In-House vs Professional Corporate Event Planning: Which Is Better?

Corporate events are the big day for any company these days, and that also means big responsibilities. From planning to organizing and final execution, various factors need to be considered. The first being whether it should be an in-house event or a professional corporate event. Both have benefits and challenges of their own, and this is where you need a deep dive to make an informed decision. This article takes you through what in-house planning and professional corporate event planning are all about.

Understanding In-House Corporate Event Planning

For first-timers, it is a great challenge to figure out whether they should go for an in-house event where the resources and logistics are easy to access and manage. However, the whole idea of professional event planners and the execution quality can be too hard to ignore. Let’s first understand in-house planning:

What Is In-House Event Planning?

In short, in-house event planning means assigning event responsibilities to the current employees of the organization, which includes various teams such as marketing, HR, and administration teams, and so on. They are responsible for handling various tasks such as budget planning, vendor coordination, scheduling, and ground execution in addition to their individual job responsibilities. The internal team is responsible for ensuring that the entire event is managed and executed perfectly with respect to the company's goals and culture.

Advantages of In-House Event Planning

The advantages of in-house event planning are plenty, and they include:

• Ensures that the event stays closely aligned with the company policies and brand values.

• Highly cost-effective and helps avoid the expenses that come with professional event planning companies.

• Easy approvals, simplified communication, and better understanding of company expectations which help organize a great event.

Challenges of In-House Event Planning

Regardless of the various benefits of in-house event planning, there are various drawbacks to consider:

• Increased pressure on employees to balance their everyday work and event planning.

• Lack of specialized event expertise can lead to missed details or poor planning.

• Limited vendor networks, which can make it time-consuming to find the best or impact quality.

• Resource gaps can affect the event quality and efficiency.

What Is Professional Corporate Event Planning?

Professional corporate event planning is exactly what the term suggests that is, it involves professional event planners setting up and managing the event for you. They take care of the end-to-end execution of the corporate event and are great for large-scale events or brand-critical events where the stakes are high for creativity, control, and managing risks effectively.

Role of Professional Event Management Teams

Professional event management teams serve as strategic partners as they efficiently incorporate business goals into high-impact events. From planning to coordination and execution, they identify and address the key challenges to ensure smooth operations. That is, aside from logistics, they also take up creative direction, audience engagement, and design for a quality experience.

What Corporate Event Management Companies Actually Do

Now that you know the role of professional event managers, here’s what their responsibilities involve:

• They manage every single aspect of the event, such as concept development, vendor sourcing, venue management, budgeting, production, and on-site coordination.

• Their expert team ensures compliance, safety measures, alignment with brand goals, and business image with strict planning and timeline management.

• They connect with the best vendors as they already have an established network to simplify and streamline complex processes.

Benefits of Hiring Event Planners

By hiring event planners, the operational burden on in-house teams is significantly reduced, followed by improved event quality. Here’s how:

• They primarily focus on comfort, ease, and efficiency of event execution throughout by ensuring maximum engagement and a seamless flow.

• They negotiate costs and ensure that the event happens at a high quality within the budget frame of the business.

• With strong industry contacts, they help access affordable rates without compromising service quality, which also helps save money.

• The complex logistics, vendor management, and on-site coordination are managed effectively, reducing the burden for internal teams.

• They provide innovative, trending solutions relevant to the industry to make the entire event enriching and unforgettable.

• They handle all the creative aspects of the event, be it images, venue decor, text, images, audio, video, and so on, for a lively experience.

When In-House Event Planning Makes Sense

In-house events are ideal if the event is small and the requirements are limited. It serves as a practical and cost-efficient solution as the entire event is organized and managed by the company's own resources.

Below are some of the exact scenarios as examples when in-house event planning becomes suitable:

Suitable Scenarios for In-House Teams

• Internal awards, celebrations, and annual days: These are employee engagement events that happen on a small scale and are focused on improving workplace culture.

• Small-scale corporate workshops or training sessions: These include structured agendas with predictable logistical requirements, such as seating, food arrangement, and audio/visual needs.

• Department-led networking or knowledge sharing sessions: These include only the internal teams, and the production elements are relatively low. This helps keep the planning simple, easy, and consumes less time too.

When You Should Choose Professional Event Management

While small-scale events are easier to manage for the internal team themselves, large events often require a level of expertise for a memorable event. This is where partnering with professional event managers becomes needed, as it also helps lower the pressure on in-house teams.

So, which are the events that need professional planners? Let’s have a look:

Events That Require Expert Planning

Product launches, major client meetings, award ceremonies, anniversaries, or large-scale enterprises, and so on, all fall under this category. Mainly because the requirements are plenty, such as multiple vendors, detailed schedules, technical setups, and higher budget planning. Professional corporate event planners get this done, ensuring that the event goes smoothly without any complications.

Business Signs You Need an Agency

If your internal team is struggling to manage the timelines or is already busy with their work projects, it is fair to hire a corporate event planning agency. Even if it's neither, and you simply had poor event planning last time, you can seek professional help from specialized event planners.

Furthermore, for events such as brand launch, professional corporate event planners can help build brand image, client relationships, and public visibility.

Key Questions Decision-Makers Should Ask

Choosing between an in-house team and certified specialists for your corporate event requires you to consider various aspects and assess your event needs. With your company event coming up, below are some of the questions you can ask yourself:

• The event significance and complexity: The bigger the event, the more the requirements, from logistics to vendors, media, guests, and budget. All of these have to be managed efficiently while also ensuring, in real time, that the event runs smoothly.

• Capacity of the internal team: The in-house team might already be packed with their everyday tasks, and managing an event end-to-end can be challenging. The lack of event expertise can also affect the execution quality.

• Risk management: Internal teams may not always be well-equipped for risks that occur at the last minute, compared to experienced event managers. Lack of timely support can lead to unexpected scenarios.

• Cost and value: In-house corporate event planning is less expensive as the internal team handles all of the requirements, making the event highly budget-friendly. However, the outcome value may differ compared to a professional event planning agency.

Conclusion

These days, you can find numerous corporate event management companies across Bangalore, offering a range of services, from award ceremonies to small workshop events.

However, choosing between such expert services and internal planners requires you to consider the above-mentioned points. This can help you make a clear and informed decision that benefits your brand image in the long term.

At G-unit Events, we provide well-trained, qualified expert support for all your corporate events. With over 6 years of corporate event expertise and trusted by leading brands, we bring you a memorable experience for your workplace. Connect with us today!

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