Events

How We Execute Great Corporate Events

Briefing

Step 1 – Understanding the Client Requirements

Before you get involved in any other activity in events planning, the first thing will be to attend a briefing. This involves meeting up with the organisation that is hosting this event, getting briefed on about the event, the purpose of it, objectives, how the hosts want the event to look, feel and be, when they want the event to happen, etc. The brief will provide organizers with the direction they ought to take when putting the event together.

Planning

Step 2 – Understanding the Client History

Thebe Investment Corporation was established in 1992 and since then it has not forgotten its primary reason forexistence : To build communities. Communities are made up of people; recognising that it takes organisations with committed people to build communities. The 8th Internal Award Celebration is A Celebration of: Living out the Thebe Culture, values and brand brand,Performance and Excellence.

Step 5 – Identify Logistics Requirements

If the event is far, logistics for getting to the venue should be organised and finalized. One logistics company is recommended for a big corporate event, it provides order and understanding for all parties.

Photography

• Combination of lifestyle and corporate photographer
• Capture the business of the evening & some “Kodak moments”
• Briefed to follow Top Management and their interactions with guests
• Brief: Event , Publicity, Marketing shots
• Full event coverage

Gifts

• “The best of Ndomiso Ngcobo’s columns. Written over 5 years in his delightfully witty, streetwise and un-PC voice.”
• A new collection of hallucinations from bestselling author and “Sunday Times Lifestyle” columnist Ndumiso Ngcobo, “Eat, Drink & Blame the Ancestors” features his best work from the last five years updated, revised, reworked, and generally souped-up. Ngcobo is a creative phenomenon of the new South Africa: a one-time corporate lackey who used to write amusing emails for fun in his spare time, which eventually led to two bestselling books. Whether he s consuming fermented beverages and communing with the ancestors, describing life with his terrorist children and skollie dog (RIP Spiderman), or dissecting dung-beetle philosophy with the Men of Thurst, this is the finest and funniest writing in the land.

Registration Process

• Upon arrival guests will be greated by sounds of a roaming saxophonist serenading the guests as they arrive.
• Guests will then receive a welcome cocktail.
• They will then be ushered to the foyer for a seamless electronic registration process.
• Once guests have registered, they will be handed a name tag to facilitate easier networking.
• Ushers will direct them to their respective tables with the assistance of floor plans in and around the foyer.
• Hotel staff will assist with the tagging of all bags, these will be delivered into rooms.

Step 6 – Develop a Concept (in alignment with objectives and logistics)

Step 7 – Propose a Theme

Various themes presented should be in line with the objective of the event. It should provide organisations exactly The decided theme will then determine the direction on the entire event

Step 8 – Venue Selection & Layout

Possible venues, pricing, and features are presented until one or two venues are decided upon.

Step 9 – Event Collateral

9.1 Design Event Invitations

Invites can now be sent out to attendants at this stage and an RSVP contact should be provided. This will help organisers in estimating how many guests to cater for.

9.2 Design Event Access Cards

For large events, access cards are important for security purpose because they are a means of identifying invited guests. The design of the access cards is an important consideration as it adds to the theme of the event and gets guests excited about the day/night.

9.3 Design Winners Certificate

Certificates are a great way to honour your guests. A beautifully designed certificate is something that guest will take home and be happy to show-off to others. For the Thebe 8th Excellence Awards, we produced high-quality designs for the certificates that represented the standard of the accolade and matched the sophistication of the evening.

9.4 Design Congratulations Letter

When someone is a recipient of an award, it is cause for celebration but also a personal honour. The award is given to show appreciation to an individual for excelling in an specific area. By giving someone a congratulations letter, you are furthering creating value and wishing them well moving forward. We were able to produce elegantly designed congratulations letters for the 8th Excellence Awards for the evening’s recipients, which they could keep to remember the special occasion.

Step 10 – Decide on Event Décor

A mock-up of the decorations is presented to the client and once changes are implemented (if there were any), the décor can be finalised.

Thebe Décor Reference

Creative rationale:

• Overall rationale; fresh, earthy, natural and elegant.
• Large driftwood pieces to be placed in contemporary form along with glass vases with flowers.
• Colour palette: gold, black and bronze

Step 11 – Plan the Menu/ Catering

When deciding on the menu, consider can be sourced locally and is in season at the time of the event. Diversify the menu. Think about what majority of the guests would enjoy, factoring; age, time-of-day, food sophistication, etc. Later on in the planning stage, a food-tasting will happen before the actual event to change (if necessary) and finalize the menu.

Step 12 – Plan for Event Duration

For attendants comfort, if the event will span over some days, the venue decided on should include accommodation. If not, there should be accommodation near the venue that will take in everyone.

• Review resources and allocate budget
• Develop risk management plan

Execution

Step 13 – Create the Event Programme

The program should be detailed and possible speakers are brainstormed. Time allocated to every item on the program should be taken seriously into consideration. Attendees do not want to be kept at an event for too long. The program should also allocate enough time for entertainment and networking.

Step 14 – Execute Concept

Step 15 – Produce Opening AV Sequence

Step 16 – Decide on Speakers

Step 17 –Produce Awards Announcement Videos

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Step 18 –Awards and Announcements

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Step 19 – Consider Entertainment for the Night

Musicians, dancers, disc jockeys, poets, artists, actors…. These are all possible entertainment options for your event. Entertainers need to be booked well in advance for corporate events, since they have tight schedules.

Proposed Event Performances

“B & B” is without a doubt one of the most exciting party bands to come out of Jozi. With the right sounds, good looks and the talent to leave any crowd wanting for more.

This dynamic group of performers pride themselves in delivering all your favorite hits in a way that you have never seen or heard it before.

“B & B” have successfully mastered the ability to combine the sounds of Soul, Pop, Funk, RnB, Hip- Hop and House, to create one delicious cocktail fusion for a non-stop party!

B & B” is proud of their outstanding professionalism and individuality, and always strive to deliver on every level.

• Performance will be interspersed on the programme
• Performances from stage and amongst guests

Poetry

We will use a slam poet as part of our entertainment in the telling us the story behind the awards. In an Ambush Style theatre piece where our actors will emerge from foyer. In a conversation with each other about the awards and the type of people we will be honoring on the night.

Song

There is no way a story about South Africa and its history can be told without the use of music as a celebration medium but also as a way of underscoring our
sad and complex past.

Graffiti Artist

Graffiti can symbolize many things, it
depends on the persons personal opinions really. My
personal take on it is that it’s a sign of us (as in the people)

Step 20 – Propose Running Order