7 Best North American Event Management Companies

Planning a corporate event requires a lot of time and effort. From booking the venue and hiring the caterers to setting up the sound and lighting equipment, there are many moving parts involved.

Travel managers and operations managers that don’t want to plan their next event don’t have to. Many choose to hire an event management company to handle the details for them.

This guide will cover the reasons event planners are necessary, the seven best event management companies in North America and how you can streamline hotel bookings for attendees.

Table of Contents

1. Your Checklist For Hiring An Event Management Company
2. The 7 Top Event Management Companies
3. How To Reduce Lodging Costs Associated With Your Event

Your Checklist For Hiring An Event Management Company

There are many benefits to hiring an event management company to plan and run a small or large corporate event.

Here are some things to keep in mind when searching for an event manager.

Look For Corporate Experience

When booking an event management company, choose one that has experience with corporate clients and SMERF travel and will be able to develop an effective event strategy in that regard.

Some event management firms are highly rated for their expertise in planning weddings and social events, while others are more adept at planning corporate functions (like healthcare conferences and business trade shows).

Look For Full-Service Event Planners

Look for an event manager that can handle all of the planning prior to the event and manage the event on the day of.

Full-service event planning companies can handle all aspects of event design, event planning and managing all details from beginning to end, including:

• Venue sourcing
• Reserving event spaces and meeting spaces
• Hiring caterers and entertainment
• Handling the delivery and operation of all audio visual equipment
• Hiring and supervising on-site staff

Consider The Cost

Weigh the cost of hiring an event manager against what it will cost to plan the event without one. Hiring an event management company may seem like an added expense, but it can actually be cost-effective in the long run.

How?

Because event managers often get better rates and deals on caterers, venues and vendors that they work with on a regular basis. They can leverage relationships in a way that someone who’s not in the industry won’t be able to.

The 7 Top Event Management Companies

There are hundreds of experienced and reliable event management companies in North America, but a few stand out as the best of the best.

Here is an overview of each of the top seven event management companies for corporate events.

1. Rafanelli Events

With offices in New York City and Boston, Rafanelli Events specializes in corporate and non-profit events for charitable fundraising organizations.

Former clients they have planned and managed special events for include:

• The Huffington Post
• The Democratic National Convention
• Boston College

They also offer a wide range of services, such as:

• Venue selection
• Staging
• Lighting, sound, photography and videography
• Furniture rentals and tenting for outside venues
• Creating registration platforms
• Brand building

2. Eventive

Located outside of Boston, Massachusetts, Eventive plans and manages corporate events for clients throughout the New England area.

Some of their former clients are:

• Momo Kasai Hospitality Group
• Signarama
• Worcester Historical Museum

Eventive offers a wide range of services, including:

• Vendor selection and project management
• Experiential event marketing to improve interaction between your company and attendees
• Prop creation and prop styling
• Day-of coordination

3. MKG

Based in New York City, MKG organizes and plans events for all types of corporate clients, small and large. They specialize in designing and planning interactions for brands that want to connect with their clients or customers in unique ways.

Former clients include:

• Motorola
• Dos Equis
• Google
• Delta Airlines
• Barbie

MKG stands out from other event planning services for the fact that they design, plan and produce events in creative ways. This company is an ideal choice for businesses looking to create interactive and social media-worthy experiences.

4. Endless Events

Endless Events doesn’t just handle in-person events, they also plan virtual events and hybrid events.

Based in NYC, Endless Events serves clients throughout the US and Canada, and they specialize in corporate events.

Former clients they have worked with include:

• Warner Bros.
• Uber
• Target
• Amazon
• Microsoft

They offer a full range of event management services, such as:

• Scheduling venues
• Scheduling labor forces at venues
• Setting up all audio, video production, staging and lighting equipment
• Setting up platforms for event registration
• Providing badges and gift bags for attendees

5. Luxe Fete

Headquartered in beautiful Miami, Florida, Luxe Fete services clients worldwide.

What sets them apart is that they plan, design and produce high-end live events — experiential events — that become memorable experiences.

Luxe Fete has planned and managed events for:

• Gucci
• Norwegian Cruise Lines
• New World Symphony

Luxe Fete is a full-range event production company. They create the initial concept for the event and follow it through to completion on the day of.

6. Bassett Events Inc.

Located in Toronto, Canada, Bassett Events is an excellent choice for all sorts of corporate events, including elegant galas.

Some of their former clients are:

• Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
• Toronto Zoo
• Special Olympics
• Stand Up To Cancer

Bassett Events offers a complete range of services, including:

• Invitation and RSVP management
• Sound and lighting design and production
• Event staffing
• Complete event logistics management

7. CountDown Events

From trade shows to corporate conferences, CountDown Events handles all sorts of events worldwide.

Located in Vancouver and Toronto, this Canadian company has worked with many notable clients in the past, such as:

• Chopard
• Moncler
• Rolex

CountDown Events is a high-quality event service provider, with options such as:

• Guest list management
• All external vendor communications
• Advertising campaigns to attract attendees to the event

How To Reduce Lodging Costs Associated With Your Event

Corporate events often require employees to travel out of town, so there’s the added cost of hotel accommodations.

The good news for businesses is that there is a way to save on hotel rooms as well.

Engine is the premier lodging performance network for business travelers, saving businesses up to 60% on every hotel room they book. Any business can sign up to become a member for free and start taking advantage of savings and discounts today.

Members who need to book nine or more hotel rooms for a corporate event or a corporate meeting can enjoy even greater benefits with the help of the Engine Project Services team.

The Project Services team can:

• Source hotels to find properties that have enough available rooms, plus any needed meeting space
• Negotiate with hotels to reduce rates for group bookings
• Handle all room bookings and modifications through a dedicated account manager

To book and save on group accommodations for company events, business meetings, conferences and trade shows, sign up for a free membership with Engine now.

Conclusion

From product launches and brand experiences to corporate meetings or digital events, hiring an event management company can save businesses both time and money.

For businesses looking to throw a successful event in North America, every one of the event management companies on this list is more than capable of doing the job.

Join Engine for free and start saving on business hotel stays now and for your upcoming event.

‍