Planning a successful event is a daunting task. As seasoned pros, we’ve had more than our fair share of stress when it comes to events...
That’s why we got the team together to bring you our top 5 actionable tips for planning a successful event. With this list, we want to help lighten the load and give you a more efficient approach to event planning - and if you want to reduce the stress even further, get in touch with us about our event planning service.
You might have identified that you want to host an event but have you really delved into why? Determine the purpose of your event. It could be to raise awareness, to sell, to launch a new product - whatever it is, it needs to be clearly defined and communicated. Tell your employees, the attendees and anyone involved in the event the purpose. When people know the why, they have a clear direction and a better understanding of how to help you achieve your goal.
An event is so much more than the day itself. The three stages; before, during and after are hugely significant and need to be tackled from all areas. Make a clear plan of everything that needs to be organised initially to get the event up and running (find a venue, organise guestlist etc.). Next, note what needs to be monitored and actioned on the day of the event, and finally decide the follow up points after the event. With a clear plan in place you can then see the different tasks, making it easier to delegate in order of priority. Though you may feel inclined to be in control of as much as possible, event planning is much easier (and certainly less stressful), when tasks are delegated appropriately.
Most events include the big four; venue, food, entertainment and guestlist so once you have established the purpose and plan for your event, handle the big details first.
For the venue, ensure it is accessible, provides enough space but not so big it makes your event look sparse, and make sure you visit the site in person so it looks and feels exactly how you expected.
Establish your guestlist early on to ensure you are appealing to your target audience with every decision made. Keep your attendees in mind at all times during the planning process - it is much more important for them to like something than you. Also provide plenty of opportunity for your guestlist to mingle and network during your event - this is all about connections after all!
Use entertainment as a way to make your event memorable, something that suits your brand and most importantly, helps you achieve your purpose.
Establish a timeline for your event to ensure things run as smoothly as possible and once you have the big stuff in place, don’t overlook all the small details. It’s important to go through your plan with a fine-tooth comb. This is a chance to add personality, to create a more memorable event and ultimately, to prevent anything slipping through the cracks.
Clear communication is imperative throughout the event planning process. Everyone must stay in contact so that if things change, everybody is up to date with the new plan. In this digital age, it is easy to stay in touch online but don’t disregard physical meetings, especially if you can have a run through at the venue beforehand.
So many details and energy goes into the event itself but it’s also important to follow up after the event - both with your employees and attendees. Which parts were successful? Which aspects didn’t work? What would you change next time? Get the team together to run through every detail of the event so you can learn from your experience. As well as this, take a bit of time amongst yourselves to celebrate the successes! You should also follow up with your attendees.
Feedback is important but you may also be able to go full circle and push the purpose of your event further. Remind people what was for sale (if that’s what you’re hoping to achieve) or simply reinforce your brand and your mission - at the very least it’s a polite follow up and a gentle nudge after the event.
Also decide how you are going to follow up - a thank you note, a phone call, an email - which form best suits your target audience?
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