Of all the cities – not just in the UK, but around the world – where your organisation might wish to hold a corporate event such as a product launch, conference, or training workshop, London is likely to be high up your ‘want’ list. 

London is a city to which so many others just can’t compare – not least because, almost regardless of your company’s industry, you are almost guaranteed to be able to make strong connections here. Such connections could include not just other major players in your field of expertise, but also great-quality venues – and of course, the transport links here are also among the best around. 

But it’s also impossible to get around the fact that London is expensive, and poses certain other challenges that other towns and cities don’t when it comes to planning a corporate event. 

So, what are some of the things you can do to help ensure your business’s next corporate event in London is a resounding success? 

Plan your budgeting and finances, taking account of income-generating potential 

As we have touched on already in this article, London is notoriously pricey – it seems to incur difficult-to-manage costs in every direction. However, the aforementioned qualities of London might mean it also presents greater scope than any other city for you to generate income from your event. 

So, as with any corporate event, you will need to think carefully about your budget, taking into account a range of possible costs such as venue hire, equipment hire, insurance, entertainment, speakers, and staffing. 

You can also, however, consider such costs alongside the money you might make from your event. As you do, be sure to map out the income that might be expected from different levels of attendance, so that you can guard against any especially heavy and unanticipated losses. 

Book the most suitable event venue

Every organisation that plans a London corporate event will likely have different preferences and needs to the next. So, when you are comparing London venues, you will need to already be clear about your own organisation’s needs, with regard to such factors as venue capacity, style, location, costs, and – of course – the catering. 

There might be greater scope for flexibility with some of these aspects, than there are with others. The specific style of the venue, for instance, can’t really be changed, and insufficient capacity might also be very problematic. 

On the subject of catering, though, while some venues may insist on you using their own caterers, others might give you the option of hiring the space and bringing in whatever separate London event catering firm you may already have in mind. 

Consider the right approach to promoting your event 

If the event that you’re planning will be a relatively public-facing one, you will naturally want to make a sizeable public fuss about it. But you should still be looking to do so that is in a manner in accordance with your brand – being expressed in your corporate tone of voice, for instance, and targeted at audiences that are likely to find your content engaging, relevant, and useful. 

Social media is a go-to tool used by many organisations to promote corporate events, with Twitter being a perennial favourite, due to how well it works for providing a continuous stream of event updates. Plus, images and video can be included in your tweets to help make those following you wish they were at the event themselves. 

Whichever channels you use – online or offline – for promoting your London corporate event, it is best to choose just a few of the most suitable and impactful ones, and focus strongly on those. This is likely to be better than spreading yourself thinly across social platforms or channels where your target audiences might not even be very active. 

Use vendors that know London – and the corporate event space – well 

This is a particularly relevant tip if your organisation is one based outside of the capital that might be attempting to hold a London event for the first time. If your own team is badly lacking London-specific experience, knowhow, and contacts, choosing service providers that are immersed in London can be a big help. 

We certainly have such strong London connections ourselves here at Sophie Wright Catering. We have an excellent track record in London event catering, and given that we are event organisers too, we are well-placed to help ensure every detail of the catering at your event is ‘just right’. That will be crucial for ensuring you make the right impression on colleagues, clients, and/or delegates. 

To find out more about how our professionals in London event catering could help make sure your next corporate event is a big success, why not get in touch with us today by phone or email?