What Is Corporate Training: And How To Plan A Memorable Employee Development Event

Since 2020, we’ve entered an age where almost everything is online. From employee onboarding to board meetings to day-to-day work—but what about corporate training? What is it, and how can you plan a memorable experience for your team? We have all of that info and more in this blog. Join us as we dive into in-person, hybrid, and digital training events. 

What Is Corporate Training?

When we think of corporate training, we often think of the state and federal training carried out at each organization, in California that includes Sexual Harassment Prevention Training. But, when a company wants to maintain a certain level of service, team bonding, or even psychological safety, additional corporate training solely focused on the people is helpful. That includes culture training, skills training (also known as corporate education and workplace learning), and any other employee or executive training that an organization may need. 

What Is The Benefit Of Corporate Training?

When we think of spending money to host an event, the ROI (return on investment) is something to consider. 2022’s Workplace Learning Report illustrates HR’s push to build career paths for employees with internal mobility, retention, and a focus on DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). LinkedIn suggests a move toward internal mobility via employee education in career advancement in this report. Companies focusing on this advancement see employee retention of 5.4 years, which almost doubles the retention of those without at 2.9 years. According to SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management), the average cost for a new hire is $4,700. The costs can vary significantly based on who is involved in onboarding and how long that takes. So, retaining employees with engaging employee training is an effective and efficient way to save your business money. 

How Can I Plan A Memorable Training Event?

As we know from corporate event planning, these endeavors take much time and attention to get off the ground. So, we want to share some of our favorite ways to begin planning your event. 

1 | Identify Your Purpose

As with most things, it is essential to start with why. Are you planning your corporate training event for a specific department in your business? Is it for the entire team to learn more about the company and its identity? Do you only want to involve leaders? What do you hope to get out of the training? Will this be a whole-day event? What are some ideal dates or timeframes for the event? What meals will you need to serve? Figuring out why you want to host this training event and who it is for is the first step of the planning process. Write it out and keep a running list as you continue to ideate.

2 | Establish Your Guest Count

Next, it is time to figure out who to invite. We did a lot of work by identifying the purpose, but when we get to guest count, we need to think about things like, will everyone attend in person? Can we set up a hybrid event so some people can digitally attend? And, are there any additional people who would benefit from this training?

3 | Figure Out Your Venue(s)

Now that you know what you want to achieve, who to invite, and your food and beverage needs, it is time to find the perfect venue for your event. You can start your search by looking in the area where you want to host your event. Typing in something like “Large event venue in [City]” will be a great starting point. Most venues will have a wealth of information on their websites. You will need to know things like capacity while sitting or standing, AV capabilities, breakout rooms, venue inclusions (chairs, tables, setup, etc.), food and beverage rules or inclusions, and parking availability. For a hybrid event, the AV capabilities can be pretty complex. Be sure to ask what the venue can do for you and what additional people you will need to hire (videographers, techs, etc.) to make sure everything runs smoothly for those attending digitally.

4 | Plan Your Speakers

You may lead your corporate training with people on your internal team or bring in career or executive coaches to help pull the day together. Once you have a date and venue established, it is time to reach out to those people to ensure they are available and give them the information they will need to create a successful training session. 

5 | Order Appropriate Food

When it comes to events, keeping folks energized and full-bellied is one of the most important details. Nothing is worse than going to a four to eight-hour event and only having your water bottle to satiate you. So, think about arrival and departure times and what meals exist in between. Many venues, like The Centre, partner with wonderful restaurants and allow outside catering for these meals. Vintana Wine and Dine on the top floor of our 13-venue establishment in North San Diego County can help you bring your vision to life, aligning with your theme and providing delicious food and beverage. Having a reliable catering team will contribute to a smooth and memorable experience.

6 | Send Agenda To Department Heads

As soon as you have a rough agenda—hopefully 60 or more days before the event—you should send it to the executives or department heads involved. They may have certain expectations of what to include and can go over everything with a fine-toothed comb to ensure all details and concerns are addressed accordingly. Having the stamp of approval from department heads will also comfort you as you lead up to the big day. 

Every corporate training event is different, so this is a general guide. You may need to prepare speakers, entertainment, stages, or a myriad of other additions, so as you list out the purpose of your event, try to be detailed, and continue adding to it as ideas strike. We hope this article gives you a good starting point for a successful event, and if you are in San Diego County, we would love to host for you. Contact us today to see how we can help!