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Business seminar:8 tips for organizing it well

Company seminars are popular and excellent events for team building. During these meetings, employees meet in a place outside the company. For a day or a short stay, they work and relax. Company seminars are beneficial for the activity. To take advantage of them, they must be perfectly organized. Here are 8 tips to achieve your goals.

All about the business seminar

Definition:what is a business seminar?

The company seminar is an event during which a company brings together all its employees in a chosen place, outside the professional premises. For a day and sometimes more, the teams work, discuss and participate in activities that promote cohesion. It is not uncommon for employees to work together on a new project, a new idea or a problem to be solved during a seminar.

Why organize a business seminar?

Companies all have a good reason to organize a seminar. Some of them organize them every year. Here are the companies' sources of motivation:

  • Share the company's missions and values;
  • Boost collective intelligence;
  • Motivate teams;
  • Improve performance;
  • Bring together employees, service providers and other collaborators outside the company;
  • Bring managers and leaders together to work on management methods;
  • Bring sales reps together to set new goals;
  • Integrate and welcome new employees;
  • Offer training.

This list is not exhaustive. Companies may have other motivations of their own, such as the arrival of a new director or the reward of a good year.

How to organize a business seminar?

The organization of a business seminar is done either by certain employees or by an external service provider. Many companies are specialized in the organization of seminars. Having the organizers, companies need to decide on the following:

  • the location of the seminar,
  • the date of the event,
  • duration,
  • the schedule,
  • activities,
  • catering,
  • accommodation,
  • transportation.

Of course, a budget is determined according to all the elements mentioned above.

8 tips for successfully organizing a business seminar

1. Define seminar objectives

There are many types of seminars. Also, to allow a good organization, it is imperative to know the objectives of the seminar. Once the motivations are known, the target will come naturally. The event can be intended for some of the employees or for all the teams of a company.

2. Choose a theme

A business seminar can have a theme. This approach makes the event a less formal meeting. Ideally, the objectives should be reflected in the theme. If a seminar is intended to unite teams and boost cohesion, it is important to provide a suitable format with group activities.

3. Budget the seminar

The budget dedicated to the business seminar must be decided before the organization of the event. It is not defined by chance, it depends on the objectives, the duration, the location chosen and the number of collaborators who participate. It should be noted that all-inclusive formulas are offered by hotels for this type of professional event.

4. Choose a date for the seminar

The choice of the date of the seminar is very important. This date allows access to specific places. For example, if you organize the seminar in a hotel, it is better to focus on low season periods to benefit from reduced rates. It is also necessary to opt for a slack period in the level of the company's activity so as not to harm the activity.

Certain periods are to be avoided. This is the case for weekends that include a public holiday, school holidays or days when major sporting events take place. The risk here is to face a lack of interest on the part of the collaborators and that the objectives are not achieved.

5. Defining a place for the business seminar

The place of the seminar is as important as the date. We must favor pleasant places, which will make employees want to participate. The reception capacity must be adapted to the needs of the company, whether for accommodation, catering or even activities. To ensure the presence of the right infrastructure on site, a visit is essential. This is done with the organizers and a representative of the venue.

The distance from the seminar venue is important. If the place is remote, it is necessary to plan several days of seminar. It is not the case if it is close. In all cases, a mode of transport must be offered. This is available to employees but is not mandatory.

6. Develop a retroplan

Having a schedule, and more specifically a retroplanning, facilitates the organization of the event. It allows you to define working times and activity times. This way the organizers will be able to identify the needs of each day:

  • transportation,
  • provision of a room,
  • outdoor activity,
  • material,
  • coffee break…

Backplanning is essential to make reservations and pay the requested deposits.

7. Communicate the schedule to employees

Each day of the seminar must be detailed in a schedule and communicated to the employees who participate in the event. This schedule should include times for meetings, conferences and activities, breaks and meals, and the nature of the activities. So they can prepare.

8. Promote the event

The seminars are popular and their success depends on the motivation of the participants. To motivate the teams, it is necessary to communicate about the seminar upstream. Reveal the place in an original way, send out invitations, make an appointment with the teams to reveal the theme and the schedule...

In any case, notify your teams in advance and be specific about the process. If a sporting or nautical activity is on the programme, employees must provide the equipment or announce their inability to participate.

Once the seminar is over, the work continues. It is interesting to have the feedback of the participants and to take stock of what pleased and what displeased. This task will make it possible to make corrections for the organization of future seminars. It is also necessary to measure the impact of the seminar on activity and turnover.