“You will never see eye-to-eye if you never meet face-to-face.” – Warren Buffett, Chairman and CEO, Berkshire Hathaway

Meetings or Corporate Events can take many shapes:  seminars, conferences, trade shows – even team building, project management, VIP or customer entertainment and beyond.  No matter what type of gathering you’re putting together for your organization, if you follow a few basic design principles during the planning process, your event has a greater chance of being a success.

Things to consider:

Intention – a course of action

On its surface, a corporate meeting is an opportunity to get together and discuss topics that need discussing.  When planning your meetings, do not forget that fundamentally, a successful, in-person corporate meeting can serve the greater purpose of increasing motivation; it can inspire and encourage new ideas.  Take a moment before planning to sit with the intention behind the corporate meeting.  A solid intention is the first step to an effective corporate meeting.

Purpose – a target, aim or goal to be reached

Determine what the specific reason for this meeting is.  Is it to solve a problem? Review data? Invent something new? Provide an opportunity for the team to interact face-to-face? Diffuse conflict? What do you want attendees to capture and walk away with? Figure out the reason as specifically as possible and write it down. Depending on the purpose of the meeting, changing the scenery to a location outside the office may be an ideal choice.

Elements – the tangibles

These are all of the pieces that make up your event. Get out your pad and pen and start making lists.   Set firm dates, coordinate with stakeholders, determine a budget, negotiate proposals for venues and hotels, and confirm an event agenda.  Schedule in opportunities for participation. It could be a Q & A session, team-building activities, or brainstorming breakout sessions.   Prepare and operate from a checklist for all of the elements – when used correctly, the checklist will become your survival guide for the event.

Planning and executing a corporate meeting or event isn’t easy, but it’s no secret:  Face-to-face meetings are how the hard work gets done. Let Mission Inn Resort’s team of professionals help you give your team the opportunity to bond, grow, create and collaborate.  Call today to reserve your corporate event venue. 352.324.3101