How To Plan an Event successfully

Event organization is when you plan every event element from start to finish. You develop ideas for your event and determine ways to execute your vision. Planning an event is important because it:

• Reduces stress: Event planning can reassure you that you’re doing everything required to make your event a success. You may be less stressed if you know you’ve already booked a venue and secured vendors, for instance.
• Saves money: Assessing your financial resources ahead of time can enable you to avoid overspending on event costs. With effective planning, you can compare the prices of vendors and venues and select ones that align with your budget, which prevents you from spending more money than you intended by paying for things at the last minute.
• Promotes creativity: With event planning, you can contemplate how to organize your event to appeal to your guests. For example, you may serve popular food items or host activities to entertain attendees.

Types of professional events

Companies may invite employees and stakeholders to various professional events, such as:

• Conferences
• Trade shows
• Charity functions
• Product launch events
• Board meetings
• Celebrations for company milestones

How to plan an event

Follow these steps to coordinate a professional event:

1. Create an objective

The event objective is the purpose of your function and what you want your guests to experience. To come up with a clear objective, ask yourself what you want to achieve with this event. It may also help to consider factors such as:

• Guest demographics: Contemplate the age and group memberships of the people you want to attend your event. Perhaps you’re organizing a charity event to raise money for a new playground, so you invite children of all ages to attend.
• The event’s occasion: The occasion is the reason you’re planning an event, such as to entertain employees for their hard work or allow networking opportunities for people who work in your industry.
• Attire: Knowing the event occasion can help you decide how you want your guests to dress. For instance, if the event is formal, you may require black-tie attire.

2. Design a budget

Your budget determines the costs of the event and the amount of money you can afford to spend. When assessing your financial resources, consider the following costs:

• Venue: The price to rent a venue may depend on the venue’s size or amenities they offer, and they may also charge for the length of the event. Once you know your event objective, it’s important to determine how long you want the event to last so that you can compare venue costs.
• Food: Food and drink options require funds for caterers to prepare the food and serve it to your guests. Food costs may depend on the type of food and the size of the portions.
• Entertainment: Some entertainers, such as musicians or stand-up comedians, may charge higher prices based on their fame and the time you want them to perform. You may also hire DJs or dancers, whose costs may vary.
• Photographer or videographer: If you want to document your event, you may require reserve funds to hire a photographer or videographer. They may charge fixed hourly rates or offer an event package, including editing and delivering the pictures or video from your event.
• Event staff: When hiring staff, you may need more funds depending on the size of your event. For example, you might pay hosts to direct guests to their seats and introduce keynote speakers.
• Publicity: If you want to publicize your event, this could require additional funds. For example, you may pay television companies to air commercials or radio hosts to promote your event.

3. Choose a date

The date of your event dictates when you want the event to occur. It’s important to finalize your date in the early planning stages so that you can reserve the date for your venue and book your entertainment. You also need a specific date to have enough time to promote your event to your target audience. Here are factors to consider when choosing an event date:

• Weather: Knowing your event objective, you can decide the time of year you want your event to occur. For example, if you’re organizing an outdoor event, you might choose a date in the spring instead of the winter.
• Other events: Monitor activity in your area for information about different functions that may interfere with yours. For example, if a significant convention takes place the same weekend as your event, you may consider parking capacity or increased traffic, which can affect guests’ attendance.
• Organizational workflow: Planning and executing an event requires effort from people in the organization. Select a date allowing employees to devote the time and skills needed to organize the event while completing their regular work tasks.

4. Select and book a venue

The venue is where your event takes place. Select a setting that aligns with your event’s theme or objective. For example, if your event aims to promote children’s fitness and wellness, you could plan activities in a local park. Consider the following factors before you book a venue for your event:

• Size: By visiting the venue in person or assessing its floor plans, you can determine if it’s big enough to host your guests. You may also look for extra space, such as smaller rooms where you can host individual sessions or private lounge areas for your entertainers.
• Location: With your guest list, assess where your guests may travel from to select a venue in a convenient location, which may also encourage guests to attend. For example, if you host an event in a major city such as Los Angeles, guests may want to travel to your event because of the opportunity to visit the city.
• Parking: Venues may have parking lots for guests to use or the venue’s location may require guests to park on the street or in neighborhoods. You can specify parking policies for your event in invitations and promotions.
• Accessibility: It’s important to choose a venue with accessible entrances and bathrooms for your guests.
• Technology: You may require A/V equipment to host your event. Ask the venue organizers if you can host presentations with large screens or plug-in microphones. You can also inquire about the space’s acoustics to ensure your guests can hear speakers regardless of where they’re seated in the room.
• Inclusivity: Some venues include food and photography, for example, in their rent costs. If you want to limit the number of vendors for your event, look for a venue with inclusive packages.

5. Find vendors

Vendors are businesses that can help support your event. For example, you may hire a private security firm to monitor activity at your event and protect your guests from harm. You might also connect with a local florist to provide flowers and other decorations for your function. To find vendors, consider your budget and the type of third-party help you need.

6. Establish a promotion plan

Promoting your event ahead of its date can generate excitement for the activities and give your guests enough time to arrange their schedules. On the promotional items you send out, you can include the date and time of the event. You can also include your sponsors’ logos and any important details for guests to know, such as what food you plan to serve and what type of attire you require. Examples of promotional tools include:

• Social media
• Television
• Radio
• Email marketing
• Newsletters
• Organizational website

Tips for planning events

Delegate tasks to specific people

To coordinate an event successfully, delegating responsibilities to people on your event planning team is important. Consider creating specific committees to handle different parts of the event. For example, you might have a budget committee that reviews spending habits to ensure you’re not exceeding the budget and a promotions committee to coordinate advertisements on television and radio. Consider hosting weekly meetings to discuss event planning progress and new ideas as you delegate tasks.

Plan for unforeseen circumstances

A backup plan for your initial event itinerary can allow you to respond effectively to challenges beyond your control. After coming up with this plan, review your agenda and reconnect with your vendors to ensure everything is prepared. For example, if you’re planning an outdoor event, you may require an indoor space for your guests to enter if it rains. Examples of unforeseen circumstances include:

• Overbooked venue
• Canceled speakers and entertainers
• Flash flooding and tornadoes
• Technical difficulties

Grow your network

Knowing more people in your industry can allow you to invite more people to your events and grant you greater access to vendors. Reach out to your contacts and tell them about the theme of your event and its itinerary. They can use this information to make suggestions for potential venues or entertainers.

Source: Jamie Birt