Planning your special corporate event in France
France is everyone’s favourite destination and especially so for large corporate events.
A key element towards success is using a local Destination Management Company with the expertise, contacts and locations to arrange something “extraordinaire”.
Jean-Pierre Gombert of www.french-events.com offers useful tips about Budgeting, Preparing and Actioning your next corporate event in France to ensure it's an unforgettable success.
Planning, designing and producing a special corporate event, whether it’s an annual conference, sales convention, product introduction or other keynote event, is a one-shot deal. There’s no chance of a ‘re-take’. And following Murphy’s Law, if something does go wrong you can bet that it will happen at the worst possible time!
The best thing you can do to ensure that everything runs smoothly is having a combination of excellent planning before the event (to catch all the predictable mistakes) and rich experience at the event (to respond fast and well to all the unpredicted mistakes).
No matter how many times you have visited France before, the country always succeeds in transmitting a special charm and ‘ambience’. Your company’s decision to locate your special event in France recognizes this fact. Now it’s up to you to ensure that your event is a landmark and truly memorable experience. No matter where else your people go, they’ll always remember the ‘French trip’ as something special!
So what are the steps to keep in mind?
1) Decide on your budget for the event
This is a factor of how many people will be attending, for how many days and what kind of activities you’ll be offering them. Your money will go on:
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Invitations
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Accommodation
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Food and drink
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Entertainment
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Transportation
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Venue Rental
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Audio Visual
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Special Effects
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Photographer
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Gifts
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Insurance
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Menus
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Flower arrangements
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Security
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Staffing
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Miscellaneous
It’s a good idea to put an estimated cost alongside each category to help you get an overall idea of budget.
2) Define the purpose of the event
A formal ‘definition process’ will help you be clear why you want to hold an important overseas event. Write down who it is for, what is its importance within your corporate culture and what impressions you hope your visitors will take away with them from your event.
Part of the process is to make a list of corporate messages that summarize the essence of your company. In effect you are building a Briefing Document, which you can then pass to your chosen Destination Management Company in France. They will use this document as a springboard to suggest activities that will reinforce and build on your messages.
There are many different objectives for an overseas corporate event. Some of these can be:
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To announce a new direction for the company
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To stimulate teambuilding spirit
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To present a set of solutions to existing problems
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To launch a new product line
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To celebrate a corporate milestone (anniversary, nth million customer etc)
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To give achievement awards for excellent work last year
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To offer incentives for new sales drives
3) Choose a good local Destination Management Company
This is a key decision. Planning your large corporate event doesn’t have to be a Via Dolorosa. With the right people behind you the experience can become a ‘stroll down Park Avenue’ instead! A Destination Management Company (DMC) is an enterprise with particular skills and connections in planning and running corporate events. Look for examples of creativity in past events that they’ve organized and pay particular attention to what level of detail they cover. It also helps greatly if your DMC has offices in more than one location in France – for example in Paris and in the South. The reason for this is that each office will then have specialist knowledge in its own area of influence.
4) Pay particular attention to the venue location
An experienced French DMC can add tremendous value here, because they will have a huge number of potential locations on their books. Are you looking for a modern or historic setting? Do you want it in the city or in the countryside? Is the event inside or outside? Is it a full-day or evening event? Working with experienced professionals opens the doors to many possibilities that you may not have considered before.
If your company is following a particular theme, you’ll want to express it at many points during your corporate event - in the invitation cards, the menus and even in the composition of the entertainment. You’ll want to ensure that a skilled photographer is present and perhaps arrange some media coverage too.
With regard to the technical arrangements, your DMC will take care of all the staging, audio-visual equipment, lighting and other arrangements. There will also be back-up plans in case of any equipment malfunction.
5) Focus on care and transportation for your guests
Making a fuss over your guests from the moment they land in France until they leave is one of the essential factors that builds a strong positive impression. Your DMC should explain carefully how your guests will be treated upon arrival, what the registration process is and how easily they can be transported to their hotels and places of interest. Selection of restaurants and catering is another critical area that can make all the difference. What makes one DMC different from another? It’s the ability to step into the guest’s shoes and experience things from his or her perspective.
6) Be methodical in all your planning steps
There are three formal planning steps that your DMC will encourage you to follow: Function Sheets, Cost Sheets and Payment Schedules:
Function Sheets - This sets out all the aspects of your event from a chronological viewpoint: what happens first, what comes next etc.
Cost Sheets - This summarizes every item involved with your corporate event so that you have a clear idea at all times about your budget. Nothing is left out or ‘forgotten’.
Payment Schedules - The payment terms of all the suppliers are clearly set out, making it easy for you to fulfil your obligations.
Your special event in France can become a high point of your corporate calendar. All you have to do is place it in the hands of a capable French Destination Management Company. Then sit back and enjoy!
Mike Druttman
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The author is a co-founder of Tally-Ho!, a Paris-based concern specializing in helping French companies to improve their business English. French Events is a highly experienced and established Destination Management Company based in Paris and Cannes. It manages corporate events both in France and in Monaco, dealing with corporate groups of any size from 50 to 5000 people.
Jean-Pierre Gombert is the President of French Events.
Contact Details:
Jean-Pierre Gombert
President, French Events
Tel : + 33 497 06 36 60
Fax :+ 33 497 06 36 61
riviera@french-events.com
83 Blvd de la Croisette
06400 Cannes
France
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