Planning Corporate Events on a Budget

Corporate events in Nigeria are often outsourced to professional event managers like myself. My many years of experience and success in managing corporate and other events as well as my eye for detail and artistic eye mean my work has become noted in this area and my corporate clients include multinationals, government organisations and SMEs alike. 

A corporate event I did for the Centurion

Event planners can assist with as much or as little as you need or can afford and although a full service will produce the best result there will be some who cannot afford the full service, especially in the beginning of a company's life. This blog post provides expert advice for such companies on what can be done to produce reasonable results on a tight budget.
Corporate events often include staff, clients and/or stakeholders and vary greatly in their size and format (i.e. private concerts, conventions, conferences, parties, retreats, holidays parties, awards/gala events), with retreats, awards and parties being the most popular formats.


In particular, companies are realizing the benefits of organizing recreational events for employees creating engagement and assisting staff retention. It may be conducted in-house or offsite at low cost too.

An event planner like myself would help your company find vendors, venues and amenities that are easy on the pocket and I thoroughly recommend getting a quote as it may be cheaper than you think and is often customisable to most budgets. The photos in this article show what I was able to do for a major parastatal; the National Library, celebrating the Centurion, this was not a low budget event. But if you choose not to hire a planner, because you feel you don't have enough funds to invest in one here are some rescue hints on what can be done!

Location, Location, Location
Once you know your budget and how many people are attending contact venue providers (restaurant, bars etc) looking for prices for group bookings. Negotiate well, many restaurant and bars in Abuja do set menus for groups call me on 0803 320 9036 to find out what I can secure for you in your budget. 


Smaller is Better
Inviting family is a nice ideal you should work towards to show your interest in their lives and foster deeper relationships with your staff. BUT IT IS MORE EXPENSIVE! So for now restrict the event to staff only or limit to one guest per staff member.

An event I did for a major government parastatal where family were invited.

KISS = Keep it Simple Sunshine

This is not a wedding or landmark birthday or other private celebrations, so less is expected from you funnily enough and it need not be over-the-top for people to love, enjoy and remember it. Do it during office hours if possible to provide a break from the office hustle and bustle and not keep people from their other commitments outside work. Then send the staff home at normal office closing time. Where it is a staff only event, simple decor (i.e. a few balloons if on-site and nothing if offsite) are all that is needed. Besides this, good conversation and a good menu everyone understands makes the most sense so opt for fast food or even Nigerian jollof rice as opposed to French frog legs in garlic for cuisine!



THE CAKE!
Keeping it simple does not mean it should not be kept special. If you have a corporate event or a success to celebrate, contact me to create a marvellous cake to impress and let your staff know this is a special event and not just a trip to the local restaurant. Let them know some effort was made in planning this day. This is the centrepiece of your event and will feature in photos and videos of the event which you can use in attracting new staff who will be impressed by your social offering.
Why me? Well for me corporate cakes are all about getting to know you, your company and your brand.

National Library Centurion Celebration Cake I created for order

This is how I create bespoke cakes that really represent you with input from you on design and flavour and of course all my clients say my cakes are undeniably delicious.
No budget is too big and small budgets can be accommodated also so call me now on 0803 320 9036 to find out what I can secure for you in your budget.




Decor DIY
If hiring exclusive rights to a venue or doing the event on-site enlist staff to put up balloons, banners, candles, artificial flowers, string lights, rolls of fabric, drapes, etc. Not only is this cheaper than getting a decorator, but they can also be re-used for future events. Just make sure it is not tacky as you are hosting adults whose respect you require. You can contact me for advice and for the purchase or hire of bulk decorations on 0803 320 9036.

Outdoor Centurion Event Decorated by Aloway Event Planning and Cakes

The Countdown Begins
You don't want to bore your guests who may not be sociable enough with each other to sustain a whole day of conversation so limit it to a few hours for instance in a normal 9 to 5 workday the event could start at 2pm and finish 5pm or give them a free hour finishing at 4pm so you wrap up the day early and send them home happy.


A Helping Hand
For the tightest of budgets asking staff members to contribute financially makes sense especially if they are bringing friends or family. But make sure there are plenty of incentives for doing so i.e. finish work early, giving out awards/certificates etc as this more often may put off some staff who feel you should pay to show your appreciation for their efforts.
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Rita Alo is an event planner and cake connoisseur (Aloway Event Planning and Cakes) offering services for every budget on organising special events private and corporate. Call 0803 320 9036 to find out what Aloway Event Planning and Cakes can secure for you on your budget.