Photo Credit: Gregory Beltre Photography

The end of the year always brings with it reflections and resolutions about how to make next year better. Life is just too short to hold back on doing what you really want. This extends to event planning too - life’s too short for boring events! While you’ll inevitably have some challenges like budget or scheduling to deal with, that doesn’t mean you can’t dream big and plan the fabulous event you want. Here are some of our best tips to create events that go far beyond boring.

1. Know the Goals

   What are your client’s goals for the event? What do they hope to get out of it, and what do you as the event planner hope to get out of it? Focusing on the goal of the event allows you to present it in the best way possible. Everyone’s time is valuable and attention spans are shrinking, so you don’t want guests milling around at your event without a clear idea of what to do. If this means scheduling exciting speakers to grab everyone’s attention, or incorporating that new piece of technology that will have them talking, discuss the event’s objectives with your team to make sure you’re all on the same page.

2. Small Budget, Big Dreams

   You don’t have to break the bank to plan an event, and event planners often have to find themselves doing more with less. A tight budget should never prevent you from thinking big and bold. There are plenty of ways to get what you really want for your event, from in-kind donations, partnerships and other reciprocal agreements with vendors. Also remember that bigger doesn’t always mean better. Minimalism is in - just ask Marie Kondo. Simple decorations or a DIY look may even be the right message for some clients, like small start-up companies. Focus on experiences instead, like speakers or activities to make the event really interesting.

3. Theme to the Extreme

   Often, the simplest way to take an event from average to exciting is simply to assign it a theme. A theme takes a simple business-related event and gives it personality and vibrance. Once you’ve chosen a theme, look at it from every angle. Think about ways to make the theme stand out - an easy way to do this is to flip the theme and do the opposite. (That’s how the “Christmas in July” theme was born.) A word of caution: there’s a fine line between interesting and tacky, so go big on your theme, but keep professionalism high on the priority list.

4. Do It for the ‘Gram

   If your guests aren’t snapping pics and putting it all on Instagram, did your event even happen? Social media is the measurement of success in today’s world, so you definitely want your event to be exciting enough to be tweeted and hashtagged online. When making decisions about things like decorations and theme, ask yourself how “Instagrammable” they are. What can you do to make your event more unique and visually appealing? Perhaps that means creating appetizers that look like art, adding a step-and-repeat backdrop that will have people lining up for selfies, or simply selecting an event venue with breathtaking views of the Manhattan skyline like Tribeca Rooftop and Tribeca 360º. And don’t forget to use Instagram as a tool to help you come up with design ideas - the last time we checked, #eventplanner had almost 7.5 million posts! That’s a lot of inspiration!

When planning a corporate event, it’s about more than just being professional and efficient. It’s also about making an impact, and creating relationships and memories for your client. Just remember, life’s too short to have boring events!

Our corporate events team loves to focus on the fine details of NYC event planning. Contact us if you have any questions about planning your corporate event in New York City.