Return on relationship
A better measure of success
for corporate events than ROI?
Cat Bird, national sales manager at Center Parcs’ Conferences & Events
Cat Bird, national sales manager at Center Parcs’ Conferences & Events
Often, when event organisers are tasked with planning an event, whether it be to celebrate an important milestone, launch a product, or gather employees to strategise, they are asked to execute ‘a successful event that is within budget’. But what makes an event successful?
What can often be overlooked is the importance of investing in people as part of the event, which will help businesses deliver the best – what I like to call Return on Relationship - and in turn boost ROI, making an event an all-round success!
Colleagues are spending much less time together than they would have before the rise of remote work, which means that on arrival to events and corporate away days, co-workers are quite often still near-strangers. Small steps can be taken when organising any event to ensure delegates can truly interact with their colleagues and peers, and create meaningful moments. It’s not news that employees who get along on a personal level are more likely to work well together and deliver best results for the business.
Here are my three tips on how to keep ROR front of mind when organising an event...
1. Accommodation - it’s not just a place to rest your head
If you’re booking an away day that includes overnight accommodation, which we typically see as a bolt-on to ‘gratitude getaways’ – where staff are thanked and celebrated for their work – consider a venue that goes above and beyond to make the experience special and rejuvenating.
Rather than opting for individual hotel rooms, look at venues which offer accommodation with a communal kitchen and living space. In these spaces, colleagues can share a cup of tea together and catch-up around the main event; it’s during these interactions that work peers can truly bond – with the added bonus that everyone will return to the office knowing how their colleague likes their tea or coffee!
2. Break down barriers and have some fun
While team building can get sometimes get bad press, I do think it important that fun group activities are factored into away days. In these moments, colleagues are able to shed their formal office wear and step away from their desks to showcase a different, more personal side of themselves. Group activities can also help suspend any workplace hierarchies, by bringing people together to focus on the task at hand - leaving any office politics at the door.
Selecting a venue that offers a range of organised activities to suit different interests and abilities makes the event accessible to all, and ensures all those attending are excited to take part in at least some part of the day. The goal here is to set the foundations for employees to find common ground and interest, while building bonds that which translate back into the office environment, and turn into long-lasting relationships.
3. Walk ‘n’ talk
Inevitably, colleague and peer chitchat can be quite limited during the ‘main event’ itself, as participants are expected to be engaged in the presentations and formal discussions taking place. Yet, corporate events and meetings can often feel like a blur if suitable breakout spaces and precious downtime aren’t offered.
Carving out time and space for soft touch points is therefore essential. To promote peer engagement and prevent delegates simply moving from the event room to a sofa and scrolling through emails (or social media), find a venue that offers scope for immersing delegates in the great outdoors.
Fresh air is so important, and when people are walking and talking, the scope of conversation topics really opens up, as people feel more relaxed in an open environment. Whether it be a walk in a nearby woodland or park, the investment in a nature-rich location will create invaluable and wholesome moments for colleagues.
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