Bringing together big crowds in a corporate setting requires detailed planning and consideration.
Besides knowing how to maximize the layout of corporate event venues, you also want to meet your objectives, for people to have a good time, and for everything to run smoothly from start to finish.
That raises the stakes for event planners, but it also sweetens the rewards. Large-scale corporate events that go off without a hitch can become the talk of the town, raise a company’s profile, or develop into an institution.
For corporate event planners in San Francisco, you’re in luck. From choosing and optimizing large corporate event spaces to communication strategies, this guide covers everything you need to plan epic corporate functions with Giant Enterprises at Oracle Park in San Francisco.
Step 1: Establish Your Goals and Guest List
It’s impossible to plan any event before figuring out why you’re throwing it and who will attend.
Event Goals
Start with a clear purpose. For instance, if you’re throwing a company gala, launching a new product, or celebrating a key milestone, you’ll want a distinguished atmosphere with formal dining and space for entertainment.
On the other hand, shareholder summits and team-building events thrive on organic mingling, so settings with casual seating and open spaces work best.
Guest List
You also need to know how many people will attend. Will there be dozens, hundreds, or thousands of guests? Knowing the scale will be key in determining the best layout, which affects the atmosphere of an event.
Finally, have a sense of who’s attending. Are your guests mostly employees, executives, clients, investors, or industry leaders? Will there be VIP or esteemed guests? Does anyone have special accessibility needs?
Figuring out these details in advance makes logistics easier down the line.
Step 2: Choose the Right Venue
When choosing the right venue for a large event, size matters — but that’s not the only thing. You also want the venue to align with your goals and logistics while providing an unforgettable guest experience.
Below are four factors to consider when choosing an event space and how the venues at Oracle Park, Pier 48, and Mission Rock fill each role.
1. Capacity and Configuration
- — Oracle Park: Host thousands for conferences, summits, keynote addresses, product launches, and award ceremonies. If you want to go bigger, invite tens of thousands for concerts and private stadium experiences. (40,000 capacity)
- — Pier 48: Be the architect of your floor maps at Pier 48. Fully adaptable to any design, the 200,000-square-foot, warehouse-style space is perfect for trade shows, expos, exhibits, and large networking events customized to look exactly how you want. (10,000 capacity)
- — Mission Rock: For laid-back gatherings that need easy venue access, open spaces, and flexible movement, Mission Rock’s 5 acres offer the perfect outdoor option. (10,000 capacity)
2. Atmosphere and Impact
- — Oracle Park: If the legendary home of the San Francisco Giants doesn’t dazzle guests, the rarely-experienced on-field vantage below the lights and seats definitely will.
- — Pier 48: The highly adaptable, industrial-chic space is perfect for interactive and immersive experiences, like brand activations, to amplify the event’s impact.
- — Mission Rock: Meandering the trails and experiencing sweeping views of the Bay Bridge, Oracle Park, and San Francisco skyline will lend gravitas to any outdoor team-building or networking event.
3. Amenities and Services
- — Oracle Park: The stadium offers interactive experiences, VIP lounges, world-class cuisine, and built-in video and audio capabilities across the park.
- — Pier 48: The versatile open space has high ceilings and is ideal for custom staging and lighting, making it suitable for setting up exhibits or presentations. The pier also has complete A/V equipment, including surround-sound speakers, projectors, and professional lighting.
- — Mission Rock: The outdoor, accessibility-friendly setting makes coordinating with food trucks and mobile bars easy and provides a more relaxed atmosphere suitable for festival-style receptions and casual award ceremonies.
4. Accessibility and Location
The more central and accessible, the better for a large event that draws crowds.
Every venue by Giants Enterprises is located centrally in San Francisco, with ample parking and access to city and regional public transportation.
Step 3: Consider Key Logistics
Big events have multiple logistical considerations, and each of Giants Enterprises’ large event venues offer a unique advantage:
The Event Flow
Working with our team, we’ll assist in mapping out where your guests will arrive, check-in, and how they’ll circulate as the event progresses. The expansive concourses at Oracle Park can handle the flow of huge crowds.
Outside the park, the blank canvas of Pier 48 and outdoor layout of Mission Rock make it easy to set up the venue with designated activation areas, meeting spots, and networking zones.
Pro tip: Have multiple entry points to mitigate foot traffic and create a more dynamic experience.
The Entertainment
The state-of-the-art 4K videoboard, surround sound, and live streaming abilities define Oracle Park as the ultimate stage for events that require a worthy spotlight.
For something smaller but no less impactful, Pier 48’s high ceilings and open-concept layout are perfect for dazzling light shows and presentations that can make a large corporate event venue with thousands of guests feel like an intimate setting.
Outside in Mission Rock, with the twinkling San Francisco skyline as the backdrop, light and firework displays can top off the perfect large-scale event.
Food and drinks
From stadium staples to gourmet multi-course meals, the hospitality and catering options at Oracle rival the best in the world.
A slate of top-tier catering teams and food stations are also available at Pier 48 and Mission Rock, with potential for beverage stations and interactive food experiences.
Step 4: Get the Word Out
Finally, have a strategy that focuses on communication before, during, and after a large event:
Pre-event marketing
- — Send personalized invites and reminders and market your event via email and social media.
- — Capitalize on the Giants Enterprises name and unique venue locations to attract more guests.
Mid-event sharing
- — Share pictures and videos from an ongoing event on social media.
- — Use strategic tagging and posting to raise your event profile.
Post-event follow-up
- — Follow-up with guests with select pictures and thank-you messages.
- — Send out a survey to collect data on how to improve future events.
The Bottom Line
If event planning were a sport, corporate event planners would be in the majors. From establishing the guest list to choosing the perfect venue and handling all the logistics, there’s quite a lot to consider.
Giants Enterprises makes event planning easier in San Francisco by offering versatile, customizable spaces to fit every need. Combining top-notch amenities with one-of-a-kind settings, large-scale venue options at and around Oracle Park deliver an experience guests won’t forget.
Contact us to see how one of Giants Enterprises’ unique spaces can help transform your next corporate function into an event that sets the bar higher.