With the approach of Christmas and the end of the year, corporate events come to the forefront. Most leaders have their emergency lights flashing at this time, thinking, „let's quickly get this task done”...
This is when the rush comes, along with the seemingly simplest solution: someone will do it in-house. But is this really the best, most effective, and cheapest solution? Far from it. Here are 7 reasons why you shouldn't do it this way.
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Event planning is a profession!
Event planning is just as much a profession as electrical engineering, architectural design, or medicine. Just as we don't start tinkering with electrical wiring at home, or design our own house, or perform surgery on ourselves, it's better to leave our events to experts. It requires expertise, experience, and a network of contacts. Why? For the same reason as engineering or medicine, to prevent anyone from getting hurt. Obviously, this is a bit of an exaggeration, but not entirely. Events are subject to special legal and tax regulations (which the receptionist tasked with the job may not know), and their organization requires knowledge of many details and nuances that can only be acquired through experience. The simplest example: just because you had a great lunch at a restaurant with your wife, it doesn't mean that the restaurant is prepared to serve a larger group at the same time.
And is a restaurant really the most suitable for the event's level, the company's image, strategy, and messages? Or is a dedicated event venue more appropriate, where further questions immediately arise, such as where to order furniture, technology, food, drinks, and decorations? If there is even a free venue left that hasn't already been booked by event organizers who know the market situation and Budapest's capacities well since May. Or just because a musician looks good on TV, it doesn't mean they will perform well live. But the simplest illustrative example: do you know where to turn if you can no longer rent equipment (e.g., chairs) because they have run out due to the peak season?
You might say, "but you have experience, you always do it this way." Well, even if you have 10-15 events a year, do you think that experience can compete with that of a professional company that has the same number of events every month for decades?
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The event is part of your communication.
Do you have a logo? Do you have advertisements? Do you have promotions? And did you do all of these yourself (or the receptionist, or your friend, or...)? If the answer to all is yes, don't read further, I won't be able to convince you. However, if the answer to the last question is no, then it's good to know that events are just as much a part of communication as anything else you would have done with an advertising agency or a company specialized in communication. What happens at the event says something about you and your company. Whether it's an internal (for colleagues) or external (for clients) event, it matters greatly what experience they leave with.
When they leave, do they think this was just one of many, or (depending on the purpose) that it was about them, your brand? It really matters what quality they receive, as this is how they will judge or forget you. Live communication (which events represent today) is more important than ever. There are companies if you want printed advertisements, there are companies if you want TV commercials, there are companies if you want online advertisements. Why do you want to handle live communication yourself?
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You don't have the proper infrastructure for it!
Whatever you are dealing with, your company is definitely not set up to pay subcontractors in cash on-site (the payment terms of subcontractors are surely not compatible with your rules and administrative expectations), your colleague's working hours/employment contract is certainly not defined to be on-site from dawn until night, you don't have your own courier/purchaser if something needs to be solved immediately. If you take on these tasks yourself, you will only achieve that you have to invest much more energy into the event than it would actually require from you.
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The most stressful civilian profession
Event planning is one of the most stressful civilian professions. Therefore, not everyone can become an event planner. Besides having a lot of special competencies (logistical sense, organizational skills, conflict resolution skills, precision, creativity, etc.), the ability to withstand stress is essential.
This can either be acquired through many years of experience or is a natural talent. But it is certain that not everyone possesses it. I assume you also have a labor shortage. Do you really want to entrust an already (likely) overburdened colleague with a task in which they lack sufficient experience, and which may not even suit them? What will happen if you lose them too?
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You take away the reward from your colleague
A Christmas party or any other internal event should be a reward for everyone. If you trust someone within the organization to handle the planning, they certainly won't be able to relax at the event (or if they do, there won't be anyone to solve the arising problems). In other words, not only are you not rewarding that one or two people at Christmas, but you are also adding extra burden to their already heavy workload, alongside the family tensions caused by the holidays. They certainly won't thank you for this.
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The cheaper might be the more expensive!
Agencies work for an agency fee, so at first glance, you will surely find it more expensive than if you or a colleague organized it. But this is far from the truth. Since event agencies use the same subcontractors for several events each year, they can obtain things at a discounted price, and they can pass these discounts on to you. Additionally, you won't order unnecessary things that you don't need. Not to mention the many tasks and frustrations that may arise during the planning process, especially if you are not prepared for it (see the points above). How much extra energy and time does it take (and time is money, right)? Especially the last-minute tasks, requests, rentals, which cost even more money due to the short deadlines.
The most extreme case is losing a colleague because of this. Is it really worth it? Instead, you could choose to trust a company, and thus only make one phone call, negotiate with one person (who represents your interests), instead of many small companies and subcontractors. The agency fee is the price for you to stay calm and continue your daily workflow. I'm sure in the end you'll get better value for money.
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Do you want to be like everyone else?
What is new to you may not be new to your guests. It is possible (and even likely) that others are inviting your clients to events, and just like with you, they will also attend theirs. Just because you came up with something or because you haven't encountered it yet, doesn't mean it won't be unique or well-functioning. What makes your product or service better than your competitor's? It must be unique in some way. Well, your event should be like that too, so that guests remember it and associate it with you and your brand. Think of events as the physical manifestation of your own brand/product.
As the good old saying goes: Shoes from the shoe store!
Image source: pexels.com
