Planning an event is never easy. It involves doing a lot of things right and to the point. Most event planners find the job stressful and are often overwhelmed by its intensity and enormity. A lot of planning goes into making an event successful, and when the goal is to make it memorable, the effort can easily multiply. However, great results are also inevitable if you execute your event plans well and consider all things in detail. So instead of feeling preoccupied with the event ahead, you should look to amplify the preparation so that the goal is achieved and delivered to the customer successfully.
First, you need to start early when the event is large, at least four to six months in advance for a large event and at least a month for smaller events. It is also essential to complete all vendor contracts a few weeks before the event. Likewise, you need to be flexible during the planning stage of the event, as certain changes are inevitable and you need to be prepared for them. It is always good to be prepared to deal with any immediate change in the schedule, time, location or scale of the event. This will avoid disappointment and you will be able to prepare well for the event.
In addition, you must budget and do cost analysis in advance so that your negotiations with the supplier follow the expected lines. There will be unexpected costs and once you know the budget beforehand, you can negotiate with the supplier, offer to pay at least 5-10% less than the quoted prices to save money for the requirements. More importantly, you should look to assign responsibilities to team members by dividing the event into different sections to ensure things run smoothly. You must also hold each team responsible for the acts and activities corresponding to their sections.
If possible, you should create a central document detailing each activity and giving each team member access. Coordination across the team can be made easier when all the key details related to the event, including vendor contracts, floor plan, and support details, are listed in the document. In the meantime, to avoid unnecessary hassle, you should create a backup plan for key aspects of the event. This will save you the inconvenience that last-minute failures often cause. Once everything is planned and arranged, you should go over the entire process a week or two before the big day to make sure things run smoothly.
More so, it’s always a good idea to capture key things and details of the event in the picture, and yes, you can also share those selections online to show the world your ability to put on a great event. You should only hire a professional photographer so that the best possible shots are taken, easily covering the main aspects, such as the snapshot of the room full of guests, the shots of the lights, the dining room and the arrangements, etc. This is how you can brand the event, which in turn will help you gain more customers.
Lastly, you should look to harness the power of social media to bring your event to thousands of people at virtually no cost. You can create a hashtag for your event on Facebook and Twitter to increase engagement. You can search for comments and conversations and then you can upload event photos to give a clear picture of the things you did there. All of this will make your event stand out and become as memorable and effective as you originally planned.
