How to Plan a Company Event

Planning an event for dozens or hundreds of people can seem overwhelming—but it doesn’t have to be. There are a lot of moving pieces, but having a checklist up front to make sure nothing is missing is a lifesaver.

At Valleyfair Amusement Park , we love hosting days for companies to appreciate employees for their hard work, celebrate their successes, or even take a day off together. Here are 5 things you’ll need to do to plan a successful event for your company.

Know your Goal

What are you hoping to accomplish with your event? Make employees feel valued? Give them some team building time? Before you even start planning the event itself, make sure the entire team is clear on why you’re planning the event and that everything points back to that goal.

Set a Budget

A good rule of thumb for larger events is to determine your budget and include an additional 10% for any incidental expenses that pop up during the planning process. Be sure to allocate funds for food and beverages!

To make it even easier, your Valleyfair representative will work with you to make sure you stay within a budget or just be available to discuss other budgeting ideas – like having employees offset a portion of the event itself (and increase buy-in to attend)!

Pick a Date

It may seem obvious, but if you’re planning a company event make sure to pick your date early! This is especially important if you’re using a venue, like Valleyfair Amusement Park , for your activity. You’ll want to get on the calendar as soon as possible to reserve your date.

Don’t Forget the Details

Typically, you’ll want to send an invitation out to your employees as soon as you have them—as soon as 6-8 weeks in advance, but no less than 4 weeks so they have time to plan. Still working on the itinerary? Send a save the date and be sure to follow it up with a formal invitation that includes all the fun details.

You’ll want to create two timelines: one for the day of the event and one for the overall planning of the event. Putting this together at the start of the planning process will help give guidance to everything that needs to get done.

Enjoy the Event!

Don’t forget to enjoy yourself on the day of the event. Celebrate your success!

Thinking about hosting an event for your employees? Valleyfair is the perfect spot for a day of team building, employee appreciation, or just an escape from the office. Contact us to learn more: https://bit.ly/3MLmlyI.