Want Bigger Conversations? Try Micro Events in Smaller Rooms

6 days ago

3 min read

According to event management platform and app Nunify’s definition: “Micro events are small, focused events built around a specific audience and outcome rather than a large crowd”.

Debbie Ashford’s recent article Micro Events: What They Are, Why They Work, and How to Plan One explains: “The goal isn't to shrink a large event. It's to create a smaller room with a clearer reason to be there”.

This concept starts to make sense of why stiff banquets are losing ground fast. Now, event bookers are swapping the ballroom for a curated candlelit corporate supper club. Guest lists of 500 are being segmented into a highly targeted 20. And the result?

· Fewer people

· More engaged and meaningful conversations

· Far more to show for your budget

Here’s how and why micro events or a corporate supper club are powerful components in your event schedules.

Four diverse nicely dressed women sat around a gorgeous dinner table with family style service at a corporate supper club.

What Counts as Micro Events?

A micro event is a gathering of roughly 10 to 50 people, designed around a single objective.

The most popular micro event formats with event bookers we talk to include things like:

· Executive roundtables for senior leaders

· Intimate corporate dinner ideas

· Hands on workshops

· Exclusive product previews and demonstrations

· Business breakfasts for professionals with packed diaries

· Regional networking events (with the added bonus of cutting down on travel)

But don’t be lulled into a false sense of security by thinking micro events are child’s play just because you’ve got gala dinners under your belt.

A mixed group of smartly dressed businesspeople sat around a lavish dinner table at one of their company's micro events.

Smaller Doesn’t Mean Simpler

Every detail shows with 20 people in the room. A late start or a mismatched guest list impacts the entire experience. This being the case, a 20-person dinner can demand more care per guest than a 200-person conference.

So, it’s good to have some golden rules up your sleeve. For example:

· Set the event goal before you book anything

· Invite specific people with a vested interest in being there

· Pick a format based on participation

· Choose small meeting venues for 20 people or unique private dining rooms, rather than booking somewhere with more capacity and ending up having to put bums on seats for the sake of it

· Allow for no-shows, because one empty chair stands out at a table of 12

· Plan your follow-up before the event starts

For many and varied reasons, one of the stars of the micro events show is the corporate supper club.

A smartly dressed group of young businesspeople sat around a dinner table in a private event space in a luxury venue.

What is a Corporate Supper Club?

A supper club replaces formal banqueting with a relaxed, communal dinner and great conversation along these lines:

· Long shared tables, so guests can talk to more than the people sat on either side of them

· Sharing platters, family style courses or live food stations

· Surprise or themed food and beverage

· Handwritten menus, signature cocktails, exceptional branded swag and symbiotic goodies

· Chef or sommelier led introductions or drinks pairings adding even more talking points to the proceedings

Ultimately, these events flourish on vibes, which your venue, food, drinks and all other elements should support and promote.

Why Companies are Going Mad for Intimate Corporate Dinner Ideas

The appeal of these small but perfectly formed events is clear:

· Shared tables get departments and seniority levels mixing

· A memorable meal gives stakeholders a talking point beyond the agenda

· Unique private dining rooms in aquariums, breweries, castles, galleries, and restaurants feel fresher than standard hotel and conference function rooms

There’s so much good stuff to sink your teeth into. But small doesn’t mean less tricky, for the reasons we’ve already mentioned and more.

A diverse group of young businesspeople sat around a dinner table with family style service at a minimalist high end venue.

Booking for 20 is as Hard as Booking for 200

Characterful event venues for executive roundtables and unique private dining rooms to wow influencers book up fast. Many come with minimum spends. And truthfully, contacting 10 venues to book one dinner for 16 is nobody’s idea of fun.

At the Venue Hunters, our FREE venue finding service works like this:

· You - tell us your date and time, location, numbers, budget and the atmosphere you’re after

· We - come back with a shortlist of private dining venues for corporate events, supper club spaces and unusual venues to match your brief

Plus, you get our expert venue knowledge and bulk buying power. This translates as potentially better rates, fewer headaches, and you get your precious time back.

Get in touch and we’ll find the best spaces to ensure your micro events pack an almighty punch.