End-of-year (EOY) events are generally the most anticipated company functions of the year. Many businesses seem to be allocating more and more funds annually to ensure they are grand and memorable. This might be due to CEOs and directors having a need to celebrate company milestones, achievements or to underline overall company productivity.
Truth is, EOY events do a lot more for a company than simply celebrate success. Many businesses are seeing the benefits of having an EOY event. It is all about rewarding the employees, but in many ways, it is a whole lot more.
Experiential marketing professionals live and breathe for the event industry; only they have the knowledge and the power to assemble the multiple pieces of the elaborate “event puzzle”. When it comes to planning a EOY event, experiential marketers simply do it better.
Having the right connections
Planning a successful EOY event requires having access to an extensive list of contacts. Unless you work in the event industry, these contact lists may be out of reach. It’s important to remember that the event planner’s role is to build meaningful and lasting relationships with the stakeholders involved in the event planning process. Having a strong network and contact list can be particularly useful when it comes to getting deals done, hiring a venue and booking the best live entertainment.
Our network and extensive contact list have become our most prized possession. After being in the industry for almost six years, we’ve gained hundreds of contacts in the event industry including members of councils, brand sponsors, event attendees, national media and of course industry influencers.
Help in building and maintaining reputation
In the corporate world, reputation is everything. If you’re planning an event, you want to ensure that the financial investment was worthwhile and that your efforts were recognised. Done right, end-of-year events can help boost employee morale, build strong relationships and most importantly boost overall company productivity.
An EOY event can also be a pretext to reinforce brand and company values. Transparency, trust and company loyalty are part of the crucial mix that most businesses will value and put forth. This can have positive impact on company productivity as employees are reminded why they chose to work for a particular company in the first place.
Planning the communication process
When it comes to planning an event, there are a lot of small details, logistics and strict timelines to consider. Event planners have the responsibility of keeping track of the overall communication process. Most elements do require special attention and are part of a larger communication plan. This process is not finite but ongoing and involves daily follow-ups with various stakeholders such as venue managers, sponsors and members from City Council.
Managing the event planning process
Little and even big surprises will always interrupt the planning process of an EOY event and these might not always be pleasant. This is why planners must always prepare for twists and turns along the way.Time management, the ability to think quickly and adapt to change are the essentials characteristics needed in the event planning industry.
Regardless of your organisational skills, If you’re already handling a pretty hefty workload, chances are that event planning is the last thing on your task list – and you shouldn’t be left feeling overwhelmed.
Whether you’re going big or small, make sure you begin planning your event between six to 12 months ahead of time as you want to ensure your event reaches the height it deserves.
TJ Carroll, Director, ENGAGE at Disegno
