Planning a business event in East Valley, AZ?
Whether you’re looking to motivate your team, train new leaders, launch a product or service line, or celebrate your company’s achievements, some crucial planning will help your event go smoothly. Better yet, you’ll guarantee a fun-filled day that your team will never forget!
Here at Modern Moments, we don’t just have the perfect venue for planning meetings, team building events, and classroom trainings in Gilbert. We also have our 20-year veteran event planner who can help you coordinate all event logistics for stress-free hosting.
With our event planner’s knowledge, we’ve put together our expert tips for every stage of the event planning process. Consider it the “Ultimate Business Event Planning Guide” for your East Valley business:
Plan 6 to 9 months ahead
Determine your guest list
Set clear budget parameters
Secure a business-friendly venue
Decide on an event theme
Create a day-of-event itinerary
Celebrate your results
Want to Book Fortune 500-Style Conference Room Facilities in the Heart of East Valley?
At Rocket SPACE, our Mission Control conference room is the perfect place for workshops, presentations, planning meetings, classroom trainings, and more. Offering customizable seating arrangements for up to 50 people, two 65” TVs with integrated touchscreen controls, a state-of-the-art projector, whiteboards, and blazing fast WiFi, your team will have everything you need to bring your best ideas to life!
Need a bit more space? You can also book Outer SPACE, our beautiful outdoor venue with room for up to 300 guests. Your team can spread out and mingle across our verdant event lawn, a spacious amphitheater, and large open patio. Then, enjoy a meal or snacks with our convenient outdoor dining setup. We’ll provide tables and chairs, local catering referrals, and personalized advice for your unique business event needs.
Plan 6 to 9 Months Ahead
When it comes to hosting a business event, we recommend planning 6-9 months in advance. But if your event is on the larger side, you might even prepare a full year ahead.
For starters, you’ll need a secure a venue, and those book up fast (anywhere from 6 to 18 months, depending on the venue’s availability). If you wait too long, you might not find a place to host your business event at all!
Second, you’ll need time to identify the purpose of your event. What’s your “why” behind it? What are you looking to accomplish?
By having clear goals and objectives, you’ll have greater success identifying who needs to be invited, what your budget should be, and what kind of venue to search for.
Determine Your Guest List
Budget is usually a top concern for any event, but it’s important to know how many people will be attending first. That way, you can determine what sized venue you’ll need and how much to spend on food and refreshments.
Will it be an intimate gathering of 10-15 key leaders at your company? A medium-sized event with 50 guests? Or a large-scale event with 100+ attendees?
Food and venue will be your biggest expenses, and headcount dictates how much you’ll spend on both. By nailing down your guest list first, you’ll have an easier time during the budgeting process. If you need to reduce your overall costs, adjusting the number of guests is a quick way to do it.
Set Clear Budget Parameters
On to the fun part: budgeting!
Kidding— we know that budgeting can be the most difficult aspect of planning an event.
To help alleviate stress, it’s crucial to assess how much you have to spend before looking into the fun things like caterers and venues. With an overall budget in place, you can then decide what takes priority and where to spend your hard-earned money.
For example, do you want an unforgettable venue with all the bells and whistles? A well-known guest speaker to inspire your team? Or delicious appetizers, drinks, and meals from the best caterer in town? Depending on the size of your budget, you can decide what to prioritize.
Pro tip:
Once you’ve set a realistic budget, we recommend tacking on an extra 10% for unexpected expenses. Despite your best planning efforts, live events don’t always go according to plan. Examples of incidental costs include:
Cleaning charges due to spills or rowdy guests
Last-minute entertainment cancellations and rebooking fees
Additional catering costs due to unexpected RSVPs
Potential credit-card processing fees
Transportation costs
And more
When planned right, your business event will leave a lasting impression. Don’t let overspending be what everyone remembers!
Secure a Business-Friendly Venue
Rocket SPACE’s Mission Control conference room is climate-controlled and packed with all the technology needed to foster creativity and collaboration.
Now that you know your business event goals, guest list, and budget parameters, it’s time to select a venue.
Venues range vastly in size, cost, amenities, and event coordination services. Before putting down a deposit, make sure that your desired venue can accommodate the needs of your guests and agenda.
For example, will you need a conference room with audio/video facilities? Refreshments and catering? Or help setting up tables, chairs, and stage management? From coordinating lunches and guest speakers to executive presentations, the venue should allow for seamless transitions between breaks and activities. This way attendees can remain focused and keep the good ideas flowing!
Venues typically charge by the hour, so you’ll need to decide on a timeline for your event. Will it be a half-day, full-day, or multi-day experience?
Moreover, keep in mind the weather conditions for the season of your event. If it’s blazing hot in July, you may need to consider indoor venues with air conditioning only. The comfort of your team can make or break productivity!
From company picnics to team building activities and more, Rocket SPACE’s outdoor venue can host teams as large as 300.
Decide on an Event Theme
Event themes help bring excitement to your team. After all, off-site business events are meant to invigorate, inspire, and uplift your people for new growth opportunities.
Not sure what to choose? Take to Pinterest or Instagram for event ideas. Or, you can pick a theme based on the season or agenda of your event.
For example, if you’re planning a goal-setting event in January or February, you might decide on a Carnivàle theme. With brightly colored tablecloths, centerpieces, and sparklers (especially if your event goes into the evening), your team will be jazzed to launch into the new year.
On the other hand, if it’s an annual summer event meant to celebrate your company’s success, you might make it a BBQ event. With simple and practical decor like checkered tablecloths and white napkins, your guests will be casual, relaxed, and happy to mingle with each other.
If you decide that a theme isn’t necessary, you can still make it special by printing custom-branded notepads, pens, and company swag for your team members to take home and remember the event by.
Pro tip:
If you’re short on time or decor, consider picking an inspirational quote to guide your event. Write it on a whiteboard or print it and pass it around to attendees. As the day progresses, return back to what the quote means to you and your team members. This will function just like a theme, in that it illustrates the meaning of why you’re there.
Create a Day-of-Event Itinerary
Looking to book your next corporate event? Modern Moments has state-of-the-art conference facilities, right here in Gilbert, AZ.
Unlike recreational events, business events have a clear agenda and purpose behind them. When your team arrives, you don’t want to waste valuable time getting organized while everyone just sits there chit-chatting.
To set yourself up for success, create a day-of itinerary that clearly outlines your event activities. This could be a detailed calendar with 15 to 30-minute time increments or larger timeblocks that provide an overview of what attendees can expect.
Make sure you plan for the inevitable late arrivals, restroom breaks, meals, and more. As we mentioned above, venues typically charge by the hour, so you don’t want to risk going over time (and budget!).
Celebrate Your Results
Pulling off a corporate or business event is no small feat. When all is said and done, take time to celebrate your results!
Send out an email thanking everyone for coming. You might even include a survey asking attendees what they most enjoyed. Then, share the feedback and photos company-wide to encourage positivity and excitement about future events.
If something goes wrong, don’t dwell on it. Rather, make a note so that you can improve upon it next time.
Need a Venue for Your Next Business Event? Book a Tour of Modern moments Today.
Modern Moments is a convenient, versatile, and charming indoor/outdoor venue, right here in Phoenix’s East Valley. From large-scale corporate events to intimate planning meetings, we have the perfect space for business events and celebrations of all kinds.
Our Mission Control conference room is jam-packed with all the technology your team could ever need to strategize and roadmap your company’s initiatives. And with a spacious kitchen, refreshment bar, and restrooms just steps away, your team can relax and stay charged for all the day’s activities.
Best of all? Modern Moments provides the friendly services of our in-house venue coordinator, complete with trusted recommendations for local vendors, at no extra charge.
Call us at (480) 347-9687 or click below to schedule your free tour today.