You are in charge of planning a special one-evening event for your company. While you have helped in the past, this is your first time handling the entire evening. What elements need your attention ahead of all else? Use these four to serve as the foundation for the evening and the rest will fall into line with ease.

Setting the Date

Start with locking in a date for your event. Keep in mind that not any date will do. This is especially true when the reason for the event has to do with someone outside your company structure. It's imperative that you find out what dates would be convenient for the guest of honor.

For example, people who plan client appreciation events certainly want those clients to be present. If you randomly pick a date and find out later that your honored guest will be out of the country, what will you do? A better approach is to make discreet inquiries with a key person in your client’s company, identify a few dates where the individual will be free to attend, and settle on one of those.

Selecting a Location

Choosing the right location is impacted by several factors. How many people will be in attendance? Will all the guests be able to travel to the event and return home the same day or do you need to consider overnight accommodations? Depending on the nature of the event, you may also need to allow for securing several meeting rooms as well as a main room to use for dinners. Make sure whatever venue you choose has the features and amenities needed to make the event a success.

Choosing a Theme

Themes matter because they lend greater focus to events. Consider the reason for your event. Is is a product launch? Are you hosting an educational event? Perhaps it's intended to honor a valued client or celebrate some sort of milestone in the company's history. Even if you are planning some type of holiday get together, draw your inspiration from different Christmas party entertainment ideas offered by a professional event planner. One of them is sure to be a perfect fit or at least lead to a theme that is just right.

Hiring a Professional Caterer

You already have a lot of details to consider. Outsourcing some of the functions to professionals will make the job a lot easier. Catering is a prime example. Hire a caterer and plan out the menu for the event. Whether you are going for a casual buffet, a cafeteria style serving line, or a formal dinner where the food is brought to your seated guests, the caterer can take care of all the details.
Once you approve the menu, leave this part of the evening in capable hands while you move on to other aspects of the planning. While there are still plenty of things to decide, having these four elements settled will make the rest of the planning easier. Start today by contacting a professional planner. With the right help, your event will come together faster and easier than you expected.