Corporate event questions, answeredEvery question you would ask a producer, answered in plain words.
Permissions, timelines, seating, budgets, seasons and formats — the questions HR, admin, marketing and leadership teams ask us most, each with a short answer first and the detail after.
Producing large-format events since 2018Bangalore · Goa · KeralaOne producer, start to finish
The short answer
How to use these answers
Each page answers one question in its first sentence, then gives the detail: a table or checklist, a worked example and what changes the answer. Facts carry their source. Rules and prices change, so we confirm current requirements and quotes for your date before you commit.
12 questions
Planning & buying
- What is a corporate event?
A corporate event is any gathering a company organises and pays for to meet a business goal — informing, aligning, selling to or rewarding employees, partners, customers or investors. - What does an event management company do?
An event management company plans and runs a business event from start to finish: brief, concept and estimate, venue sourcing, stage and AV production, guest travel and logistics, hospitality, the run-of-show and rehearsals, show-calling on the day, and reconciliation afterwards. - How do I choose an event management company?
Choose the company that shows comparable events at your headcount, names one producer who will run yours, gives an itemised quote with venue, food, production, travel and its fee on separate lines, puts backups and rehearsals in writing, prices changes before making them and invoices with GST. - Should we hire an event management company or do it in-house?
Run small, repeat, local events in-house — team lunches, trainings, small town halls. - How far in advance should you plan a corporate event?
Start three to six months ahead for any corporate event over 300 guests at a top venue, because large ballrooms and convention halls book early in the October–February season. - How do I write an event brief or RFP?
A good event brief fits on one page and covers nine things: the business objective, the audience and headcount, format and dates, location, the programme, a budget range and what it covers, must-haves and no-gos, how the decision will be made, and exactly what you want agencies to send back — concept, itemised estimate, team and timeline. - What is a run of show?
A run of show is the minute-by-minute script of an event: every segment with its start time, duration, who is on stage, and the exact sound, light, video and stage cue for each moment. - How much does an event manager charge?
Event managers charge in one of five ways: a percentage of the event budget, commonly quoted as 10–20%; a fixed project fee for a defined scope; an hourly or daily rate for advisory work; a retainer for a calendar of events; or a mark-up hidden in vendor lines. - What is the GST rate on event management services?
Event management services in India attract 18% GST — 9% CGST plus 9% SGST within a state, or 18% IGST across states — under SAC 998596, “events, exhibitions, conventions and trade shows organisation and assistance services”. - How do you measure the ROI of a corporate event?
Measure event ROI by comparing what the event earned or saved with its fully loaded cost: ROI (%) = (net benefits ÷ costs) × 100, where net benefits are benefits minus costs. - How do I increase attendance at a corporate event?
Increase attendance by making the event easy to say yes to and hard to forget: fix the date early and send a save-the-date, give a concrete reason to come, have managers invite personally, pick timing and a location that respect commutes, confirm through RSVP and reminders, and remove friction — transport, parking and a sensible finish time. - How do I make a budget for a corporate event?
Build a corporate event budget line by line: rooms × nights, plus per-plate × meals × headcount, plus venue per day, production, travel, entertainment, the agency fee and a contingency, with GST shown on every line.
4 questions
Formats explained
- What is MICE?
MICE stands for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions — the business side of travel and events, from board meetings and dealer reward trips to sales conferences and trade shows. - What is a dealer meet?
A dealer meet is an event where a manufacturer or brand gathers its dealers, distributors or channel partners to share strategy, launch products, announce schemes and reward top performers. - What is a sales kickoff (SKO)?
A sales kickoff (SKO) is a start-of-year event that aligns the sales team on targets, product, messaging and incentives. - What is the difference between an offsite, a retreat and a team outing?
A team outing is a day of leisure, typically ₹1,200–2,500 per person at resorts near Bangalore.
5 questions
Rules & permissions
- Do you need police permission for an event in Bangalore?
Public events in Bangalore with entertainment, loudspeakers or gatherings usually need police permission; invite-only events inside a licensed hotel often do not need a separate one. - Do you need a liquor licence for a corporate party in Karnataka?
Serving alcohol at a corporate party in Karnataka needs either a venue that holds its own bar licence for that space or a CL-5 occasional licence from the Excise department. - Do you need a PPL or IPRS licence for a corporate event?
Yes — playing recorded music at a corporate event in India typically needs a PPL event licence, and songs whose writers are IPRS members also need an IPRS licence. - Can music play after 10 pm at an event in India?
Not outdoors: India’s Noise Pollution Rules 2000 bar loudspeakers, public-address systems and amplified instruments between 10 pm and 6 am, except in closed premises such as auditoria, conference rooms and banquet halls. - Do you need insurance for a corporate event in India?
Insurance is worth buying for large, outdoor, high-cost or artist-led corporate events in India.
3 questions
Venues & layouts
- How much space do you need per person at an event?
Plan about 6–8 sq ft per person for theatre seating, 11–12 for banquet rounds, 14–18 for classroom and 5–6 for a standing reception, per industry planning guides. - Theatre, classroom, cluster or banquet — which seating style should you choose?
Choose the layout from what the audience does: theatre for listening, classroom for writing or laptops, cluster for group work, banquet rounds for dinners and cabaret for long programmes with meals. - How do you plan an event for 1,000 people?
Plan a 1,000-person event by fixing the layout first, then the venue: theatre seating needs about 6,000–8,000 sq ft and dinner rounds 11,000–12,000 sq ft before the stage.
3 questions
Timing & destinations
- When is the best time for a corporate event in Goa?
The best time for a corporate event in Goa is November to February, when Panaji averages under 25 mm of rain a month. - When is the best time for a corporate offsite in Kerala?
The best time for a corporate offsite in Kerala is December to March, when Kochi averages under 55 mm of rain a month. - When is the best time for an event in Bangalore?
The best time for an outdoor event in Bangalore is December to February, when the city averages under 16 mm of rain a month and evenings are cool.
3 questions
Production & entertainment
- How big a generator do you need for an event?
Size an event generator from the total load: add every item’s maximum draw in kW, divide by the 0.8 power factor to get kVA, then choose a set the show will load to only 50–75% of its rating. - What is a technical rider?
A technical rider is the part of an artist’s contract that lists the equipment, staging and crew the performance needs: a stage plot, an input list for the sound desk, monitors, backline, lighting and sound-check time. - What is a hybrid event?
A hybrid event is a single event with both an in-person audience and an online audience taking part at the same time.
FAQ
Questions people ask before they book
What is a corporate event?
A corporate event is any gathering a company organises and pays for to meet a business goal — informing, aligning, selling to or rewarding employees, partners, customers or investors. Conferences, leadership offsites, sales kickoffs, dealer meets, product launches, annual days, award nights and incentive trips are all corporate events.
What does an event management company do?
An event management company plans and runs a business event from start to finish: brief, concept and estimate, venue sourcing, stage and AV production, guest travel and logistics, hospitality, the run-of-show and rehearsals, show-calling on the day, and reconciliation afterwards. One accountable team replaces a dozen separate vendors you would otherwise manage yourself.
How do I choose an event management company?
Choose the company that shows comparable events at your headcount, names one producer who will run yours, gives an itemised quote with venue, food, production, travel and its fee on separate lines, puts backups and rehearsals in writing, prices changes before making them and invoices with GST. Then call a reference.
Should we hire an event management company or do it in-house?
Run small, repeat, local events in-house — team lunches, trainings, small town halls. Hire an event management company when the event is large, travels, has leadership on stage or carries public risk: conferences, annual days, dealer meets, launches and offsites. The fee usually costs less than the staff time and vendor mistakes it replaces.
How far in advance should you plan a corporate event?
Start three to six months ahead for any corporate event over 300 guests at a top venue, because large ballrooms and convention halls book early in the October–February season. Small offsites can be done in four to eight weeks if the venue is free; product launches need eight to twelve weeks.
How do I write an event brief or RFP?
A good event brief fits on one page and covers nine things: the business objective, the audience and headcount, format and dates, location, the programme, a budget range and what it covers, must-haves and no-gos, how the decision will be made, and exactly what you want agencies to send back — concept, itemised estimate, team and timeline.
What is a run of show?
A run of show is the minute-by-minute script of an event: every segment with its start time, duration, who is on stage, and the exact sound, light, video and stage cue for each moment. The crew works from one version; the show caller calls every cue. An agenda tells guests what happens; a run of show tells the crew how.
How much does an event manager charge?
Event managers charge in one of five ways: a percentage of the event budget, commonly quoted as 10–20%; a fixed project fee for a defined scope; an hourly or daily rate for advisory work; a retainer for a calendar of events; or a mark-up hidden in vendor lines. Ask for the fee as its own line, with GST.
What is the GST rate on event management services?
Event management services in India attract 18% GST — 9% CGST plus 9% SGST within a state, or 18% IGST across states — under SAC 998596, “events, exhibitions, conventions and trade shows organisation and assistance services”. The September 2025 GST rate changes did not alter this rate.
How do you measure the ROI of a corporate event?
Measure event ROI by comparing what the event earned or saved with its fully loaded cost: ROI (%) = (net benefits ÷ costs) × 100, where net benefits are benefits minus costs. Set the objective before the event, collect reaction, learning, behaviour and business data, isolate the event’s effect, then convert it to rupees.
The brief
Tell us about the event
Rough is fine. Headcount, a city, a month. We come back with venue options, a format and a cost range you can take to your leadership — before you commit to anything.
- Itemised estimate: venue, food, production, logistics and our fee as separate lines
- Venue options checked for your date, headcount and layout
- GST invoicing for your finance team
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