We know firsthand that organizing and delivering an event can be all-consuming, especially when it is an internal event.
Not only do you have internal stakeholders to impress, but you also have a team of people behind you expecting something big, worthwhile, and informative.
We sat down with Ben Hindman, Splash’s executive chairman and co-founder, and Erin Mills, owner and founder of Strat House, an industry-leading strategic event consulting group, to learn some of their best practices for producing all-star events.
Here are five questions to ask yourself when planning these types of events to help your team stay on track, use time efficiently, and produce internal events that rock.
Is your internal event for just your department or are you mixing up various sectors of your company?
It’s critical to align with stakeholders on who will attend this internal event.
And frankly, an internal event can be messy, boring, or even a total flop if you don’t plan and create content for the relevant audience.
Because once you establish who the event is for, building out the rest of your program is simple.
Is it solely for fun? Does there need to be a dedicated focus on business initiatives? Or are you trying to find a balance between the two?
Before you plan your internal event, make sure you set clear objectives about why you’re bringing people together. That way, you can set a relevant agenda and design an event that achieves its purpose.
A big question to consider when mapping it out is: will your internal event be driven by specific content and activities, or will there be more free space to “choose your own” adventure?
Try having a good balance between structure and freedom. While you want to ensure your event is well planned, you also need to allow space for things to happen naturally and organically. Especially after these past two years filled with stress, anxiety, and worry, it’s important to let your attendees breathe and process.
Will your activities require attendees to collaborate, or will they get to listen to expert panels and presentations?
Deciding this question is important, especially when it comes to the focus of your event. If you’re focusing on connections and relationships, plan content that allows your attendees to co-create something together through a workshop or a hands-on activity.
If the purpose of your internal event is to inform your attendees about industry trends or a new product launch, then choose a format that will help attendees to absorb the most information.
Hint: make sure the coffee pot is always full.
Now that your program is planned and you have an idea of what your internal event will look like it’s time to determine whether it is mandatory to attend.
Now that your program is planned and you have defined what your internal event will look like, it’s time to decide if you want to mandate employee attendance.
With your goals and objectives outlined, it comes down to what you are wanting to achieve from your offsite.
Are there certain educational or bonding activities that you really think attendees could benefit from? Are there places in your program where you could allow attendees to opt in or out?
It’s important to respect your attendees’ time, so if your internal event needs to be mandatory, try to find ways that also give them some freedom and choice.
