Company seminar: definition, role and 8 key steps to successful organization

There's more to organizing a corporate seminar than finding a tried-and-tested teambuilding activity or incentive evening. To be meaningful, your seminar must meet specific objectives and target the employees concerned.

Let's start by defining what a corporate seminar is, and the role it can play. You can then determine your objectives and choose activities. As an added bonus, we've also included some useful tools to help you organize your seminar.

Would you like to organize your event with a clear understanding of what's at stake? Just in time, we'll also take you through all the key stages:

See all software Human Resources (HR)

Seminar definition

A seminar is a management tool with the following characteristics:

• it involves organizing an event and bringing together company staff outside the premises where they usually work ;
• the duration can vary from a two-day seminar to a week or more, or even just one day, depending on the objectives set by management;
• the objectives of a seminar vary: generally, the aim is to encourage communication between employees, with a view to improving cohesion and team spirit;
• the nature of a seminar generally consists of a fun activity to bring employees closer together, and can be enriched with work sessions;
• a seminar can also include a trip to a destination in France or abroad.

8 key steps to organizing a corporate seminar

How do you organize a seminar? Follow the steps outlined here to organize a successful corporate seminar:

Step 1: Define the objectives of your seminar

A corporate seminar can take on different roles depending on the organization's objectives and needs. The following table lists the different possibilities. It is possible to mix the different types of seminars to organize a seminar that combines work sessions with relaxation or group-bonding activities, for example.

Step 2: Choose appropriate activities

Depending on your objectives and target audience, you'll need to come up with a theme for your seminar. You can even make it an event that leaves a positive impression.

• Incentive activities: rewarding your team for their efforts and goals. Motivation is the reward, which can take many forms.

• Teambuilding activities: develop cohesion between employees. Motivation is the promise of fun and entertainment.

• Seminars in an unusual location or environment: the setting can provide a change of scenery and break the ice.
• Company parties: ideal for making a big announcement, followed by an original show, entertaining entertainment and dancing.
• Original sports activities: bubble soccer, accrobranche, rafting, parachute jumping, etc.

• Cultural activities: improvisation classes, art classes (introduction to painting, sculpture), etc.
• Outdoor activities: picturesque or historic sites, sound and light projections in quarries or on monuments, treasure hunts, orienteering, etc.
• Culinary activities: wine tasting at the château, exotic cooking classes, cocktail workshops, etc.
• Role-playing games: murder parties, escape games, speakeasies, paintball, lasergames and virtual reality, etc.

Step 3: Set a budget

Everything has a cost: you need to define the budget required to make your seminar a reality. You can put suppliers such as caterers, hotels, tour operators, entertainers, venues, shows, etc. in competition with each other, to assess the value for money of the services on offer.

Keep one thing in mind: your employees' eyes should sparkle. Bubbles don't come cheap...

Ask the people around you: ask your contacts what impressed them during the seminars they attended.

Step 4: find the ideal venue

The venue must be attractive enough to motivate your employees: it must motivate their participation, just as much as the activities on offer.

It can be an unusual destination, a heavenly landscape, an island for a treasure hunt... or simply a conference room if the aim is to work studiously, while enjoying the highly-rated restaurant.

The location must offer sufficient capacity for the number of employees invited. Proximity to restaurants, amenities and free excursions is also a factor in the success of your seminar, if it lasts a week, for example.

Step 5: Manage staff schedules and invitations

Anticipate the absences of your employees invited to your seminar: they need to plan their absence from the workplace and organize their time around ongoing projects, as well as notifying customers.

For your part, you need to communicate :

• invitations and reminders,
• roadmaps,
• detailed seminar program, including dates, locations and activities,
• practical information.

Step 6: manage logistics

Sometimes you have to deal with unforeseen circumstances beyond your control: a problem with a room, a delayed flight, a sick member of staff, a moderator who cancels...

Whatever happens, keep calm and focus on the objective of your seminar: nothing should spoil this moment, which should be unforgettable.

Make sure you have a back-up plan in case of need, and even some easy-to-implement fun activities that you can run yourself. And don't forget to call on the goodwill of your in-house staff!

If your seminar involves technical interventions by service providers, review their obligations and don't hesitate to send them a reminder e-mail: it's also their role to reassure you that everything is being taken care of on their side.

Step 7: Make the most of it

Put yourself at ease and go into relaxation mode. Switch off the smartphones, disconnect!

Carpe diem! Think of the present moment and enjoy this unique and rare experience together.

Bond, exchange ideas with your colleagues, enjoy informal conversations over a drink or an activity.

And make sure everything is in order for the next activity.

And don't forget to include surprises, such as a surprise guest, an unexpected gift, or other little touches that will make your corporate seminar an unforgettable experience.

Step 8: evaluate the long-term benefits

It's time to take stock. Compare the initial objectives, review the activities carried out during your seminar and their long-term effects.

Evaluate improvements:

• is the team more cohesive than before?
• Have new recruits integrated more quickly?
• What was the highlight of your seminar?
• what did people really enjoy?
• what didn't work? Why or why not?
• Why not?

To help you gather impressions, it's essential to survey the employees invited to your seminar: set up an anonymous survey, with a suggestion box, and free fields to improve the formula.

Tools to help you organize your company seminar

If the setting is important, there are a number of software tools that can help you save time in organizing your seminars. We invite you to discover their advantages.

Prezevent

Prezevent, for example, is a complete solution to help you organize all your business events.

Its advantages :

• customizable registration forms to send to guests,
• personalized badges for your participants,
• scan a QR code on the invitation for easy check-in,
• SMS notifications,
• animate a participative live tweet, etc.

Billetweb

Billetweb is an efficient online ticketing solution for organizing and managing your paid or free events, such as conferences, sports activities or shows.

Its strengths :

• manages registrations for up to 100,000 participants,
• management of different rates, dates and forms,
• configuration of a seating plan,
• editing of promotional codes,
• integrated CRM to manage your contacts, etc.

See all software Human Resources (HR)

A stress-free company seminar

By now, you and your whole team have no shortage of ideas for getting away from it all! What type of event would you prefer?

• A charming cultural visit abroad?
• A sporting excursion or rally?
• Study days punctuated by meetings?
• A nature tour?

Whatever your desires and your budget, consider equipping yourself with a tool that will save you time and peace of mind: organizing a seminar is often synonymous with stress! A tool will take away many of your worries...

What's your best seminar experience?

Share your impressions in comments!