with their events. Many companies host one event of its kind in a popular location. And while many might be situated in this area, not all potential customers and clients stay close by. The company can now reach as far as the other side of the world, which increases its client base.

The third benefit is networking. Many have complained about the networking opportunities within a remote event. This has been adjusted. Individuals can now move into smaller rooms and connect with individuals. These rooms are open and available for all attendees to use.

A virtual event will allow flexibility for attendees. Instead of traveling across the U.S. to attend a conference, attendees can hop onto the virtual platform and attend without wasting time. This will improve the sustainability of events in the long run.

One of the last benefits is available data and analytics. Companies now have a wider group of attendees, which allows for more information. This can be data based on geographic, race, and many more. The data can be used to ensure a wider reach with the next virtual event.

Drawbacks of Live Virtual Events

There will be drawbacks to all aspects of the business. Virtual event formats are no different. The first drawback of attending a live event online, or at home is the potential distractions that can be connected to it. Whether it is washing, kids, or any other form of distraction, the attendee will lose focus and find something to do within the time of the event.

Live and in-person events bring a vibe and feeling to the table. When everyone is in the room waiting for guest speakers to share valuable information, the entire room can feel the tension. Online events do not particularly have good tension building before and during an event.

Online business conferences can take away network opportunities and spontaneity from the event. Even though the online platform presents break-out rooms, many would defer from it. Attendees want to connect and network in person. This is directly connected to spontaneity. The schedule for online events is fixed and there is little to no room for creative options.

The last negative aspect is connection errors or troubles. This is one of the biggest problems companies face with online platforms. Big events do not allow time to assist individuals with a connection to the platform. Even though the connection process should be easy, some individuals have slow networks or a lack of support to join the virtual event platform.

Event tech can influence the larger audience that wants to join and receive the information shared by keynote speakers. Thus improving the virtual event platform provider to ensure that remote attendees can enjoy the event is of utmost importance.

What’s The Difference Between Live and Virtual Events?

There are a few differences between the virtual event formats and live in-person events. A live virtual event is an event that will be hosted on a virtual platform where virtual audiences can join anywhere in the world, by simply clicking on a link.

Check Out 6 Key Differences Between Planning In-Person and Virtual Events:

Virtual events will allow attendees to join the event, virtually. This will allow them to be stationed in their homes or the office at work, and still join the event, obtaining all information that is shared through the event.

Live in-person event is hosted at a set location, where attendees have to travel and enjoy the vibrance and enjoyment of a live event. Attendees travel far and wide to attend this live event. Booking into hotels and setting out days to network and enjoy a live event with other attendees.

Do People Still Attend Virtual Events?

There are two sides of the coin here. Whether companies will host online events and if the attendees will attend these types of events. A survey conducted provides us with valuable information. Companies will host online events due to some of the benefits.

77.2% of companies will use virtual live events to allow access for attendance, 64.9% want to ensure global reach and 47.4% are considering this option due to the low cost of hosting a virtual event.

According to Statista, 57% of the participants would prefer a hybrid or in-person event over 33% of virtual event attendees. This provides companies with crucial information that the target audience would love the attend an in-person event over a live virtual conference.

What Are Hybrid Events?

A hybrid option is a combination of a virtual event and a physical event. Hybrid events will take the benefits of both in-person and virtual events and connect them to form a hybrid event.

There are two methods of creating a hybrid event. The first is to determine a set location and venue. Then using either an event planner or coordinator to organize the entire event. The team will then have set cameras at specific locations which will allow the company to live stream the entire event.

Another form of a hybrid event is hosting a set part of the event on an online platform, while the other part is solely a physical event. This will allow the attendees to book a set hotel and travel for shorter periods while still enjoying the entirety of the event. The noisy hotel rooms and traveling problems can become overwhelming. This is where hybrid events offer the solution. This allows attendees to be present in person or virtually, which will provide them with maximum engagement at the event.

What Are In-Demand Formats? Live vs Virtual Events or Hybrid

There is enough room for both of these formats in the business world. The better question to ask is what format the company wants to make use of. This will determine the demand for each of these formats.

What Should Be The Deciding Factor On Choosing The Best Format For Your Event?

Most companies do not have a set format for all their events. This is necessary because some events require in-person events, whereas other conferences can be done online. The following factors can greatly indicate whether the event requires online or in-person events.

Check Out Teams Meeting Types – Live Event, Webinar, and Meeting – Which One Do I Use?:

What Is Your Goal For The Event?

Setting a goal for the event will provide the entire team with guidelines on the most effective format. If the goal is to reach a broader client base, virtual events will be the better option. While some goals such as networking and reconnecting with all stakeholders, can be done and will more more effective in person. Another factor for the goal of an event will be to ensure that a limited audience joins the in-person event. Some physical venues might not be big enough for the entire audience. While an online venue will be able to withhold more attendees.

What Is Your Budget?

A budget is a clear indication of what format will work for the company. A lower budget will lead companies to make use of virtual events. This will allow them to save money and time.

What are your KPIs or Success Factors?

The key performance indicators will allow the team to determine which format will work the best. By simply making use of these factors, companies will use the format that will lead to the highest level of success due to the KPI factors. Evaluating the engagement rate should be part of the KPI to determine whether this kinds of event meet the success factors.

What is Your Timeline?

Planning and creating a live event will take a planner more time and money. Thus if the company is fighting against time, a virtual event will be more effective. Another form of a timeline that will be a factor is the time attendees have to visit the locations. If the event is far and attendees will need to travel far, a virtual event will be the better option.

FAQs

What are the Negative Effects of Virtual Events?

There are a few negative traits. The one is the connection errors and troubleshooting. Another is the lack of networking or communication. The last negative trait is the lack of experience. Live events have a sense of experience and excitement to them, whereas virtual events lack that feeling and vibrance of the in-person event.

What are Examples of Virtual Events?

Tradeshows, conferences, and sports events that are live-streamed to the target audience are all great examples of virtual events.

What are Other Names of Virtual Events?

The creation of virtual meetings dates back to the mid-1990s. Some argue that Microsoft was the first to make use of sharing screens virtually which is the start of a virtual event. Xerox on the other hand release the very first virtual event software.

What is the Difference Between Live Events and Telecasts?

A live event captures the data as is, at the moment, and displays it on another monitor for the attendee to witness. Telecasts refer to a recording of some sort, displayed on the attendee’s screen. One is life and happening as they watch, while the other is prerecorded and played for the attendees.

Final Considerations

There is enough space in the event industry for virtual, hybrid, and in-person events. Companies must use their creativity to ensure that they meet the attendees where they are. Companies must make use of each format to ensure that the company can grow its client base.

Virtual events are not going to take over the entire industry. However, the use of these types of formats will have a greater impact as more companies adjust and change their mindset and use thereof. Virtual or in-person, events must be to ensure that the attendees can gain the most out of them.

Kelly Murphy

PRESIDENT & FOUNDER

Need Help Planning Your Next Corporate Event or Meeting?

Annual Sales Meeting Ideas For Interactive and Sessions

Posted: June 20, 2023

Meetings greatly benefit any business once they are incorporated. The aim is to host a session as often as possible to provide the entire team with direction, tasks, and other important information that will lead to growth within the company.

One of the most basic forms of conferences is the annual sales meeting. The meeting includes company topics such as the average sales of the company, strong and weak areas of the sales team, individual statistics, and new methods to grow the sales team and increase the company’s turnover.

Annual sales meetings can become dull due to the weekly sales meetings. Companies must find creative ideas to display and transfer the information and action steps to the sales team to ensure they adjust and grow both the business and their abilities, strengths, and the sales process.

The Importance of Sales Meetings

A sales meeting is a forum the company can use to communicate with the sales team. The conference will have a set agenda, providing structure and guidance to the forum. The meeting will include a variety of topics. Content marketing, addressing healthy competition, and effective planning can be part of the development goals for the team and the sales agents.

The meeting topics can include sales policies, sales numbers and statistics, team-building activities, and the strengths and weaknesses of the team. The sales meeting must be used to provide feedback and action plans to fix the problems and grow as a company. The sales event should not only focus on the negatives or the issues but should be used to encourage, develop and build a strong sales team.

List of Sales Meeting Ideas

Companies can need help finding new and innovative ideas. The aim should be to use fresh ideas that will excite the team. Due to the regular usage of sales meetings, companies can need help finding new ideas. Below is a list of new ideas companies can include in annual sales meetings.

Share Your Wins

Sales meetings can be a negative conversation due to the numbers or the need for more revenue for the year. Before jumping into the negatives and statistics, the keynote speaker can use the platform to share the sales team or a specific sales rep.

The company can use two methods to display and share wins. The first method will be to allow individuals to share their successes. The sales reps can share stories, statistics, or various ways and lessons they have learned throughout the year.

Another method is to assign a keynote speaker to share multiple stories and information about the sales reps that have gathered wins over the year. Both ways will give the team a positive start to the meeting. The sales leader must, however, first confirm whether the individuals are comfortable sharing wins.

The aim should be to create a positive team environment that will open the sales team to receive the information and data shared throughout the conference. However, the benefit of the individuals sharing their stories provides the entire group with motivation and a boost in morale to work hard to be the speaker that shares their story at the next event.

Check Out Why Small Wins Matter Most:

Share Your Challenges

Every position in the company has a set group of challenges. The company can use these stories to create a platform to showcase the difficulties that every sales agent faces on a daily base. The individuals can share their challenges without feeling judged, leading them to use innovative and creative solutions when the challenge occurs again.

The aim here is not to focus solely on the challenges. The team can use a short period at the end of the individual’s challenge share to brainstorm new methods of facing those challenges. This will let the team know what to do when a similar challenge occurs.

Have a Career-Goal-Setting Discussion

Career goals are something only some sales reps think of or set clearly at the start of their careers. A goalless career will push sales individuals from job to job, never pursuing or chasing a clear basic goal.

The conference will provide a fantastic platform for the company to share clear goals and objectives for everyone to pursue something more significant than numbers. Goal setting motivates team members to work hard to reach their career goals.

“Sell Yourself” Icebreaker

This is a fun activity that the entire sales rep team will enjoy. The individuals can “sell themselves” to the rest of the group. They have to use their strengths as sales bait to ensure that the rest of the team will want to purchase them.

This great activity will allow each individual to share who they are. The team will get to know each other, increasing team cohesion and company culture. A strong team is crucial, and building it through these activities is a great start.

Not only will the team learn more about every sales rep, but the company will also have the opportunity to identify strengths and weaknesses within every rep, which can be used to grow the business and increase the sales revenue.

Sales Role-Playing

Sales role-playing is an activity where a sales rep provides a scenario. There will be a customer, a product, and a problem. The sales rep must act out the scenario and find a way to sell the product or service to the customer.

Sales role-playing is a fun activity that will provide the entire team with insight into dealing with a specific scenario, demanding customer, or any other challenges the team might face. The scenarios can be various problems the entire team can solve or identify.

Bring in an Expert

The internet provides every individual on this planner with information. This, however, is different from experience. The company can arrange an expert sales rep or an expert in the industry in which the company is based, providing insight and information that the team can use daily.

Bringing an expert to the sales meeting will give the company more than just the knowledge. The sales team will perceive this as a method of educating and investing in the company. This will build the company culture and boost morale due to the company finding creative ways to support and grow its sales reps.

Watch A Video

A conference video is a method of taping into the auditory and visual systems of gaining information. Videos can inform, educate and assist the entire team with methods and techniques that will help the whole team to develop and grow as a sales team. The planning team must have prior knowledge of the potential use of a video. The information will assist them in finding a venue that has the essential equipment for all the formalities and activities planned for the event.

This method of displaying information can be based on statistics, numbers, problems, and other facets of a sales meeting. The video platform should, however, be used sparingly. The team did not attend a sales meeting solely to observe a video.

Play a Game

Multiple games can be used to fix or improve certain areas of the sales team. Sales managers can use games to build strong relationships between individuals, increase productivity or build teamwork. Some companies use games to improve performance within a team.

A game’s benefit is providing a positive start and platform for the meeting. The team will have the opportunity to relax and enjoy the game without the stress of the rest of the meeting hanging on their shoulders. The games can be adjusted if the company is hosting an online meeting.

Online games are just as effective, and the online sales meeting will benefit incredibly from these games. The team will have a positive and relaxed mindset heading into the rest of the meeting.

Use a Sales Dashboard

A sales dashboard is a platform companies use to display the metrics and performances of the entire team. This will allow the team to analyze and evaluate the data. The data will provide the team with an accurate representation of the annual sales and the sales team. The dashboard will have intriguing data on every sales rep, which can be used for one-on-one meetings with the sales managers.

Employee of the Week

There are many methods of growing productivity and boosting morale within a company. Employee of the week will give the sales individuals a prize that awaits them at the end of the week. The “employee of the week” will motivate the team to work hard and be as productive as possible to receive the incentive and praise at the end of the week.

The key to an employee of the week incentive is to have a set incentive plan or prize that the employee can receive at the end of their hard work. An extra day off or working from home is two financially free methods to reward the members of the sales for their hard work.

End-of-Year Team Meeting Idea: Add a touch of creativity to the end-of-year team meeting by conducting a “Peer’s Choice” survey to determine the Employee of the Year. Encourage team members to nominate and vote for their colleagues, fostering a sense of camaraderie and recognition within the team.

Team Tutorials

Educating and uplifting every sales rep is vital to the company’s success. The company can invest in every sales rep by using team tutorials. The team tutorials will include every team member. The information the manager will share will be based on the questions, problems, or creative solutions the individuals bring.

Team tutorials are an excellent platform for managers to invest in new strategies, education, and knowledge to enhance and grow their teams. Employees will increase their productivity and engagement if they know the managers and company leaders are invested in them.

Team tutorials can be used for leadership meetings where keynote speakers and the company director can share the company’s direction and goals. These leadership meetings can have themes that will enhance the effectiveness of the tutorials.

Five Tips for Breaking the Monotony of the Annual Sales Meeting

Annual sales meetings can be so monotonous that the company’s top management must plan and host them. However, companies can use a few alternative methods and tips to ensure the meetings are fun and new every time.

Get Input from Your Sales Team

Company leaders arrange a sales meeting either through an internal or external planner. The individual will bring their knowledge and expertise, which might not include the sales team’s interest.

Companies can ask their sales reps for advice on what type of sales meeting they would enjoy attending. From the content to the activities, the sales team can provide insight into these areas of the meeting. The team will feel content that the company management needed their assistance, and both parties can look forward to an eventful conference.

Choose a Theme that Inspires

A theme can be used to inspire the attendees. The theme can provide the team members with information on the content and information that will. The direction and content, however, must align with the theme. The planner can use music, photos, and other information to ensure the event falls into the theme.

Keep the Content Focused

Events can get sidetracked. With every sales team member present, the keynote speaker can lose the content or the direction that the meeting is planned. The team can create a sales meeting agenda with set times to ensure that the expert speaker and the event stay on track. This will provide all the attendees and speakers with a guideline to follow.

Have Top Performers Present

A sales meeting plays a key role in the company’s marketing strategy. The event will provide new strategies, tools, and other formulas to increase the sales process. The top performers must be present at the meeting. This will allow them to provide the rest of the team with success stories or challenges to assist the other members.

Another benefit of having the top performers present at the meeting is that they can provide additional information and knowledge about the strategies and thoughts of the company leaders. The top performers will be proof of a successful strategy; thus, displaying their figures and work ethic to the team will significantly benefit them.

Make Your Annual Sales Meeting Interactive

An interactive meeting is one of the most critical factors leading to a successful sales meeting. An interactive meeting will provide the team with a platform to communicate. Making virtual meetings engaging can be a difficult task.

The planner can use fun and interactive online and in-person games. The games will allow the entire team to relax, setting the stage for engagement. The interaction will allow the company leaders to hear the sales reps’ opinions and stories, which will be helpful when finding a new strategy or fixing reoccurring problems.

Best Sales Meeting Themes by Category

There are a few significant themes that a company can use to create a fun and exciting meeting.

Focus on the Future

Focus on the future will include a strategy and plan for the team to increase their sales and success rate. The sales pitch can be adjusted according to the new trends and desires of the audience. The focus will be placed on action steps to move forward. The steps will align the team with the company’s goals and values. A strong team will know where they are going and how to get there.

Above and Beyond

Providing a service bond a sales is crucial. Employees will provide more value daily basis to ensure that all customers receive more than a simple product. This skill will provide customers with a reason to return. The conference leaders can use this theme to build a strong team that directly shares company values with customers.

Difference Between Maybe and Yes

The theme provides individuals with a clear action plan for receiving a yes from a potential customer when selling a product or service. This sales meeting topic will ensure that the team increases their skills and ability to convince customers to purchase a product from the company. This will increase the entire team’s sales, productivity, and motivation once they can sell any product.

How to Find Your Mojo is a Fantastic Theme for the Team

Individuals and a team can encounter a dry patch where they struggle to make sales or complete tasks. The annual sales meeting agenda will allow the team to learn and grow their knowledge on dry patches and challenging times. These tips and tricks will be of great use throughout their sales career.

People, Process, and Performance

This theme solely focuses on the responsibility of a sales rep. The sales theme will allow the sales reps to learn how to use various processes to increase their performance and communication with the people. The theme will increase the sales reps’ entire system to build a process that will align with the company’s value.

These are just a few themes that the company can use. The company can create the theme. The best themes should align with the company’s goals and values.

FAQs

What is a Sales Meeting?

A sales meeting allows a team to share specific problems, strategies, and methods to increase or reach set goals for the company. The meeting is a platform to communicate clear and concise goals and guidelines to assist the team with their problems and issues.

How to Prepare for a Productive Sales Meeting

The organization can use agenda items with set points to create a set meeting. A productive meeting must have the goals and direction provided to the entire team. The expert speakers can identify key points to focus on that will enhance and increase the team’s productivity.

What To Do in a Post-Virtual Sales Meeting

A post virtual sales meeting, the company must send out feedback forms with a set amount of questions. The questions will be based on whether the meeting was engaging, successful, and valuable to all the attendees. The company sales leaders can use the post-meeting time to create action plans and strategies to push the company toward growth.

What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Virtual Meetings?

Advantageous of a virtual meeting is that it saves time and money for traveling. The team can join the discussion from the comfort of their living room. The online meeting is an environmentally friendly option and can be more accessible for a bigger team. The disadvantage is that the platform needs to allow for engagement and interaction. Technical difficulties and a lack of experience in arranging the meeting can be a disadvantage.

Conclusion

Sales meetings will allow the company to get all the sales reps together in one location. Here the business can share strategies, goals, and focus points that the team can use to increase their sales skills and productivity. These meetings add value to every sales employee and will provide the groups to share their experiences with the rest of the company. Regular sales meetings greatly benefit the company and allow members to be updated with new strategies, information, and knowledge.

Kelly Murphy

PRESIDENT & FOUNDER

Need Help Planning Your Next Corporate Event or Meeting?

What Do You Wear to a Company Christmas Party (Casual or Formal)

Updated: June 20, 2023

While there are several events and gatherings to look forward to throughout the year, the formal Christmas party, whether it’s at the office or among friends and family, is perhaps one of the most exciting parties of the festive season.

Looking stylish yet sophisticated and not overdressed can be a hard nail to hit on the head when planning your attire for the evening as you don’t want to seem daffy or ill-considered of the dress code. Striking that balance can feel like a tedious endeavor, especially if you are someone who doesn’t necessarily attend formal events for much of the year.

Whatever the event calls for, if it’s black-tie, cocktail, business casual, or even smart casual – taking a bit of time to put together a stylish outfit that allows you to look your best while still having fun can quickly become an easy task you will be able to tackle in no time.

Things You Must Consider

Before we dive right in, when planning your Christmas party outfits, or shopping around for the right pair of pants, or a sophisticated dress, take a look at some of the factors you will need to consider beforehand.

Location

Much of the time, people tend to plan their attire based on the physical event, such as the theme or even the color scheme may be. While this is an important consideration, it’s also more important to consider the physical location or setting where the event will be hosted.

Have you been invited to an indoor or outdoor Christmas party, and if so, how can you dress appropriately yet formally at the same time to ensure your look sophisticated while dressed down enough to have a bit of fun?

If the event is taking place outside, and it’s a formal dress code, you might want to dress down a bit, either a looser fit suit or a more neutral-colored dress. It’s important to see how well you can blend with the environment while still maintaining a strong contrast against the surrounding background.

Time of day

The time when the party will be taking place is also an important consideration, as this will help you prepare your attire according to the events that will occur throughout the gathering.

For an evening party, try to go with darker colors, such as black, gray, or red. You can also collaborate your attire with the festive Christmas colors, which are often dark green, deep red, and gold.

If the event is taking place during the day, you might want to look for colors and patterns that are more neutral and light, while still within the spectrum of the Christmas color scheme.

In terms of the dress or suit, you’ll be choosing, try to go a bit more formal for evening events, while a day party can be a bit more casual.

Weather

Weather also makes it difficult sometimes to dress appropriately, as you never know what to expect. In this case, if you already know where and when the event is taking place, depending on the weather, you can either dress a bit down or add a faux fur jacket or coat in case it gets colder throughout the festivities.

Always make sure to take a formal coat and jacket with you when you are attending a formal Christmas party; not only does it help you to be prepared for the worst possible weather conditions, but it also helps you to know whether you might feel a bit colder or hotter during the party if it’s taking place inside or outside, or even both.

Before you set off, take a bit of time to look up some other ideas for an office Christmas party outfit or holiday party back dress festive flair.

Planned Activities

There’s a good chance that you might be enjoying several different activities during the party, whether it’s dancing, sitting at a dinner table, mingling with others, or even enjoying some games – having your Christmas party outfits ready for whatever the night might throw out is almost a no-brainer.

Usually, the invitation will include whether there will be planned activities, but if you’re unsure, ask a friend or colleague who has attended a similar event before so that you have some idea of what to expect.

Check Out What Men Should Wear to a Holiday, Office, New Year’s Eve Party:

Dress Code for Holiday Party

Often, more than many, a Christmas party will have a dress code, which is usually announced in the invitation. Always make sure to read the invitation properly and that you know what to expect.

With this said, it’s also important to know that not every dress code is the same and that dressing up for each might look a bit different. As always, remember to keep in mind the location, time of day the event is taking place, the weather conditions, and if there will be any planned activities you may be enjoying during the party.

Black Tie Attire

When an invitation says black tie, you wear a black tie or suit, consider this the most formal dress code for a Christmas party.

This is usually where many people lose the plot of things, as black tie generally means that you should either wear a good-fitting suit, or perhaps a formal dress, either an evening or cocktail dress, depending on the setting and location.

A black tie might be a bit more formal, even stiff at times, but know that it’s better to always look your best at a black tie event.

Business Formal/Semi-Formal

Still somewhat formal, but not as formal as it requires you to wear a suit or gown throughout the event.

In this case, business formal usually refers to you wearing either a good-fitting blazer or jacket that’s neatly tailored, with a matching pair of pants and either tie or bowtie. You can also look for a less formal dress, something shorter if you’d like, or a pants suit.

When an invitation reads semi-formal, you can either pair your outfit with some sneakers, or comfortable shoes, while still looking formal and sophisticated at the same time. Make no mistake, semi-formal is still a formal look, regardless of what people may tell you, but just don’t show up with your best tuxedo, as you will be overdressed for the occasion.

Festive Dress Code

In short, a festive dress code simply refers to guests wearing either a themed outfit or using some sort of festive-related color or symbolism in their attire. Usually, people will either wear a shirt that matches one or two of the festive colors or even swap out a plain dress for something a bit more eclectic.

Whatever it may be, remember that it’s a formal event, for now at least, yet you’d still want to have a stylish and relaxed look without completely feeling out of place or overdressed.

Check Out Flattering & Comfortable Christmas Party Outfit Ideas – You Can Wear in Multiple Different Ways:

FAQs

Can I Wear Jeans for Formal Attire?

For a formal event, it’s best to consider what the dress code may be, but as a general rule of thumb, jeans are more considered casual wear and can be worn in a less formal setting.

What Do You Wear to a Corporate Christmas Party?

Depending on the dress code and what the theme of the party is, it’s best to wear something formal, either a well-tailored suit, a cocktail dress, or something a bit longer. Usually, corporate Christmas parties are more formal but can also lean towards being a bit more semi-business casual.

What Color Shirt Is Formal?

The best color shirt for a formal event is always white or black, depending on the color of the entire outfit. A general rule would be that white is always the best option.

Is a High-Low Dress Considered Formal?

High-low dresses can be considered formal, depending on what the dress code of the event may be, where it is taking place, and at what time of the day. A high-low dress would also work with a well-tailored jacket or coat and can be removed whenever the weather starts to change.

What Do You Wear to a Casual Business Christmas Party?

Employees attending a casual business Christmas party can wear loose-fitting clothes, sneakers, or anything that is considered less formal yet stylish at the same time. Make sure that you have at least one item that is a bit more formal than the rest, either a shirt, a jacket, or your pants.

Final Thoughts

For any person attending a formal Christmas party this festive season, it’s best to read what the dress code of the party may be, and also what you may expect at the event.

If you notice that it’s something a bit laid back and relaxed, opt for semi-casual yet sophisticated. On the other side of the spectrum, you can always be invited to a formal black-tie event, which might require you to up your outfit a bit.

Always make sure to read the invitation properly and that you take the time to plan and execute your outfit accordingly, as you never want to look overdressed or underdressed, for that matter.

Kelly Murphy

PRESIDENT & FOUNDER

Need Help Planning Your Next Corporate Event or Meeting?