Tip #1 – Define your objective
Probably the most important thing you need to know before you begin planning your event is fully understanding what your event objective is. How can you clearly define your event objective?
Well, here are 5 questions to ask yourself:
- WHO will attend your event? Who will organize your event? Answering these questions and knowing how many people you expect to attend will determine a majority of your decision making.
- WHAT is your event about and what have you named your event? It is vital to keep the theme of your event in mind at all times during your planning process.
- HOW do you intend to market your event and get the word ‘out there’? Herein lies the value of a thorough budget — think hard and critically about your event budget needs.
- WHEN will your event be held? It is important to keep your target audience in mind and find out which date and time is most convenient for them — especially since almost 40% of people do not show up to confirmed events.
- WHY (this is your event objective right here) is your event even taking place? This is your event purpose and should always be kept in mind while planning.
Tip #2 – Plan your budget and time scales
Sure, we all know that you need to plan your time and money to get something done, but exactly what goes into planning your time and budget?
- RESEARCH your costs in advance
- COME UP with an overall amount
- ESTIMATE the costs for each category
- DO NOT overlook small costs
- CREATE a contingency plan
Tip #3 – Create your event checklist
An event planning checklist helps you keep track of all the smallest details of your event to ensure nothing goes wrong from the moment you start pre-planning to the day-of-event logistics. Although there are many steps to follow while using an event checklist, these are the three most important things that you should keep in mind:
DELEGATE work within your team
DON’T lose overview of your progress
USE a tool to manage your to-do’s and monitor your planning progress
Tip #4 – Have a backup plan ready
While planning for the worst is never the most encouraging thing to do — it is always better to be prepared for the worst while striving for your best event! This is especially true since, try as we might, we cannot always predict everything and at times unforeseen circumstances might show their ugly heads.
To then avoid the panic at the sight of potential disaster, plan ahead on event elements you see as important. Examples of these might be AV equipment or catering. Arguably, these are two of the most important elements to any event — they keep your attendees happy! After all, you don’t want to be stuck without a projector or have an oven break down without any alternative means to entertain or feed your guests.
Tip #5 – Communicate, communicate and communicate!
The most effective event planners are good communicators. When planning events we are not only continuously communicating with our team, but we also need to communicate with our (potential) suppliers as well. I must say, though, that communication skills here do not refer to micromanaging (no one likes that) but bear in mind that as the leader of your event planning team you hold the responsibility for the success or failure of your event. After all, event planners are hired because they are valued for their attention to detail. Without communicating these details with your team and ensuring that everything is monitored, it is possible that small mistakes or poor communication could result in potential failure.
In a nutshell, plan for the worst and aim for the best, remember to think ahead and finally, do not forget that there’s no ‘I’ in team — keep your team in the loop, work together and communicate to get that event planned!