Sponsored by: AMC Commercial Cleaning
Whether you’re a professional event planner or planning an event because you’re the designated go to person, the rules don’t change. A successful event comes down to three important principles: organise, organise and organise.
To help you organise an event that guests will talk about for weeks afterwards, here are seven helpful tips:
Logistics
Know what the event is for, what the theme will be, how many people are expected to attend, where it will be held, will it be formal, informal, outdoors, black tie? What, if any, is the goal of the event? All those questions need to be answered so you get a clear picture of what and how the event will operate.
Plan Ahead
Once you have a fixed date it’s never too early to begin planning. Often the premium vendors are booked months in advance, so get in quick. You may not want to send out the invitations months ahead of time, but you can do a ‘guesstimate’ of numbers to help you plan.
Allocate Budget
When you know the style of event you’re planning and the number of guests you are expecting, it’s time to allocate your budget. Usually the largest portion needs to be allocated to food and drinks, although depending on where the event is being held, the room hire can be expensive. Always factor in an amount for unexpected expenses.
It’s In The Details
As well as the expected costs like room hire, food and drink, and the table settings, it’s the attention to details that guests will remember. Take the time to think of yourself as a guest and do a mental ‘walk through’. If your guests will be wearing name badges, ensure all the names are spelled correctly. Would you like a welcoming drink available? Make sure a waiter has been allocated for that purpose. Do guests know where they are sitting? If they can sit anywhere, have a sign that tells them so. If you want planned seating, have a seating plan easily visible, and make the place cards easy to read. A small gift always goes over well; it doesn’t need to cost a lot. Be creative!
Have a Backup Plan
As the old saying goes, if something can go wrong, it will! So ensure you have a Plan B for < absolutely everything. Something will be misplaced, something else will be late, and something may not arrive at all. Anticipate where things might come unstuck but be prepared for anything.
Get Social
Make your social event social! When your guests sign in, ask for their Twitter handle and give them the custom hashtag you created prior to the event. Encourage your guests to tweet or take photos and then post them on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. As a marketing exercise, add the event to your Facebook page, take lots of photos and then ask guests to tag themselves.
Organise Clean Up
You’d be surprised how many event planners don’t think about the clean up. Obviously if your event is held in an event centre, they will be responsible for most of the cleaning, but it still pays to oversee the operation. If your event is held in or around Brisbane, visit AMC Sydney for a professional clean up that will leave you free to sit back and enjoy the event.
Do you plan events? Leave your handy tips for planning in the comments below.
