How to make a successful company seminar for 400 people?

Organizing a company seminar for 400 people is not an easy task. At JEMS we like to organize them ourselves without any outside help. This creates a much stronger bond. Nevertheless, it is very easy to miss the basics. Here are our 5 tips for federating around your employer brand.

1. Imagine, visualize and prepare your company seminar

Avant d’organiser un séminaire, il faut l’avoir imaginé, visualisé de bout en bout, du départ jusqu’à l’arrivée. Attention, il n’est pas nécessaire lors de cette étape de faire un planning détaillé. Cette première étape a pour objectif de donner vie à votre séminaire.

C’est maintenant qu’il faut noter toutes les idées : les lieux, les dates, les activités, les goodies, les soirées, les moments phares, tout ! Laissez libre court à votre imagination. Pour le moment, vous n’avez aucune limite, aucun budget. Pensez, imaginez, vivez votre séminaire.

2. The stakeholders

Stakeholders, the real difficulty in organizing a seminar! They are numerous, and rarely agree.

• The management: they give you the GO to carry out your seminar and give you the budget (your greatest terror throughout the seminar)
• The service providers: they will help you throughout the organization. It is important to work with people who are experts in their field and who can best meet your expectations and needs for your seminar.
• Suppliers: they are the material part of your seminar. Beware of delivery delays and constraints, especially when your seminar takes place abroad.

3. Communicate with your staff

Your employees are the key actors of your seminar, without them what interest to organize one?

However, to be sure that everyone will be present, you must inform them several months in advance. Let’s avoid people who, three days before leaving, realize that their identity papers are out of date, that they have not managed to take care of their children or that it is grandma’s birthday!

In order to be operational on the communication, the ideal is to create an editorial calendar with precise dates on key elements to give: save the date, kcik off, 1,2,3..6 reminders, teasers, etc.

4. Think about the unexpected

There will always be some! Cancellations, delays, unforeseen events, that’s the essence of the event business. That’s why we (try to) think about all the unforeseen events we could encounter, how to avoid cancellations, foresee delays… The key word: ANTICIPATION.

Anticipate the disruptive elements and find a plan B. In some cases, a good plan B is better than a semi successful plan A!

5. Spoil your attendees

Although you are offering them a seminar, a personalized gift always makes a difference and leaves a memorable souvenir of your event. A small bag with a few goodies placed on their beds in their room, nothing better to feel privileged!

The planning and activities of the seminar should also be adapted to your participants. Do not plan a trailrunning on ETNA if your employees are more nap-apero-foot. Think about their trip as a whole. If they are leaving early, don’t plan a busy day on the first day.

Plan for scheduled activity time but also for free time. A seminar is about meeting and exchanging with colleagues whom you rarely have time to see. But it’s also about taking advantage of moments to get together with your colleagues, to take some time for yourself.

You are not doing a seminar for you, but for ALL.

In conclusion,

In a previous article, Matthieu explained the importance of creating a bond.  I just gave you my valuable tips for organizing a (crazy) company seminar to facilitate bonding. However, don’t forget. Adults are still big kids. Don’t expect your participants to be organized and to follow your schedule. Always be behind them, remind them of the meeting places, the time of the big night, sometimes even their room number.

And above all, don’t forget a participant. They won’t all come back in good shape, but you can’t/mustn’t abandon them. It’s your seminar all the way.

Audrey ASTRUC – Event Manager at JEMS