Is promoting a product or introducing a new partner the incentive for the social event you are about to organize? Alternatively, if your business is thriving, chances are that not all employees who collaborate between departments know each other in person, so a little mingling would do them good. 

Social events can be the perfect opportunity for everyone to become acquainted which will straighten the employees’ bonds and their sense of belonging. This feeling of pride regarding the success of the company they work for, as well as belonging to a team, will ultimately result in a boost in productivity.

Here are a few pieces of advice to help you organize a memorable social event for your business.

Define the event’s objectives

The first step should be making sure you know what you wish to achieve with this event. Having even just a few bullet points can help immensely with the rest of the organization since it steers it in a particular direction. This is also the phase when you decide on the guest list, so an online event registration platform such as Meetup could come in handy when it comes to RSVP management. 

Outline the total expenses

Knowing your budget is crucial in organizing a successful social event. The best situation is when your budget can cover exactly what you wish to achieve, but that is not always the case. That means you might need to re-think the goals, or if they cannot be changed, then other elements might need to be adjusted, such as the place, decorations, the catering, etc. Once you have this done, you will have a framework to help you with the rest of the organization.

Prepare branded accessories as gifts

If you wish your guests to remember both the event and your brand, it would be good to prepare some branded merchandise in advance. When it comes to the choice of the item to put your logo on, many suppliers, such as the creative Fast Promotional Products, offer everything from stationary to aprons. Hiring professionals will give you peace of mind so you can dedicate your time to other organizational steps.

Find the right venue

Depending on your budget, you will need to find the venue which will match your objectives and your guests alike. If you were planning the promotion of a product in front of your foreign business partners, the venue and the theme have to be strictly business-like. However, if your aim is to celebrate hitting a target, and people to get to know each other, the space needs to be relaxing.

Choose the food and drink menu

Whether we want to admit it or not, people also come to these events counting that there will be food. So, you need to make sure that you also have food for vegetarians and vegans as well. As for the drinks, not all people like wine, nor do all people drink alcohol. Make sure you have some beers and perhaps cocktails, as well as soft drinks. To make it easy on you and your budget, you can ask them to write any special preferences regarding food and drinks when they RSVP to the event.

Promote the event

Social networks are your friends in this regard, especially Facebook. Its advertising campaigns are exceptional when it comes to targeting just the right people, and not that complicated to set up. If you create a buzz about the event, people will be excited to show up, meaning that you will actually make sure that the event is a success. Post pictures and short videos carefully designed to raise their interest in the event’s organization.

Entertain your guests

Regardless of whether the event is of a strictly business character or it’s more of a mingle party, you want everyone to communicate. In order to break the ice and facilitate communication, it is vital for you to initiate the interaction. A good way to do that is by organizing a competitive game, through which the randomly paired-up contestants will need to collaborate in order to complete certain tasks. 

Organizing an event, regardless of the size, can be quite an undertaking, but if you prepare everything on time, it can be pleasurable. Organizing your time, setting up objectives and resource allocation are three main pillars of your event’s organization. Other decisions, such as the venue, catering, and entertainment will depend on the first three, especially the budget. As a perfect finishing touch, give away branded merchandise to your guests – people will love a free gift and they will associate it with your brand whenever they use it.