Knowing how to host a social event for your business is a great skill that pays off later. Professional social events are great for connecting employees, business partners, and customers, creating an opportunity to build professional relationships that last.
The Benefits of a Business Social Event
Knowing how to host a social event for your business is about more than creating a relaxing environment where guests can enjoy themselves. Some core benefits include building a strong company culture, sharing company ethics and values with guests, and connecting employees at all levels with each other and with business partners and customers.
The above all leads to improved collaboration, loyalty, trust, and team morale within your business.
How to Host a Social Event for Your Business
A successful social event for your business needs a great venue, catering, entertainment, and more to make it stand out from other events throughout the year. Below are the key aspects you need to consider to host a successful social event for your business.
Start by Creating Your Event Plan
Your event plan will form the backbone of your event, providing direction throughout the planning stage and clarifying key details. At this stage, decide if the event’s purpose is to let employees socialise with each other or if you want to include business partners, customers, members of the public, and anyone else.
Other items you can include in the social event plan are:
- Goals you want to achieve during the event
- The target audience for the event, like new employees or specific departments
- The size of the guest list and venue
- Formality, dress code, and theme
- Preferred dates
- The event’s format and order of activities
Set a Budget
Set the budget with the event plan in mind to ensure you meet all event goals and objectives. To help form a realistic budget that you can stick to, allocate specific funds for the following:
- The venue
- Food and beverages
- Entertainment
- Speakers
- Event staff
- Marketing
- Gifts
Choose the Entertainment Options
Including entertainment options is a must so that guests stay interested and continue participating. The options you choose should fit in with the event’s theme, and try to select entertainment options that encourage interaction between guests.
You can include a company talent show where employees get on stage to compete for a prize. You can also set up various games and competitions around the venue. Live music is another excellent idea, but ensure that guests can still hear each other over the music if the band plays for most of the event.
Choose a Fitting Venue
There are many excellent venues throughout Sydney to choose from that provide a professional setting for your social event. As well as looking for one that matches the event’s formality and theme, look for one that has:
- Sufficient parking for the event size
- Easy access in a central location
- Enough space for all of your guests
- Spaces for entertainment, like a stage area
- Kitchen amenities for the caterers
- Soft acoustics that don’t amplify noise from everyone talking
Choose a Great Caterer and Menu
An effective caterer is flexible with food options so that your event can cater to the full range of dietary needs. It’s a massive bonus if the caterer is already familiar with your chosen venue. Ask for tastings once you have an outlined menu to check the quality of what they will serve at the party.
During the Event
As your guests enjoy the event that you have put together, there are a few things that you can do to maximise their experience and help things run smoothly.
Encourage Guest Interactions
Mixing and mingling in different groups helps everyone connect with a broader range of guests at the party. If you are inviting any special guests, make sure to introduce them in the beginning so everyone has a chance to approach them throughout the event. Teams and activities involving small groups are a great way to create opportunities for people to talk, especially if those groups are changed regularly.
Seating also plays a critical role in interacting. Avoid fixed seating around a large table and opt for smaller tables instead. You can also spread the food stations around the venue to motivate everyone to be more mobile.
Greet and Farewell Guests at the Door
The host sets the event’s tone from the start, so greet all guests at the door as they arrive and say goodbye as they leave. While saying goodbye at the door, you can hand each guest a gift for coming if gifts haven’t been handed out earlier during the event.
The Importance of Hiring the Best Event Planners in Sydney
Learning how to host a social event for your business can come with various moving parts, from organising catering, entertainment, and the venue, to setting a sensible budget. To ensure that every aspect is taken care of to the last detail, many companies choose dedicated event planners like Navarra Venues so that no unexpected surprises pop up at the last minute.
Contact the Navarra Venue team and get the latest tips and guides on event planning by following Navarra Venues on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
