Stuck on the fence about whether to host a stand-up soirée or a seated celebration? We spoke to the team of business event experts from CIS Event Management to get their top tips for event planners on which format is best for your event.

Dee Nicholas, Founder of CIS Event Management says that, “The answer to the question – to cocktail party or to dine – really depends on your event aims and audience”. Professional event managers know just how important it is to identify your event aims and audience from the outset as these things filter through every element of your event – from venue selection and menu choice to room configuration and entertainment.

The team of event planners at CIS Event Management ask their clients in-depth questions about who is attending and what the purpose of the event is – for example, it may be an awards night for top performing sales staff. In cases where there are going to be many formalities – such as speeches, awards, presentations and displays, Dee and her team recommend a seated event would be the best format.

Seated events are the best format for events with formalities.

Where the aims of your event are around mingling and networking, Dee and her team of event planners recommend a cocktail party style event format as this will provide you with a more casual forum for your guests to walk around freely and get to know each other.

Cocktail party style events should always include some furniture for your guests comfort.

Dee notes that there is a common misconception that a cocktail party event will be a cheaper alternative to a seated lunch or dinner. Event spaces and catering packages are effectively priced on duration – so if you are looking to have a 5 hour seated dinner or a 5-hour cocktail party, you still require the same amount of venue hire time, food, beverages and staff to service your event! The only instance that you could look at reducing your costs for a cocktail party event versus a seated event is when you look at a shorter duration for the cocktail party.

Cocktail party style events are best when you want your guests to mingle.

Whilst costs for table settings including linen and centrepieces are not relevant to a cocktail party – Dee and the CIS Event Management team encourages their clients to always factor in budget for cocktail party furniture (including bar trees, bar stools and a lounge area) to help fill up your chosen venue and to ensure the comfort of your guests.

CIS Event Management have been bringing business events to life for the last 13 years. Speak to their friendly team of event planners today to start your planning.

Special Offer

CIS Event Management has an AWESOME offer for event planners that like to think outside the square – book your event with them by the end of the month and choose from a range of goodies including custom event app, event photography, DJ and more! Click here to find out more.

The team at Complete Function Hire have been working with Melbourne’s best event planners to help bring events to life for the last 20 years. Contact our passionate team today to find out how we can help you create your dream event.

Image credits – Museum Spaces, Restaurant Associates. Photography by Stewie Donn Photography.

Conference attendees may often attend several business events across the year. To ensure that your upcoming conference stands out and leaves a lasting impression, we got some expert tips from the professionals! Dee Nicholas and the team at CIS Event Management have been creating exceptional event experiences for over 10 years all over Australia. We were thrilled to catch up with Dee to get her top tips on how to increase delegate engagement and how to provide your guests with a truly memorable experience.

What do your attendees want? Just ask.

Don’t take a stab at it – go straight to the source to find out what is going to excite and delight your attendees. Engagement, education and networking are all important but a pre-event survey is a great way to identify what your staff want to see in terms of relevant content. Post event surveys from previous events are also a great way to identify any improvement areas (and these can be administered fairly easily through an electronic system such as Survey Monkey).

It’s all about creating memorable experiences for your delegates.

Create a comfortable environment

Add a personal touch to your conference set up with comfortable lounge areas. Couches and coffee tables help create a relaxed environment for your delegates to unwind and refresh pre and post conference and on breaks. Free Wi-Fi, charging stations and a range of industry relevant magazines are some great added touches that your attendees will appreciate.

Offsite events

Creating an amazing ‘offsite’ event experience at a local landmark venue can be a really exciting addition to a conference. Where delegates have travelled overseas or interstate, it is a nice touch to include an ‘offsite’ event at a different location that showcases local culture and flavours.

Team challenges

Boost team morale by including interactive team building activities throughout your conference. There are so many unique options these days and by surveying your delegates pre and post event, you will be able to identify what style of activities best suits the group demographics.

Go outdoors

Conference programs can be pretty intense for delegates (‘information overload!’) so it’s always a great idea to add an outdoor component. Whether you choose to organise a team challenge in a local park or if you are able to host your working lunch outside – your delegates will be reinvigorated by the fresh air. For something different, why not schedule some ‘walking meetings’ as part of your program (this is great for short sessions with small groups or one on one meetings).

Mix up your program format with different styles of facilitated discussions.

Get creative

Inspire your delegates by including collaborative feature art piece such as a mural or a mood board that delegates can contribute to throughout the conference. Get the creative juices flowing by leaving art supplies, textas, fabrics etc. for your guests to make their mark on.

Food stations

Food stations and buffets are a fantastic, social way of dining that will increase interaction. Add a little fun to your catering with food station themes or elaborate styling features. Don’t forget when selecting your menu to keep healthy options in to avoid the mid afternoon slump.

Mix up your format

Break up back to back presentations and encourage conversation with some different program formats including panel discussions, live Q&A sessions, debates or ‘fish bowl’ group discussions.

If you want your next business event to make an impact, contact the team of business event professionals at CIS Event Management today.

For all your conference and business event furniture and equipment hire needs, contact the friendly team at Complete Function Hire.

Tag: Business Events

To Cocktail Party or to Dine? Expert Advice from Professional Event Planners