How to Plan an Event Successfully
Veronica Brundle - Dec 15 2022, 4:18:54 PM
Knowing how to plan an event for your team is an important step toward creating a thriving workplace culture that feels connected and inspired. Team events provide fun, interactive experiences that keep your workforce engaged. An expertly planned team building event can help retain top talent and inspire your employees to become a team.
However, there’s much more to planning an event than meets the eye. Choosing the event, finalizing the date, and inviting your team are just half the battle.
Don’t worry; Elevent is here to help.
We’ve put together a step-by-step guide of our best event planning tips to help you plan successful team events so you can plan with confidence. Your employees, your organization, and your bottom line will thank you.
How to plan an event with the 5 Ws
Look, we get it. You're busy! As a leader in the workplace, you have a lot of tasks to juggle. The last thing you want to do is spend countless hours reading long lists of event planning tips.
Fortunately, we’ve broken down the virtual event planning process into five simple steps. These are what we call the “5 Ws” of events. Understanding these five simple steps will help you plan events of every size in the future.
Let's break it down:
Who
Whom are you planning this event for? Who is your target audience? Are you looking to plan an intimate team building event between departments or a holiday party your entire team can enjoy? Do you want to plan a social event for your new hires to get acquainted or arrange a special treat to reward your team for their hard work?
These are questions you'll want to ask yourself before planning an event. Then, after you define your audience, you'll want to take things one step further and consider their unique likes and dislikes, where they live, and how they can benefit from the event.
What
You can't just throw a date on the calendar and ask everyone to log in to a Zoom call. You'll need to ensure there is something to do and a way to keep everyone engaged. Ask yourself, what will your team gain from attending the event? How long should the event be? What key points do you want to get across throughout the duration?
The exciting part about virtual event planning is that every event is different, so you can get as creative as you please with every aspect.
Here are a few team event ideas to keep in mind:
Remember, no matter what your "What" is, ensure that it effectively ties back to your Who and Why. Every team has unique needs, and certain activities may prove more beneficial than others. For instance, an escape room will encourage teamwork and problem-solving, while a trivia night can stimulate healthy competition and camaraderie.
When
Next, you’ll want to choose a date that works well for your target audience. Take a look at your calendar and be mindful of important dates or meetings. If you're only planning something for a department or a group of new hires, it may be easier to find a date on the calendar. If you're doing a company-wide event, you may want to inform everyone a few weeks or months in advance and choose a slow day, like a Thursday or Friday.
If you're struggling to find a date that works for everyone, consider sending a survey to your team to get a feel for which date would be the best choice.
Where
With the rise of remote and hybrid work, members of a single team may reside in different cities, states, time zones, and countries. This can make it difficult for your team to attend an event in person.
If you have a remote or hybrid team, virtual event planning may be a better fit for your company dynamic. If you still have on-site employees or everyone is located in the same city, you have more flexibility with the Where.
Consider which video conferencing platform would work best for your team. Also, consider the time of the year this event takes place and how often you want this event to occur.
For example, if you plan quarterly team building experiences, you may send your team a Zoom invite at the end of every quarter to come together and connect. Making team events a regular part of your company’s schedule is a great way to ensure all team members can attend.
Why
Every event has a purpose. Whether it’s an employee appreciation event, a team building activity, or an onboarding icebreaker, the event goal will help determine the shape it takes. Want to improve your team's collaboration skills? Consider planning an escape room or a game night. Want to teach your team a new skill or familiarize them with software? Plan a lunch-and-learn. Want something fun and festive for the holidays? Consider a preplanned happy hour.
Your Why is always going to be the driving force of your event. If you want to find out if your event was a success, connect with your team and ask them how they feel! You can use their feedback to make changes when planning an event the next time.
Plan your next event with Elevent
Even though the five Ws of event planning provide a simple, straightforward event planning guide, you may feel like there's not enough time in the day to plan meaningful experiences for you and your team.
At Elevent, we handle it all for you. From creating a dedicated event homepage to sending out RSVPs and shipping any necessary materials to your team, we take care of it. All you need to do is find the perfect event, show up, and we'll take it from there.
Contact us today if you're ready to experience the Elevent difference.
Originally published at Dec 15 2022, 4:18:54 PM. Updated on May 4 2024.
Popular Event Collections
Related Articles
