Event planning is not an easy job. To be an event producer you must have immense organisation and communication skills, the ability to problem solve in any scenario, and bucket loads of determination and perseverance. The finished product is a display of weeks and sometimes months of hard work, but there is always so much more that goes on behind-the-scenes which makes it challenging.
If you’re planning an event (corporate or casual) and you don’t have a lot of experience, there may be some key things you don’t know. Take into account the below 5 tips for the best chance of success!
- Set a clear objective
The best way to ensure your event is a success is to set clear objectives. A popular acronym that businesses use when planning marketing, sales or production endeavours is SMART. It stands for Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic and Time Scaled.
By using SMART objectives you are forced to consider the importance of your intention as well as how and when it can be achieved. Then, following the completion of the project (in this case, the event), its effectiveness can be measured and actioned.
2. Set a budget
Following on from the above, another tip that cannot be overlooked is to set a budget early on. Without a budget, you cannot begin to look at venues, and without a venue, you cannot put anything else in motion.
Create a list of everything your event will entail – catering, styling, sound and AV, transport, seating, etc. – whilst also considering your guest capacity. You must make room in your budget for unforeseeable situations and challenges which will inevitably arise during the planning stages. Having no spare money in the budget will spell disaster.
3. Location is key
When it comes to planning an event, location is everything.
If the event in question is corporate – perhaps your business is hosting a conferencing event to promote a new product – you should consider how far your guests will have to travel. To achieve high guest attendance, you should ensure that the venue is either located in a city centre or has major transport links to train stations and airports.
On the other hand, if the event is a social get-together (for example, a birthday, anniversary or family celebration), the location of the venue perhaps doesn’t matter too much, as long as it is fully equipped to deliver as planned.
Lastly, when venue hunting, it’s wise to have a Plan B in case there are uncontrollable issues in the planning process that require a change of circumstance. So, keep in touch with multiple venues and don’t commit to one venue until everything is locked in and signed for.
4. Delegate jobs
Planning an event is not – and should not be – a one-person job. Especially if the event is corporate and involves a whole host of industry professionals.
An event management company will assign a team of producers, associate producers and production assistants to bring an event to life – from concept to execution. Typically, tasks are delegated among team members, and each individual is allocated an area of the event to nurture and organise alone. For example, one person may be in charge of organising VIP guests and event speakers, whereas another person may be in charge of styling and props, and another person may be in charge of catering.
In order for an event to be a success, everything needs to work in tandem, and when there are so many details to consider it takes a whole team to effectively execute it.
5. The devil is in the detail
The most successful events are the ones that have carefully considered every detail, including layout and styling of the venue space, colour theme, guest name badges, food and drink menu (and any other dietary requirements), event schedule, gift bags and more. The more detail you put into an event, the more impressed your guests will be.
Take these 5 tips into account when planning your event and the day will run smoothly and guest satisfaction will be excellent.
Good luck!
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