6 Tips For Pulling Off a Great Event
One common misconception is that creativity isn’t or shouldn’t be structured. Having good ideas is great, but you must organize these ideas to successfully execute them. Every event is different so there is no one-size-fits-all, but with a bit of common sense and the following tips you should be good to go.
1) Define your goals, audience, and theme. The event must serve a clear purpose whether it be to create awareness of the brand/company or simply to celebrate an achievement. This leads to the theme of the event, which in turn determines the target audience.
2) Create a detailed action plan. Make a thorough plan of all the steps needed to achieve your goal. Usually, in event organizing, there are many elements to pull together at the last minute so it is useful to have everything written out, with a timeline and the dependencies. Set out the steps assuming everything goes to plan, but also have a plan B. What if something goes awry? Don’t forget to double-check every detail; don’t just rely on yourself, but also on everyone in your team. Event organization is about teamwork, and two heads are better than one. Keep every document and write everything down for back-checking when expected phases don’t happen on schedule.
3) Choose the right venue. Consider your budget limitations vs. expectations and impact. The venue is essentially the first point of impact of the invitation. Not everyone can afford to have an event at a prestigious venue but choosing a location that has some links to your client is important. It must be easy to get to and appeal to your target audience.
4) Choose the right date. Think about which date will have the most impact. It was no coincidence that the Royal Wedding was the weekend before a bank holiday. Avoiding major sporting events is also extremely important and, much as I hate to admit it, no one’s going to turn up to your event if it falls on the same day as the Super Bowl!
5) Learn to love your phone. Emailing is valuable but not enough. Calling your vendors, suppliers, and potential guests (simple rule – if you don’t ask you don’t get) is more personal and in these situations tends to be more effective. However, follow up all calls with a confirmation email, to ensure all parties know what they’ve agreed to.
6) During the event be proactive and stay positive. There really is no problem too great. You can deal with any unexpected hitch if you remain calm and focused. If you believe in the event and its success, so will your team.
And finally, enjoy. A good event is often influenced by the organizer’s demeanor and you’ve worked hard to achieve a success.