Whilst it’s definitely beneficial to keep a jam-packed corporate events calendar to keep both your team and your target demographics engaged, it’s important to keep in mind that corporate events are about more than just a day out of the office.

The best corporate events create experiences for their attendees, using visual and experiential elements to curate an event environment that feels unique to your brand and its ethos. Today, our expert event planners here at Canvas House, are actually going to share our own secret formula for fine tuning event branding and ensuring that your corporate event acts as a unique brand experience.

What are Visual and Experiential Elements?

In the context of corporate parties, visual elements relate to all party decor used to present your event space, whereas experiential elements relate to activities and other interactive design additions within your event space.

Visual Branding Elements

Visual branding elements are used to create a visual identity for your event that aligns with your business branding. In short, an eventgoer should be able to walk into your event space and immediately be able to identify your brand.

In much the same way that you would pick a theme for a birthday party, the visual theme for your corporate events should always positively represent your business branding. For example, if you’re hosting a work Christmas party, you can install visual elements like custom holiday wreaths with your branding front and centre, or hang branded baubles on a tree decked out in your company’s colours.

Similarly, if you’re planning a corporate dinner, you can get custom place settings boasting the names of your attendees as well as your company logo. Not only will branded visual elements double up as great keepsakes for your eventgoers, but they’ll also help ensure your corporate event feels cohesive and thoughtfully curated, which in turn reflects well on your brand.

Need a little inspo? Here are some other examples of visual branding elements to incorporate into your next corporate event:

• Decor in brand colours
• Furnishings (i.e. tables, chairs, staging, etc.) in brand colours
• Branded napkins/serviettes
• Logos and branding on event materials (i.e. programmes, itineraries, nametags)
• Branded merchandise in event gift bags

Experiential Branding Elements

Experiential branding elements are a staple of interactive corporate events like product launches and conferences. By providing experiences and activities that are tailored to your brand or perhaps even unique to your products or services, experiential branding elements help ensure that your company events feel like an exclusive experience that ultimately, creates positive associations for your business.

Here are just a few of the more popular types of experiential branding elements we see at corporate events at Canvas House:

• Photobooths and branded photo walls
• Guestbooks and crafts stations
• Demo stations (i.e. for technological product demos at product launches)
• Food and beverage stations with signature cocktails
• Dance floors, networking spaces, etc.

Why is Visual Branding Important for Corporate Events?

Investing in visual branding for corporate events provides dynamic benefits, but there are three main ways you can see a robust return on your investment in branded decor and merchandise:

1. Turning Attendees into Brand Ambassadors

By providing a branded experience, your eventgoers essentially turn into brand ambassadors, with every social post or reel being organic advertising for your business.

2. Reinforces Company Branding and Values

Curating an event space which matches the ethos and tone of your brand is arguably the fastest way of getting consumers to engage with and understand your brand values.

3. Signalling Consistency and Professionalism

Branded corporate events make your business look and feel established, and like a fixture within your wider industry or market landscape. With a strong presence backed by positive engagement, professional corporate events solidify your brand as a major player to your competitors.

Key Elements to Make Your Event Stand Out Visually

Alongside sharing a few quick examples of visual branding elements, our event planners have outlined their top industry tips and tricks for making sure your event stands out visually – even with a minimal spend on custom branded merchandise.

Cohesive Visual Branding

Your event should maintain cohesive and consistent visual branding, from your email invitations to your social media branding, and event keepsakes. Think about the flow of your eventgoer’s experience with your brand, from their first booking their tickets or receiving their invitation, to arriving on the day of your event, to receiving re-engagement or thank you notices afterwards.

Clear Directional Event Signage

Speaking of the flow of your event space, ensuring your event environment is easy to navigate can naturally also help to keep your guests engaged and keep their experiences positive. If you have a mixture of experiential elements in your event space that are best navigated by following a flow of traffic, then be sure to install clear (branded) directional event signage, plus a signage guide for your attendees.

Pro tip: you may even opt to include a little flowchart or map layout of your event in your event programme if your event space and included activities and experiences are numerous. With a clear-cut guide to follow, eventgoers will be less likely to miss out on activities on the day.

Photo-Ready Branded Staging

You want your eventgoers to share snaps and videos from your event on social media. This is why it’s not uncommon to see photo walls and even red carpets at corporate events and gala dinners. If your attendees are coming dressed to the nines after all, you’ll definitely want to use your event as an excuse to take some polished snaps for your company gallery, for LinkedIn, and for press materials, if needed.

And if you’re hosting a hybrid event with virtual attendees, be sure to provide them with an event hashtag as well!

Interactive Event Activities

Just as all-day seminar attendees have come to expect the day is broken up by a corporate lunch, so too have eventgoers come to expect a certain level of experiential engagement from when attending a corporate event.

Again, try to incorporate some of the below elements into your corporate event space to help keep your eventgoers engaged and entertained.

• Photobooths
• Game stations
• Panel discussions
• Workshops and stalls
• Branded food/drink stations

Pro tip: make sure you allocate time in your event planning timeline to organise and finalise guest speakers, panelists, and workshop facilitators. Getting the right names in your event itinerary can also help with marketing your corporate event, if you’re selling tickets.

Post-Event Goodies and Wrap-up Messaging

Finally, the fun doesn’t stop when the day comes to a close. With some branded goodie bags, notebooks full of seminar notes, and other keepsakes, your corporate event should leave your attendees with much to reflect on. Plus, if you’re planning to re-engage with future events, you’ll want to keep your mailing list eager for all that’s to come!

Invest in these post-event goodies and re-engagement strategies to help build compounding interest in your corporate events calendar:

• Personalised gifts
• Brand merchandising
• Follow-up emails
• Invitations to future events

Have a Project in Mind? Brainstorm Your Event Branding with Canvas House Today!

Event branding isn’t an exact science, and the best approach for your corporate event planning will be dictated by the tone and ethos behind your brand, as well as the business goals related to your corporate event.

If you have any further questions about corporate event planning and how to create branded event environments and experiences, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with our experts at Canvas House.

The post Event Branding 101: Key Visual & Experiential Elements for Corporate Events appeared first on Canvas House.

Add to this the fact that event activities are wildly different between kids and adults – sometimes, it’s just not feasible to be able to include enrichment and engagement ideas for kids into your event planning. In fact, entertainment for guests of all ages does tend to be one of the top hidden wedding costs that couples forget to plan for.

Thankfully, we’re also seeing more event planners and vendors including kid-friendly services and options that help hosts better accommodate families attending with children. So if you’re considering making your next celebration a fete for the whole family to enjoy, then today’s guide is for you.

Read on for all our top tips for child-friendly event planning.

How to Best Manage Children at Events?

If you’re still in the early phases of your event planning timeline but have decided that you’re a ‘yes’ in the debate of ‘kids vs. no kids’, then be sure to tick off these essential steps for navigating preliminary planning conversations with parents, event planners, and vendors.

Disclose Early Whether Your Event will be Child-free

Parents need ample time to prepare, and you also need ample time to finalise your guest list – just in case a ‘no kids’ clause results in some parents not being able to attend. So be sure to specify on your invitations or save the dates as to whether your event will indeed be child-free or child-friendly.

Establish a Children’s Table in Seating Arrangements

This tip is especially useful for people that are in the midst of finalising their wedding seating chart. If you’ve already got parents with kids RSVP-ing yes to the whole family, then you can start to pop those kids into your event seating arrangements. In some cases, you may decide to seat kids with parents, but for older tweens and teens, it may be more comfortable (and less boring) for them to be seated with their peers rather than with their parents.

Curate a Children’s Menu for Formal Dinners

With a children’s table, you can also make quick work of ensuring that kid-friendly menu items are always readily available to your youngest attendees. Keeping some fun finger foods on-hand at your kid’s table can help keep them engaged and entertained, which in turn also reduces the risks of your children’s table getting rowdy due to restlessness. In fact, kids tables are amongst the top tried and tested wedding catering tricks for this reason. Caterers and wait staff also find it a lot easier serving kids when they’re all on one table.

Provide Child Minding Amenities for Parents

Just because your event is kid-friendly, it doesn’t mean that every single activity or space on the day needs to be child-inclusive. In much the same way that you can set up kid-friendly zones, you can also provide parents with the space to step away from their duties and just enjoy attending your event for a little bit too.

The best way to do this is by providing childcare or nanny services at your event. For instance, for many of our kid-friendly weddings here at Canvas House, we find ourselves working closely with the Wedding Nanny Co., who provides on-site childcare services specifically for weddings. All that’s needed is to set up a dedicated space at your wedding venue for your wedding nanny to work their magic. With their strategies for keeping kids of all ages entertained, don’t be surprised if your kids don’t want to go home at the end of the night!

Pro tip: if you are booking on-site childcare services for your event, be sure to factor this in when choosing your wedding venue. You’ll want to make sure your venue has a space for your nanny to set up.

How to Keep Children Entertained at Formal Events

Alongside childcare services for young kids, hosts can also include activities that are more kid-oriented in their event itinerary to keep young attendees engaged and less likely to cause disruptions.

Here are just a few different methods you can use to keep children entertained during formal events like weddings or anniversary celebrations.

Supply Colouring Books for Younger Children at Tables

This tip is great for weddings and gala dinners, where children are expected to sit for an extended period in and amongst speeches and videoworthy moments. With some quiet table activities like colouring books or word puzzles and other cerebral games, children can keep themselves occupied during wedding speeches and other instances that may demand their parents’ full attention.

Design Event Spaces and Activities Specifically for Children

For kids that may be too young to be entertained with tabletop activities, creating separate spaces and activity stations within your event can help your kids feel more settled and accommodated. Again, on-site childcare services can be a great investment in a dedicated kid space, as you can make sure your youngest attendees are being watched over by a committed childcare specialist, and that their parents can be rest assured while they’re enjoying your event.

Provide a Sensory Room for Children with Sensory Needs

Some kids may be in need of their own specialised environment to keep them comfortable at your event. For instance, children with ADD/ADHD or ASD may benefit greatly from the inclusion of a sensory room. This is essentially a small, quiet space with gentle lighting and a range of different activities designed to soothe.

Pro tip: be sure to inquire with parents to see if their children may benefit from the inclusion of a sensory space for your event, and to gain a little insight into what types of toys or activities are best to include in that space for their kids.

Include Playlists for All Ages with Your Event Band/DJ

We know we’re in the midst of the ‘kids vs. no kids’ debate, but let’s bring up ‘band vs. DJ’ while we’re at it. With a DJ playing from a pre-made playlist, you can make sure that there are tunes for all the kids, tweens, and teens in and amongst the oldies and classics. Even for live bands and entertainers, keeping setlists varied and eclectic can help ensure your younger attendees stay engaged and avidly jumping around on the dancefloor.

Child-friendly Event Planning Tips

To summarise, we’ve compiled some of our most practical child-friendly event planning tips for event planners below:

• Establish a preferred age range for child attendees
• Ask parents what they may need for their children in advance
• Encourage parents to bring their own personalised ‘emergency kits’ for children
• Arrange a sensory quiet room and/or nap room
• Design your event itinerary with child attendees in mind
• Provide a condensed itinerary for families with an earlier finish time
• Ensure kid-friendly foods are available and easily accessible at all times
• Book childcare or nanny services ahead of time

Celebrate Life’s Milestones with the Whole Family in Tow

Family celebrations are best enjoyed with the entire family. If you’d like to accommodate kids at your next big celebration, then be sure to heed the tips, tricks, and recommendations we’ve shared today.

And if you’re thinking our space at Canvas House is the perfect fit for your next big celebration, then don’t hesitate to contact our events team to make a formal inquiry into our space, or to even book your own private tour.

The post Managing Kids at Events: Top Tips for Celebrating with Children in Attendance appeared first on Canvas House.

Product launches are, however, just as much an opportunity for brand promotion as they are for building interest in a new market offering. So before hosting any product launch, brands should ask themselves how they can utilise that opportunity as best as possible.

Thankfully here at Canvas House, we’re in the business of planning successful corporate events. We use our decades of experience to curate event itineraries that deliver streamlined logistics and positive attendee feedback, and work directly with our hosts to make sure their events perfectly align with their goals and vision.

Alongside all this hands-on work, we’re genuinely passionate about elevating Melbourne’s events scene, which is why we’ve shared a few of our industry trade secrets and top tips to help you revolutionise your product launches. Without further ado, here’s our essential playbook for hosting product launches that go off with a bang.

Preliminary Preparation: Goals, Budgets, Values, Venues

Begin your product launch planning by first outlining the core objectives behind your launch event. Are you looking to encourage immediate sales, to educate your target audience on how best to utilise your product/s, or to simply create shareable content and build buzz on social media? Answering these questions can help inform not only your event itinerary, but the look, feel, and layout of your event space.

This in turn, will help you find the ideal venue and vendors (i.e. suppliers, caterers, event staff, entertainment, etc.) for your event. For instance, if you know that you’d like to host a panel discussion with a few guest speakers, you’ll need to find a seminar venue with a good AV system that can accommodate multiple mic speakers.

Pro tip: book your venue with confidence, with our guide on 5 questions to ask when looking at seminar venues in particular.

With these considerations made, this is also an ideal time to define your event budget. Make sure your budget aligns with your venue and vendors, as well as with the goals and objectives of your event. Think too, on what scope of design you’ll need for your event space and event itinerary to cater to your target audience, as this can also help inform your budget.

To sum up, at this phase of the planning journey, you should:

• Outline the core objectives behind your product launch (sales, education, social engagement, etc.)
• Establish the budget for your event
• Refine your event messaging and values in accordance with your defined target audience
• Find your ideal venue (to align with budget and audience)
• Create a planning timeline for your event

Planning Your Product Launch: Get the Wheels in Motion

With a clear timeline and budget in place and your venue booked, now is the time to start getting into the particulars of your event itinerary. Map out the flow of the day/s for your event, including buffering or set-up times at the beginning and end of the day to get an accurate estimate of staffed hours.

With your event itinerary laid out, you can then pinpoint what you’ll need and when – this is referring not only to staff, but also to AV equipment and other technologies, as well as stage setups, chair and table layouts, and any other equipment needed for activities. We also recommend considering network connectivity testing, especially if you’re planning to include hybrid conference elements to your event (that will involve maintaining an active livestream and catering to a high volume of connected devices).

So at this phase of your product launch planning, here’s what you should hope to achieve:

• Plan your event itinerary
• Estimate and calculate event staffing requirements
• Finalise staff contracts and vendor agreements
• Source event technology and equipment

Promoting Your Product Launch: Drum Up Anticipation!

With all the foundational logistics sorted, it’s finally time to get into promotion for your product launch. Marketing campaigns and promotional materials for corporate events are a vital component of boosting ticket sales. Finalising your ticket tiering and pricing nice and early is also a great way to take the stress out of planning for-profit events. With a robust pricing model and strong incentives for early bird ticket sales, you won’t have to keep on ‘guesstimating’ as much about whether your event is on track to break even.

Once your ticket pricing and tiering has been finalised, you can start your event promotion by soft launching the date, followed up by announcing any guest speakers and other standout selling points on social media. Monitor engagement for every announcement post and adjust your messaging accordingly if needed.

Alongside event promotion, this is also a great time to think about your social media strategy for the day itself PLUS your re-engagement strategising post-event. For the day itself, consider encouraging your attendees to share their own content on socials by providing exclusive event hashtags and perhaps even setting up a photo wall with a red carpet (if it suits your event theme!). UGC (user-generated content) under special event hashtags can make documenting your event a breeze. Plus if you do a post-event reflection post or video, attendees will surely get a hoot out of securing a cameo or two in your materials.

In summary, at this stage of your product launch planning, you should aim to have ticked these items off your to-do list:

• Finalise ticketing – tiering and prices
• Develop promotional materials
• Rollout event marketing campaign
• Set up social media plan for day-of and post-launch
• Develop UGC (user-generated content) strategy

Post-launch: Collecting Feedback and Measuring Success

Post-product launch is all about measuring your success metrics in alignment with your event goals, and determining whether the event fulfilled all the expectations set out not only by you and your event team, but by your attendees as well.

And of course, if you’re planning more creative corporate events in the future that have been inspired by the performance and experience of this product launch event, then be sure to send out exclusive invitations to your email subscriber list of previous event attendees. This re-engagement pipeline is the best way to build on your momentum following your product launch event and make sure that your brand and its corporate events calendar accrues a cult following.

To wrap up post-event, make sure you take the following steps:

• Measure event engagement on social media
• Record and review success metrics linked to event objectives
• Collect feedback from event attendees (i.e. poll links, feedback forms or guestbooks at the event, etc.)
• Rollout re-engagement campaign (i.e. special offer EDMs, giveaways, etc.)

Host Your Next Product Launch with Our Event Planners at Canvas House

At Canvas House, we love to host great corporate parties, and that includes all the excitement and meticulous experience planning of product launches. If you’d like to make your next product launch one to remember, then we reckon our venue space will provide the perfect setting. Check out our space via our website, or get in touch to schedule your own private tour of our lovingly presented venue with our in-house events team.

The post How to Host a Product Launch: An Essential Playbook appeared first on Canvas House.

If prepping a tailored event planning timeline sounds like a daunting task, then let our experts at Canvas House break it down for you, with our easy-to-follow event planning timeline tips that’ll be sure to take the stress out of event planning for you.

What is an Event Planning Timeline?

An event planning timeline is a reference used to help break down all the individual tasks and items that will need to be completed during your event planning process.

Your event planning timeline should ideally take you from Day 1 of your planning process all the way through to the day of your event – and perhaps even the day after your event, if you’ll also need to factor in packing up and uninstalling decor with your venue.

Key Components to Add to Your Event Planning Timeline

To ensure a thorough overview of all the logistical considerations for planning your event, event planning timeline should include the following details:

• Payment and application deadlines – deadlines for applications for planning permits, etc.
• Marketing and promotion campaign dates – launch dates + early bird/round 1/round 2 ticket sales, etc
• Allocated tasks and status updates – who’s doing what, and when can you expect to hear from them?
• Planning milestones – tick off when details are finalised with your venue, caterers, suppliers, entertainment, etc.

How long Does it Take to Plan a Professional Event?

The timeframe for planning events can be influenced by a few factors, including the type of celebration, and the size of your guest list. Here are a few insights on the size and scope of event planning timelines across the main types of events we’ve hosted at Canvas House.

Birthdays, Anniversaries, etc.

Our hosts often inquire about a birthday venue hire with us about 4-6 weeks before a scheduled birthday celebration. This timeframe is also ideal for surprise parties, as a condensed planning timeline of 4-6 weeks means partygoers don’t have to keep the birthday person in suspense for too long.

Anniversaries operate off a similar estimated event planning timeline of about 4-6 weeks. For milestone anniversaries or anniversaries that double up as vow renewals, however, hosts may start planning even further in advance to account for time for florists and other suppliers to work their magic.

Weddings

Given the sheer size and demand of the wedding industry, most venues stipulate that couples book their wedding venue at least 1-2 years in advance. This timeline is also ideal for ensuring optimal time to source all the other bits and pieces needed for your wedding day – think bouquets, centrepieces, and other floral arrangements, bridal gowns, wedding cakes, entertainment, celebrants, etc.

Keep in mind too that it also takes some time to select an ideal wedding venue. Couples rarely fall in love with the first venue they book a tour of, so additional time may be allocated towards simply finding where you’d like to say ‘I do’.

Finally, outside of sourcing suppliers, bakers, caterers, and florists, wedding planning also comes with its fair share of administrative tasks, like hand-writing invitations, collating dietary preferences for guests, and finalising your wedding seating chart. With all there is to do, even 1-2 years’ worth of planning still doesn’t feel like long enough.

Benefits and Gala Dinners

As benefits and gala dinners are more upscale ticketed events, event planning generally takes anywhere from 8-12+ months. This allows for adequate time to:

• Collaborate with non-profit or charity partners,
• Coordinate with caterers and wait staff,
• Book entertainment or guest speakers,
• Market/promote your event,
• Outline fundraising plan,
• Sell tickets/plates and prepare a detailed guest list

For more insights on how to host a gala dinner, check out this detailed guide.

Corporate Events

Some businesses literally spend 6-12 months planning their work Christmas party. And then there are other corporate clients who may book a conference venue on a monthly basis. This is to say that corporate events can be quite broad and varied, so you’ll find that event planning timelines for business events can fluctuate depending on what type of professional event you’re looking to host. As we mentioned, however, most corporate events do fall within a 12-month event planning timeline to ensure costs stay within the corresponding financial year for tax purposes.

Standard 12+ Month Event Planning Timeline: Let’s Break it Down

Given that ~12 months is a great average timeframe for planning professional events, let’s break down exactly what tasks you’re likely to tick off at every phase during your standard 12 month event planning timeline.

12+ Months Before: Outline the Purpose and Objectives of Your Event

The first phase of developing an event plan is to simply outline the purpose or intention behind your event, and how you aim to achieve these objectives. Is it a fundraiser or more of a networking or even training event? Will it be ticketed? Will you work with third-party suppliers or internal suppliers? Will you work in partnership with corporate sponsors? These are all questions that must ideally be answered at this stage of your event planning timeline.

At this stage, you may also opt to finalise your venue and vendor booking/s. Looking at a venue space at this stage allows ample time for you to book a tour with your shortlisted vendors and other event partners.

To recap, here are some of the key tasks you should look to complete 12+ months before your event:

• Define purpose or intention behind the event
• Set a date and time for your event
• Establish event budget
• Book venue space and find vendors/caterers, etc.
• Book event entertainment (guest speakers, musical acts, etc.)
• Collaborate with event sponsors and co-hosts

6 Months Before: Commence Event Promotion + Finalise Vendor Agreements

With your venue, vendors, and event entertainment set in stone, it’s finally time to start promoting your event. This will involve preparing promotional materials like posters and flyers, but also social media ads and ticket portals. You can even set up a website with a dedicated ticket portal if you feel this may be more beneficial for your brand (for corporate events). Just be sure to include sponsor branding alongside your own branding.

Prior to event promotion, however, you’ll need to refine your profit margins, if you’re hosting a paid and ticketed event. Setting up these event registration and ticket portals with tiered ticket pricing can be an ideal way to not only inspire early bird ticket sales for supporting profit estimates, but also to develop a robust financial model.

And speaking of finances, at this stage, you should also aim to have finalised all contracts with your caterers and other suppliers. If any invoices are still pending payment, make sure they’re processed as soon as possible to give your vendors ample time to make arrangements on their end.

To recap, here are key tasks you should complete ~6 months before your event:

• Refine financial/fundraising models
• Rollout event marketing and promotion
• Confirm event entertainment
• Confirm vendors and finalise vendor agreements

1 Month Before: Finalise Itineraries, Logistics, and Attendee Messaging

With just a month left to go before your event, you’ll want to make sure your event itinerary is now fully finalised and ready to share with your attendee list (both in digital format and via printed event programmes).

At this stage of your event planning timeline, you should also start to consider logistics for the day, including check-in and check-out times and scheduling for vendors, delivery drivers, and event staff (i.e. caterers, bartenders, etc.). Be sure to orchestrate with your venue staff to ensure smooth operations between all elements of your event, from staging and presentations, to kitchen set-up and pack-down, attendee registration and welcome tables, and any reorganisation of furniture during your event (for example, if you’re converting a space from row seating to an open workshop environment).

Alongside sharing your event itinerary, you should also seek to share event updates and anticipatory notices with your attendees to boost engagement. Consider even running promotions like ticket giveaways to inspire last-minute interest and sell any straggling tickets. And if there are any perks to attendance like meet and greets with public figures or perhaps even some scrummy corporate lunches, then make sure you’re showcasing these to also build excitement.

Here are the key tasks you should aim to complete ~1 month before your event:

• Finalise event itinerary
• Confirm event logistics with vendors, venue staff, etc.
• Prepare attendee messaging to build excitement/engagement

2 Weeks Before: Rollout Event Materials, Vendor Briefings, Venue Schedules, etc.

With two weeks left to go, now is the time to finalise print and publication of event materials like event programmes, magazines, business cards, and anything else you want to distribute to your attendees on the day. Ask your venue if you may be able to store these materials on-site before your event day to save you from having to ferry them over the day of.

At this phase of your event planning timeline, you should also make sure all your vendors and event staff have been briefed and are aware of what their schedule and directives are looking like for the day. Be sure to plan these schedules in partnership with your venue staff, who’ll be able to give you all the info you need on venue check-in and check-out procedures for all vendors and suppliers.

Here are the tasks you should seek to complete with 2 weeks to go till your event:

• Print and publication of event materials (i.e. event programmes, pamphlets, etc.)
• Finalise briefings for vendors, caterers, and other event staff
• Finalise venue schedules so your venue knows who to expect and when

1 Week Before: Staff Briefing, Tech Rehearsals, Attendee Experience Optimisation

With a week to go before the day, it’s time to finalise all on-site briefings for event staff and to finetune your attendee experience. This means testing registration processes to gauge the user experience, finalising your event decor, running tech rehearsals to maintain an active approach to diagnostics, and taking any other necessary steps to elevate the experience for your eventgoers.

If you’re hosting a hybrid conference and will require live video feeds throughout your event, then it’s essential to test your network connection comprehensively and with the estimated bandwidth needed on the day itself. See if you can organise a quick trial with enough devices to mimic the network capacity you’ll need on the event day itself or during any given itinerary item.

On the Day: Set Up Comms for Event Staff + Capture Event Content

It’s the big day itself, which means all vendors to positions and emcees, workshop facilitators, and other relevant roles working together to ensure your event schedule runs as needed. To support your event staff, you may opt to use UHF radios to maintain communications across different environments (i.e. from the catering kitchen to the main stage to workshop spaces, etc.).

Alongside maintaining comms on the floor, your event photographers should also be out and about capturing plenty of content to share directly to social media on the day (in the form of Facebook or Instagram Stories), and to use as footage for future event promotions – though more on this below.

The Day After: Pack Up, Gather Materials, and Prep Re-engagement Strategies

The day after your event isn’t just about packing up. Yes, that’s a big part of the punch-out process with your venue, but remember that you’ll also have plenty of work on your hands when it comes to gathering up attendee feedback, collecting event photos and videos, and figuring out how best you want to document your event for future reference.

If you’re planning to host future events (i.e. quarterly or annually recurring events, for instance), then the day after your last successful event is the perfect time to brainstorm optimal re-engagement strategies. Will you send all your event attendees a ‘Thank You’ email for taking the time to attend? Will you maintain your subscriber list to deliver exclusive access offers for future events?

Perfect Your Event Scheduling with these Organisational Tips

Whether you’re a team of one or are part of a larger events and engagement team, you can definitely use these expert tips and tricks to help you outline a strong event planning timeline, and most importantly, keep it on track.

And if you do need a little extra support with planning your corporate event, then be sure to check out our other resources for corporate event planning here at Canvas House, or simply get in touch with our event planning team to enquire about working with us for your next big business event.

The post Event Planning Timeline: How to Plan Professional Events from Start to Finish appeared first on Canvas House.

But in order for your executive strategy day to be as impactful as possible, you need to make sure your strategising environment is conducive for ‘outside the box’ thinking. This is why our corporate venue space here at Canvas House has been set up to provide professional teams with flexibility, adaptability, and practical features and amenities that are perfect for brainstorming, collaborating, and just generally making sure your business planning days are productive.

So what should you be looking for when finding an ideal venue for your next executive strategy day? Let our event planning experts at Canvas House illuminate you with our list of essential features and amenities for executive strategy sessions spanning from 9 to 5.

Key Features & Amenities for Executive Meeting Spaces

Central Location

Have you ever had to travel to a seminar venue on a workday? Chances are, the easiest venues to get to were those that were just a quick bus, train, or tram trip from the office. This is why venues in and around the Melbourne CBD are so popular amongst corporate event managers. Not only can your colleagues find the venue easily, but so can any third party visitors (i.e. clients, corporate partners, catering staff, etc.).

If you’ve got attendees that have travelled from other states or countries as well, booking a venue that’s centrally located will naturally also help to accommodate attendees staying at a hotel or business accommodation. This is also why so many conference venues double up as hotels or business accommodation: so that event planners can simplify booking venues for their event space and hotel rooms for any visiting guests.

Accessible Facilities

Speaking of accommodating guests, catering to attendees travelling from afar is just one half of the equation. Accessibility considerations are also a must when planning corporate parties and events.

Keep in mind too that even if your guests don’t currently have access needs (i.e. wheelchair access, ASL interpreters, etc.), it doesn’t mean that they won’t require access needs when the day of your event swings round. Injuries can result in your guests unexpectedly requiring the use of crutches and other walking aids. Thankfully, our space here at Canvas House is set up with accessible restrooms plus a stage and screen setup so you can easily have a camera on an ASL interpreter to accommodate deaf or hard of hearing attendees.

Multimedia Equipment

What’s one of the first questions you ask when booking a seminar venue? Of course it’s “what type of AV or multimedia equipment is available on-site?” This is one of the biggest logistical concerns for any type of business event, including executive strategy days, where you can anticipate groups to collaborate on a shared strategy development project.

For business planning sessions, teams generally rely on projector screens for presentations and/or watching videos. And if they’re presenting to larger groups, then you may also need to set up microphones and speaker systems to make sure all attendees can take in the presentation no matter where they’re seated in the space.

This is why we have a full AV system complete with Bluetooth connectivity at Canvas House, plus microphones, a green room, and even a portable TV, making it easier for executive strategists to curate a space that works for their activities.

Whiteboards and other meeting amenities

Most corporate events, from conferences to training or orientation meetings, will require a whiteboard, HDMI supported screens, and other meeting amenities. For teams looking to conduct conference meetings, for instance, meeting spaces also need to be quiet and self-contained to support audio quality for the remote parties.

This is why we’ve included our dedicated meeting room space here at Canvas House, complete with a conference room table and comfortable seating that supports teams during lengthy deliberations.

Flexible Furnishings

Alongside comfortable seating, executive strategy sessions naturally also require flexibility of thought. In most cases, the best way to support this is to get your blood flowing and walk around your space rather than sitting in a static position.

At Canvas House, we’ve seen time and time again that professional teams benefit greatly from working in flexible environments, where chairs and tables can be easily manoeuvred to make space for brainstorming. To meet these working demands, our team at Canvas House makes sure that our meeting spaces are easy to reorganise and reset, supporting corporate teams in working freely and staying in the zone.

Catering Amenities and Support

For all-day events, you’ll definitely want to provide catering for corporate lunches, just to make sure that your attendees have ample time to refuel and maintain their productivity across the entire day’s itinerary. So if you’re planning an executive summary day that is likely to cut through lunch and into the afternoon, then it’s well worth booking a venue that includes kitchen facilities to support food and beverage attendants.

If there are no commercial kitchen facilities, then you may be able to partner with other food service providers like food trucks. Using food trucks for event catering has risen in popularity in recent years, as it provides more interior venue space for events, and can even provide attendees with more variety in meal options.

Pro tip: ask our event planners at Canvas House for their list of local suppliers to find catering partners that offer competitive rates!

Comfortable, Airy Ambience

Finally, brainstorming requires keeping an open mind, and there’s no better way to stay present and dreaming big than by letting yourself work in an airy atmosphere. Well, have you seen our 6m high, cathedral-style vaulted ceiling? It doesn’t get any more airy than that!

And with updated heating and cooling amenities, our space here at Canvas House is sure to be the perfect selection for executive strategy days during all seasons.

Want to Book Canvas House for your Next Corporate Planning Event?

End of year is always a perfect time to schedule business strategy sessions. So if you’re looking to schedule your next corporate planning event in anticipation of Q1, now is the perfect time to get that ball rolling.

Enquire with our team at Canvas House today to book our beautiful corporate venue for your organisation’s next executive strategy day.

The post What to Look for When Choosing a Venue for Executive Strategy Days appeared first on Canvas House.

On top of this, events like hybrid conferences that integrate participation across both local and global staff, help facilitate knowledge sharing across diverse teams. In a nutshell, hybrid conferences help globalised teams take full advantage of their diversity of cultures, professional backgrounds, and experiences.

Granted, hybrid conference models are still pretty new, so it’s fair to have some questions on how you can set your enterprise up for success with its first foray into hybrid conference events. So if you’re looking for the right corporate venue to accommodate both on-site and off-site (i.e. remote and/or global attendees), then let today’s guide be your jumping off point for corporate event planning.

Here’s our definitive how-to guide on hosting a hybrid conference and other types of hybrid meeting events for your organisation.

What is a Hybrid Event?

Hybrid events are conferences, seminars, and other types of events that combine both in-person and online or virtual attendance. The construct of hybrid events is popular amongst corporate event planners, as they accommodate professionals working remotely, whilst still ensuring organisations can cultivate and maintain a strong events calendar filled with enrichment and networking opportunities for their staff.

Why Host a Hybrid Conference?

We already touched on some of the major benefits of hybrid conferences above, but let’s collate them for you here:

• Supports communication and collaboration across on-site and remote teams
• Accommodates guest speakers based in other geographic locations
• Reduces travel demands for conference attendees
• Boosts event accessibility for attendees with disabilities, health concerns, family commitments, etc.
• Reduced event expenses (i.e. small venue sizes, reduced catering demands, simplified logistics, etc.)
• Dynamic engagement opportunities (through digital polls, Q&A seminars, live chats, etc.)
• Allows for data harvesting on event engagement, participation, feedback, etc. for improved ROI measurements

How to Host a Hybrid Conference: 10 Key Tips & Tricks

Below, our team of expert event planners at Canvas House have shared their top ten tips gathered from experience on hosting hybrid corporate events.

Here’s how you can make sure your hybrid conference is enriching and engaging for both in-person and remote attendees.

1. Define the Scope of Your Hybrid Conference

Start by first establishing what the purpose of your hybrid conference is. What key takeaways do you want your attendees to have at the end of the day? And what kinds of speakers and subject matter experts will you want to collaborate with?

This is also the perfect phase to finalise your event budget. With strong estimates for your spend, you can determine whether it may be worth ticketing your event (for profit or to cover costs, for example). Gauging attendees vs. cost is also essential for events like corporate dinners where you can anticipate a set cost per head.

2. Send out event invitations and track RSVPs

Once you’ve outlined the scope of your event and whether or not you’ll be offering invitations or paid tickets, you can finally prep your promotional materials, ticketing platforms, and RSVP systems. Establishing a method for tracking RSVPs across all attendees (both in-person and virtual) is essential for maintaining an accurate overview of your attendee list. That way, you can make sure you provide enough seating for in-person attendees, and enough moderator visibility and other support for virtual attendees.

3. Find In-person and Virtual Guest Speakers

The beauty of hybrid conferences is that the hybrid setup works both ways: you can have both virtual attendees to strengthen ticket sales, and also virtual guest speakers to build event interest. In other words, the geographic location of your hybrid conference doesn’t have to be a barrier for prospective guest speakers that may be a great fit for your event, despite the fact that they’re based overseas and are unable to travel.

So the next time you want to invite a TED talker to a business seminar, see if they may be open to being a virtual guest speaker! That way, you can add their image to your promotional materials and inspire greater interest in your upcoming hybrid event.

4. Finalise Your Conference Agenda in Advance

Knowing all that’s on the docket for the day is likely also going to encourage more prospective eventgoers to grab their tickets ahead of time. So work with your fellow corporate event planners and guest speakers to finetune and finalise your conference agenda in advance. That way, there are no surprises on the day of, and your conference speakers and other participants can know exactly what events and activities are running when.

5. Set up Teleconference Links for Each Activity

When you’re choosing a venue for team building activities, you try to make sure your space can be set up optimally for each of the fun things you’ve got planned for the day. The same goes for planning hybrid conferences: you want to make sure your physical event space is not only supportive of in-person attendees, but that your digital infrastructure for the day is also accommodating of virtual attendees as well.

A great way to achieve this is by simply making sure that all the different activity components planned for your day (i.e. different panels, workshops, etc.) all have their own clearly labelled event links. That way, your virtual guests can simply add those links and invites directly to their digital calendar, and click through to the next event/activity they’ve RSVP-ed to with minimal risk of finding themselves in the wrong virtual room by accident. Sorting these links out ahead of time will not only help reduce the stress of event planning for you and your fellow organisers, but it will also help ensure that your virtual attendees can get the very most out of your event experience, leading to stronger reviews and more positive feedback post-event.

6. Use Interactive Tools to Engage All Attendees

This next tip is in a similar vein to #5, but it’s well worth elaborating on. In much the same way that video conferences include interactive features like breakout rooms and digital whiteboards, you’ll also want to make sure that your conference events and panels include interactive tools that engage both in-person and virtual attendees. This can include things like digital polls, fun quizzes where attendees can answer using their phones (and QR codes), and other creative event ideas that can inspire cross-pollination and knowledge sharing across both in-person and virtual attendees.

7. Set up Roving Cameras to Support Video Feeds

Just because your virtual attendees may be watching at home or alone in their own office, it doesn’t mean that they can’t still feel like they’re in the crowd at your conference. This is why hybrid conference planners often set up multiple roving cameras and microphones to showcase not only different angles of event speakers but also to showcase the crowd/audience.

This footage won’t just make your event experience more engaging to your virtual attendees, however. It can also help promote any future events, by helping prospective speakers and event partners in the future verify the participant numbers of your previous successful events.

8. Provide Incentives for In-person and Virtual Attendees

It’s common for business conferences to offer catered lunches to event attendees, but sadly this isn’t really a perk you can offer to virtual guests – so should you still offer catering for hybrid events? Ultimately, the answer to this question is up to you and your fellow event planners, but given our commercial kitchen facilities here at Canvas House, we’ve personally seen plenty of hybrid event planners successfully offering catering to in-person attendees whilst simultaneously providing perks to remote eventgoers.

One option here is to provide satellite catering services by partnering with other local caterers and event planners. This is a great option for hybrid conferences where remote attendees are likely to all be based in the same location. Simply set up catering for your in-person guest list and satellite catering for your congregation of remote attendees that are all logging in together.

And if your remote guest list is more scattered, per se, you can still provide other perks in the form of gift cards, discount offers to master classes or industry equipment, and other financial or professional incentives.

9. Establish On-site and Virtual Event Moderators

Panel events typically have a moderator to help control conversation and the flow of Q&As for on-site events. Contrastingly, virtual events have chat moderators in place to make sure that digital communications stay on-topic.

For hybrid conference events, you’ll naturally need both on-site and virtual moderators, so it’s best to have these positions filled in anticipation of your event day. Here, it definitely pays to do some due diligence and hire experienced moderators, so be sure to ask virtual moderators if they’ve had experience facilitating digital conferences.

10. Provide Channels for Event Feedback

Finally, after any successful corporate event, you’ll naturally want to know what worked and what didn’t. So alongside setting up links to all your panels and activities, you should also share links for attendees (both on-site and virtual) to give their feedback. Whatever insights you can gain from your feedback systems can naturally help you improve your hybrid conference events with every iteration.

Host Your Next Hybrid Conference at Canvas House

At Canvas House, we’ve set up our space to be inclusive of both in-person and virtual eventgoers. Our full AV system with Bluetooth connectivity makes setting up computers and speaker equipment a dream, supporting in-person event planners in getting all their technical infrastructure in place with minimal turnaround times.

Check out all the picture-perfect in-person and virtual conference events we’ve curated in our space across our gallery, or simply get in touch with a member of our dedicated events team to start planning your next hybrid conference.

The post How to Host a Hybrid Conference in a Physical Venue appeared first on Canvas House.

Thankfully, our passionate team at Canvas House have oodles of experience in tailoring our lovingly maintained venue space to suit a vast variety of corporate events – including training, learning, and development events.

Unlike more celebratory industry events like product launches that can get pretty noisy and colourful, training events are characterised more by their curated collection of learning environments – providing eventgoers with spaces that inspire engagement and spark their curiosity.

The age-old question is how can you find a corporate venue that offers the right environment not only for training but also for effective learning and development? Our team at Canvas House is here to answer this question today, by sharing in greater detail what considerations you should make when choosing the right venue for your next training, learning, and development event.

Key Considerations when Booking a Venue for Training, Learning & Development Events

Ready to get started on planning your next training, learning, and development event? Here are the key considerations you should make when finding the optimal venue for any professional training and development event.

Venue Capacity

How many people are likely to attend your event? Is it just an internal company affair, or are you extending invitations out to your wider industry network? Depending on the scope of your training and development event, you may likely even require multiple learning environments across your event space (think simultaneously running seminars and tutorials, etc.).

If you are anticipating having upwards of 50 attendees, for instance, you may choose to create two distinct learning environments in your event space, with a capacity of ~25 people per each training room.

Event Budget

As is the case with any event planning project, your budget will dictate what kind of venue you end up selecting for your event. However, if your budget likely won’t cover the estimated attendee list for your event, then you may either have to look for a lower cost venue, or even revisit the funding model for your event itself.

Practical budgeting is fundamental to planning a successful corporate event. So if you start to suspect your budget may not be working, it’s best to act as promptly as possible to either adapt your funding model (if it’s not too late!), or secure a venue space that best aligns with your spending power.

Amenities & Accessibility

Oftentimes, conference venues will come fitted with projectors and TV screens to support presentations for larger audiences – but what if you need to bring in your own equipment too? Here, amenities like loading door access and technological infrastructure can be worth their weight in gold.

Of course, venue accessibility naturally also includes disability access and support considerations. If you’re expecting attendees that require wheelchair access, for instance, then you’ll want to book a venue space that comes fitted with ramps, lifts, and other necessary accessibility infrastructure.

The same goes for stage setup and space configurations for other accessibility considerations, like ASL interpreters. Are there screens that allow ASL interpreters to be seen from across the entire venue space? Are there braille directions on all interior signs, and support infrastructure for attendees with service animals? Is there a quiet space for accommodating guests who may be experiencing a sensory overload? These are all questions you’ll need to ask when assessing the accessibility of your venue space.

Access to Multimedia Equipment

For event planners who don’t necessarily want to bring more equipment than just a laptop or an SD card or two, you’ll naturally also want to consider whether your shortlisted venues come fitted with their own catalogue of multimedia equipment.

For instance, at Canvas House, we offer both fixed screens in our boardroom spaces as well as a portable TV, plus a full Bluetooth-enabled AV system with microphones, so you don’t have to bring your own equipment.

Layouts for Training/Learning Environments

For training, learning and development events, you’ll naturally also need to find a venue space that actually accommodates the creation of different zones. That way, you can run multiple sessions/seminars/workshops without any programs interfering with one another.

This is actually why we’ve curated our space at Canvas House to include multiple different enclosed and open plan zones. Our venue space includes multiple private boardrooms and meeting rooms (including the Nook and the Study), an outdoor courtyard area in the rear and front of the venue space, as well as the pièce de résistance, our stunning Gallery space, complete with its showstopping 6m high vaulted Cathedral-style ceiling.

Look through our gallery to see our space from all angles, or better still – get in touch with us to schedule your own private walkthrough before your event!

Top Tips for Setting up your Venue for Training, Learning & Development Events

Now that you know how to choose the right venue for your next training, learning, and development event, let our event planners give you a few extra expert tips on how to make sure your development workshops, seminars, and tutorials all go smoothly on the day.

Finalise Your Attendee List Promptly

The most important part of planning any kind of corporate party is making sure you’ve planned for the right amount of people. After all, you don’t want to be spending unnecessarily if you’re paying cost per head for your venue or catering booking.

You can help yourself out here by implementing a strict date for RSVPs. For internal corporate training events, finalising guest lists is as easy as just sending out office memos or email alerts to confirm event attendance by a specific deadline. For training, learning and development events that open to other industry connections, however, implementing event ticket sales may help reduce your risks of paying unnecessarily for no-shows and last minute cancellations.

Book Catering & Support Staff in Advance

Seasoned event planners know that a million things can go wrong in the leadup to your event. And for training, learning and development events, it’s natural to want to make sure that your venue is set up with zero distractions and glitches – just to support the quality of your training materials and workshop planning.

This is why it’s essential that you finalise all agreements with your catering team and support staff at least two weeks before your event. Doing so will provide ample time to iron out any potential issues well in advance, reducing risks of any unexpected issues on the day.

Check out our cuisines and catering ideas for corporate lunches for some inspo when booking your event catering.

Practice Zoning When Setting up Learning Environments

If you’re looking to include both traditional sit-down learning environments (i.e. seminar-style with seats all facing one stage) plus more interactive learning environments (i.e. hands-on workshops with circular group seating, physical movement, etc.), then you’ll want to make sure your venue zoning is tight and precise.

This design planning is also vital when preparing venues for team building exercises. If you’re expecting different people to be doing different activities simultaneously, then we highly recommend working with your venue manager to ensure your final space designs are practical and fit to accommodate all the day’s many activities.

Maintain a ‘Safety First’ Approach to Equipment Setup

Finally, multiple screens and presentations naturally means you’ll need your equipment setup to be meticulously planned – both to avoid any technical difficulties on the day, but also to reduce risks of injuries caused by unsecured cables or haphazardly moving equipment from room to room.

Here, work with your venue managers to make sure that all equipment is set up securely and out of traffic areas between learning environments. You’ll also want to invest in cable management solutions like cable runners if you are planning on running wires/cables through traffic areas.

Book Your Next Professional Event at Canvas House

With thorough planning and practical design considerations, you really can transform any venue into the optimal space for your next training, learning, and development event. But for hosts who want to enjoy a more streamlined planning process, booking a venue space that comes fitted with suitable seminar and learning environments can help make your development event planning a lot easier.

Want to book your next training, learning and development event here at Canvas House? Then get in touch with our team at Canvas House to get the ball rolling on your next corporate event, or check out our other corporate event planning tips for some extra guidance.

The post How to Choose the Right Venue for Training, Learning & Development Events appeared first on Canvas House.

There are also different types of corporate events, so when looking to plan for success, you’ll also need to make sure your event management strategy aligns with the intended purpose of your gathering. Are you there to celebrate with a product launch or an end of year work party? Or is your event more to inform and educate?

At Canvas House, we’ve partnered with local business owners to plan showstopping corporate events for over 20 years collectively. With extensive experience in high-end hospitality, hosting, and event management, our passionate team have designed our seminar venue to meet all the needs of event hosts, facilitators, and attendees.

Today, we’ll be using all of our industry insights to share 5 top questions you should ask when booking a seminar venue for your own seminars in Melbourne. We share this information so you can plan your next seminar events with the utmost confidence.

5 Questions to Ask Before you Book a Seminar Venue

1. What’s the venue capacity?

Capacity is naturally one of the most important factors to consider when booking a seminar venue, because you’ll need to make sure that every single one of your expected attendees can be seated comfortably and in a position where they can actually take in all the fascinating tidbits being delivered by your event speakers.

Your venue managers should be able to clearly answer what the maximum safe capacity is of any given space across their venue. From here, you can tally up the total capacity of all the spaces you’re looking to use to determine whether the seminar venue capacity aligns with your estimated attendee list.

Pro tip: If you can’t find a seminar venue with a large enough capacity that’s still within your budget, consider segmenting your attendee list into different teams or streams. That way, you can schedule seminars simultaneously across smaller cohorts in two separate spaces in your venue throughout the day rather than looking to run one big seminar in a larger space. This strategy is also what prompted us to design our training rooms and meeting rooms for hire here at Canvas House.

2. Is the venue layout adaptable?

If your seminar event is combining traditional conference or seminar formats with some more hands-on workshops or activities, then you’ll definitely want to design your seminar venue space to include a range of environments. Sadly, not all seminar venue spaces can offer this level of adaptability. If your venue manager states rooms cannot be redesigned or that larger pieces of furniture can be shifted, then you may need to look for a more flexible alternative.

This is also an essential question to ask when choosing a venue for team building activities. The last thing you want is to ask people to move in cramped and potentially even hazardous spaces. If you foresee you need open space, then account for a seminar venue that can accommodate not only a higher capacity, but also more floor area per attendee to account for high-movement activities.

3. What AV equipment do you have/can provide?

One of the best, low-stress strategies for planning an event is keeping your list of things to lug around on the ‘day of’ to an absolute minimum. So if you foresee you’ll need a seminar venue with great technical support, it’s also well worth asking them what AV equipment they have on hand for you to utilise.

Seminar venues that can provide high-quality projectors, screens, and Bluetooth-enabled speakers at a minimum, are definitely going to make set-up and pack down processes faster and easier on the day, alongside being able to accommodate third-party devices (i.e. laptops and USBs/hard drives provided by attendees or event speakers/facilitators).

4. What is your catering policy?

For daytime corporate events, it’s common to provide lunch as a way of breaking up the day. Not only will providing catering for corporate lunches help provide structure to all-day seminar events, but you may even find that the added bonus of a catered lunch will attract more attendees to your event. With the right budgeting model, you can work catering costs into your ticket prices, and make sure your seminar event breaks even.

Granted, you will need to make sure your seminar venue accommodates catering services well before you finalise your venue booking. Ask your venue staff if they have kitchen amenities on-site, or if your catering team may need to bring their own kitchen equipment.

If there is no safe area to set up kitchen equipment like hotplates, omelette stations, etc., then you may consider using food trucks to cater your event. Naturally, this catering option is also only feasible if your seminar venue has enough parking on-site to accommodate both event attendees as well as your catering staff and their vehicles.

Pro tip: Ask your venue managers if they have any partnerships with local suppliers like caterers and event designers. You may be able to get some competitive rates on catering services through your event planning team and their wider network. Every little perk can help elevate your event!

5. How accessible is the venue?

Finally, as corporate seminars either run for full- or half-days during the week, you can expect some of your event attendees to be commuting from their office or workplace rather than directly from home. If you are expecting attendees to commute from the CBD, for instance, then you’ll want to make sure your seminar venue is easy enough to locate and access from public transport, ensuring minimal travel times and lower transportation costs.

In a similar vein, booking a seminar venue that comes equipped with a designated spacious loading zone can make it a lot easier to coordinate movements with your event staff (i.e. catering teams, delivery drivers, interior designers). If you’re planning on bringing in your own furnishings and large decor for your seminar event (i.e. stalls, banners, stage dressings, etc.), then ask your venue manager if there is sufficient loading access for all these logistical considerations.

Book Canvas House for your Next Corporate Seminar in Melbourne

Boasting a highly presentable open plan event space that delivers a bright, airy atmosphere plus accompanying private meeting rooms, training spaces, outdoor spaces, and even a full commercial catering kitchen and FOH bar, Canvas House is the ultimate seminar venue for all Melbourne corporate events. Our team of in-house event planners also have extensive experience planning a variety of corporate events, from industry awards nights to seminars, panel discussions, and other networking events.

Want to book Canvas House for your next business seminar? Then get in touch with our passionate events team now. We’d love to speak with you further about how you can elevate your next seminar, corporate parties, and other professional events.

The post 5 Questions to Ask Before Booking a Seminar Venue in Melbourne appeared first on Canvas House.

Crafting a wedding speech involves a deep dive into the history of the couple’s relationship. Like a comedian turned historian, you’re tasked with entertaining the wedding venue while sharing special anecdotes of the beautiful and more vulnerable parts between you and the couple. The prep stage of wedding speech writing also involves how wedding speeches tend to differ for the best man, maid of honour, a parent or simply a close friend and knowing where you will fit in the order of events. The key is knowing how to mix sincerity with just the right amount of personality.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about how to write a wedding speech, from what to include and how to deliver to best man speech tips and help with delivery, so you can step up to the mic with confidence and give a speech that’s every bit as memorable as the day itself.

How to Write a Wedding Speech: Step-by-Step

Creating a wedding speech is one of the toughest writing tasks. You have to dive through memories, find the humour, discern what is and isn’t appropriate and then consider how it will all be received by a large audience, many of whom you may not have ever met. We get it, and props to you for accepting the challenge. To help make the whole process smoother for you and reduce the stress, break it down into these steps:

Brainstorm an Engaging Opening

There will be time for sentiments and warmth. But your opening is the time to really get the audience on board and make the rest of the speech a smooth and lighthearted journey. While prepping your wedding speech, sit down and spend some time brainstorming a great opening. You can completely avoid introducing yourself in the opening, unless you have a humorous way to do so, because this can really come at any time. Instead, opt for something more fun and creative, like an audience poll where they raise their hand or make reference to an obvious joke that everyone can join in on.

Say it with a Story

After an opening, or even as your opening, tell a story. Stories help to give the whole wedding reception a feeling of the time and place you’re speaking about, and they can make it much easier for you to relay your message and feeling towards a couple of friends. For example, instead of saying something like “Steve absolutely cherishes Angie”, tell a story of how he couldn’t stop talking about her when they first started dating, or how he grew calmer and more peaceful since they joined forces in life. Tidbits like these say it more clearly and powerfully than stating a fact ever could.

When selecting a story to share, make sure to steer clear of any that involve ex-partners, anything negative about the newlyweds or things that are inappropriate for a wide, old and young audience. Instead, swap these out for a special moment or a fun memory you share with the couple. Then dive into why it was special, how it felt being with them and then lead this into what makes them such a great couple.

Wish the Couple Well

After all, the traditional purpose of wedding speeches was to wish well upon the newlyweds. Make sure to include a well-wish for the couple as well as both people in the couple in your remarks. If you need some help, think of the best life you could hope for the couple, and speak it into existence via your speech.

Top it off with a Toast

After stories are shared, memories are honoured, wishes are given and you’ve honoured the couple in your unique way, to it all off with a toast for everyone to join in on.  Make it short, sweet and celebratory – something simple but effective, like “Please join me in raising a glass to the happy couple. Cheers to Greg and James, and best wishes for a lifetime of light and laughter!”. Then, raise your glass and head in for a hug, which also makes for a great moment (and photo op!) to finish off a great speech.

Run Through Rehearsals as much as You Need

Part of speech writing is jotting it down; the other is finessing the flow. To see if your speech flows easily and doesn’t sound clunky or forced, read it out loud and it becomes clear what isn’t working. Cut or refine sections to make the speech concise and succinct, and then rehearse away. The trick to oozing confidence and comfort when performing your speech on the day is to practise it enough times until it becomes natural. Don’t wing it! You’ll end up spending most of the time searching for word – the words you already spent enough time writing.

If you get nervous when public speaking, rehearsing as much as possible is a great way to combat a lot of these nerves – once you know the speech word for word, you have taken one big challenge out of the equation, and you can focus on delivery.

Tips to Write and Deliver a Great Wedding Speech

Giving a wedding speech can feel daunting, but with the right approach, it can be one of the highlights of the celebration. Keep these tips in mind to make sure your words land with heart and charm:

Keep it Short and Sweet

Three minutes is universally known as the sweet spot. Many do go over, but by the time you walk up, speak and hug the couple, you’ll hit about five minutes. This is just enough to be meaningful and keep the audience engaged without overstaying your welcome. Anything longer, and guests may lose focus (or start eyeing the dessert table).

Acknowledge Both Partners

It’s easy to fall into the trap of only talking about the person you’re closest to, but do remember, this day is about the couple. Highlight both individuals and why they’re such a perfect match to keep it inclusive and strengthen the overall message of love and celebration.

Add a Touch of Humour

A little levity goes a long way. A witty observation, a lighthearted moment or a playful nod to the wedding dress code or towards the couple’s quirks can help keep the audience engaged but keep it good-natured and tasteful.

…but, Avoid inside Jokes

What’s hilarious to your friend group might leave 100 wedding guests scratching their heads. Stick to stories and anecdotes that are accessible to everyone, which can be done by simply telling the story where the joke came from, keeping the couple at the centre of it all.

Speak from the Heart

Authenticity always wins, so even when you write a killer speech, don’t be afraid to go off script and speak authentically on the day. This sort of genuineness helps deliver a winning speech, so don’t worry about delivering a polished performance; rather, focus instead on sincerity.

The Final Word

For many of us, writing (and delivering) a wedding speech can evoke that special mix of anxiety and excitement. But, when done right, it’s so worth doing and being a part of the newlywed’s big day. At its core, the perfect speech is more about striking that golden balance of humour and heart than about turning the wedding venue into a stand-up comedy gig. Keep it short enough to leave guests wanting more, heartfelt enough to make tissues come out and funny enough to get the crowd smiling. Do that, and you’ll give the newlyweds a memory they’ll carry long after the last dance.

And if you’re looking for the kind of setting where great speeches, great food and great celebrations come together? Canvas House is the beautiful backdrop where memories are made, stories unfold, laughter lingers, and unforgettable weddings happen. Get in touch with our team today and let’s create a day worth toasting to.

The post How to Write a Wedding Speech appeared first on Canvas House.

That’s why many couples are now choosing indoor wedding ceremony venues in Melbourne that remove weather from the equation altogether. Or shift it to the ‘nice-to-have’ list. But going indoors doesn’t mean sacrificing atmosphere or romance. In fact, with the right design choices, lighting and styling, an indoor wedding can be even more magical than an outdoor one by leveraging the intimacy and intentionality of an indoor space.

If you’re wondering how to plan an indoor wedding that feels warm and deeply personal, here’s a guide to creating atmosphere without relying on the sky above.

Indoor Weddings Are a Statement Choice, Not a Backup Plan

Too often, couples view indoor weddings as a compromise for when the weather doesn’t cooperate. But in reality, an indoor wedding venue can be one of the most intentional and stylish decisions you make for your big day. Indoor wedding venues are the opposite of compromise – they’re about freedom, creativity, intimacy and atmosphere. Instead of weather-induced worry ruining the lead-up to your big day, your event planning can focus on crafting a celebration that reflects your vision from start to finish. With the certainty of your plans coming to fruition, meaning you can enjoy the planning phase as well, of course, as the day.

With Melbourne’s diverse range of indoor wedding venues, couples have access to breathtaking warehouse spaces, heritage buildings and loft-style settings that provide character and versatility. These spaces act as blank canvases, ready to be transformed into something uniquely yours. From dramatic lighting installations and floral ceilings to curated menus and immersive entertainment, an indoor wedding offers possibilities that the outdoors simply can’t guarantee.

Saying yes to an indoor venue isn’t a fallback, it’s a statement that tells your guests that you’ve freed yourself from expectation and chosen to value atmosphere, intimacy and experience over chance.

Creating Atmosphere Indoors

Without weather conditions, there’s not much left that sets you back from planning your dream wedding. Indoor wedding planning focuses on setting an atmosphere and mood – and the wedding decoration ideas, lighting, wedding dress code, music and layout all work towards a mood. The beauty here is that moods and atmosphere produce a special kind of feeling that leaves a lasting impact and makes for memorable weddings and moments.

You can decide on a theme, or keep things more open. Either way, here is how you can create a delightful atmosphere for your indoor wedding:

Lighting that sets the mood

Lighting is the most powerful tool in transforming an indoor wedding space. A combination of natural sunlight and warm lighting will offer a transient atmosphere throughout the day, which perfectly mirrors the events that occur as the day shifts from friendly to romantic, loving, sentimental, fun, rowdy and back to romantic.

When choosing indoor wedding venues, go for one with natural light in some form – whether that’s through large windows, a terrace or a skylight – some connection to the outside really transforms an indoor venue. Then, look for lighting options that will suit your preferred atmosphere. If it’s whimsical and magical you’re after – go for ambient lighting. If you’re seeking that cosy, intimate vibe, look for fireplaces and dimmer lights. Or for a grand wedding mood, statement chandeliers and pendant lighting are a fantastic way to bring a touch of luxury into your atmosphere.

One of the delights of indoor weddings is the ability to control and layer lighting, allowing the atmosphere to shift as the evening unfolds – from soft and romantic for the ceremony to vibrant and energetic for the dance floor.

Then, style with indoor wedding decoration ideas that enliven the space

When couples ask for indoor wedding decoration ideas, florals are usually top of the list. Lush arrangements can instantly bring nature indoors. Think suspended floral installations, greenery walls or tables overflowing with seasonal blooms.

Other indoor wedding ideas and creative touches include grand fabric draping to soften ceilings or walls and statement backdrops behind the altar for ceremony photos. Moving onto finer details, regardless of whether you’re having a cocktail party, food trucks or a sit-down dinner, design tablescapes that accentuate your theme with candles, textured linens and layered place settings.

Consider what personal elements you want to bring into the space. Things like framed photos, heirlooms, or cultural motifs are a perfect way to weave your story into the styling. To capture the memories as they unfold, a photobooth is another fantastic option. It not only gives guests a fun way to let loose, but it also creates a keepsake of candid moments – complementing your personal touches with snapshots of everyone celebrating alongside you.

Sound and music design

As the goal is to create a space that feels alive, layered and personal, music and sound are undeniable in the layering of a mood that is bursting with life and soul. It’s also one overlooked advantage to indoor weddings, as the acoustics indoors are far superior and more controllable than outdoor venues. String quartets, live music band or a DJ set – it all sounds richer inside.

Couples planning indoor weddings should think about how sound travels in the venue. Warehouse spaces may need additional acoustic panels or rugs, while heritage halls might offer incredible natural resonance. Investing in quality sound design helps set the tone at every stage – from the emotional walk down the aisle to the high-energy dance floor. Just work with your venue and event planner to make sure the sound is optimised for the space.

Don’t be afraid to ask the venue managers as many questions as you’d like. Asking questions when booking your wedding venue will help you understand if it’s fit for your special day and what is and isn’t possible to make it happen.

Bringing the outdoors in

Just because you’re indoors doesn’t mean you can’t capture the freshness and groundedness of the outdoors. Incorporating natural materials like wood, stone, sun or water features creates grounding energy. Large potted trees, floral archways or trailing vines add dimension and beauty.

One of our catering tips is to design seasonal menus to reflect the outdoors – think fresh summer fruits, warming winter dishes or autumnal flavours – tying the atmosphere to nature even without being outside. If your venue has a terrace space, you’ll get the best of both worlds, making use of this space by spilling the styling into the terrace and creating a cohesive flow outdoors.

Finding the Right Indoor Wedding Ceremony Venues in Melbourne

If you’re beginning your search for indoor wedding ceremony venues in Melbourne, look for spaces with character, versatility and strong service support, like helping you plan the order of events for your wedding reception. Remember to check lighting options, special features, additional outdoor space, music and sound quality and the overall elements of the building during your assessment. A venue that balances industrial charm with modern amenities gives you the best of both worlds.

Canvas House is one of Melbourne’s most sought-after indoor wedding venues for this very reason. With our New York loft-style design, soaring ceilings and stunning architectural features, we provide a blank, yet inspired, canvas ready to be styled to your vision. Regardless of whether you’re dreaming of a modern, minimal aesthetic or a lush, romantic atmosphere filled with florals, Canvas House provides the perfect backdrop – rain, hail or shine.

The post Indoor Wedding? Here’s How to Outdo the Sun & Create a Dream Atmosphere appeared first on Canvas House.