Event Planning Tips
Organising events can be stressful – but if you use our event planning tips, your task will instantly become much easier.
The basic elements of any event planning are always the same, whether you are planning a charity event, a dance, business conference, exhibition stand or concert.
Timescale
Allow at least four to six months for your event planning. So start your work on your event as early as possible.
Research the type of event you want to hold. Make sure it doesn’t clash with other company meetings, or major events such as a bank holiday!
Identify the aim of the event
Why are you planning the event? What’s the aim? What audience are you targeting? Having a clear aim from the beginning ensures you stay focused.
Delegate
Events are hard work. There is a lot of administration and organisation involved. You cannot do it on your own. You do need help. Create a team and delegate the different functions such as budgeting, publicity and venues. Hold regular team meetings to keep everyone up to date on what is happening and ensure nothing is missed.
Create a Schedule
Work out your schedule for the event. Know exactly when you need to have booked the venue, organise staffing, publicity, catering, security, speakers and other participants. Having a clear schedule ensures that you and all your team don’t miss any important elements.
Budget
Set out your budget and stick to it. Don’t let it slide, as spending can quickly spiral out of control. Identify how much you can spend on different functions such as hiring a venue and hiring staff. Be prepared to negotiate to get the best deal.
Hire professional help
If you need an extra pair of hands, even if just to cover breaks, toilet trips, etc. Or want experienced help rather than taking your own staff then you can use a professional event staffing agency.
Have a back up plan
Always expect things to go wrong, because something inevitably will. A speaker might have to cancel at the last minute, the caterers or venue encounter problems. There might a transport strike and more attendees than expected decide to use their own vehicles, which in turn may result in parking problems.
Choose your venue carefully
Make sure you have booked and confirmed your venue well in advance. Check out several venues before making your final decision. If you are worried about a venue, don’t take the risk. A good, reliable venue is crucial to the success of any event.
Publicity
Publicise your event as early as possible and maintain the impetus. It gets people interested, and encourages them to come. Talk to the media and get your message out on all your social media channels with plenty of eye catching visuals. Think about possible promotional activities, and search out every marketing opportunity.
On the day
Turn up well before the event starts. It will give you time to check that everything is on course, and no hitches have appeared. Relax and enjoy the event.
Evaluation
Seek as much feedback as you can from everyone involved. This will help you assess what can be improved for future events.
