One of the hardest types of events to organize is a public event. The reason for this is that it’s very difficult to predict what random members of the public are going to want to see at (or get out of) one’s event. Even so, despite how difficult it can be to organize a public event, there are a few ways that you can make it easier on yourself.
If you have been charged with organizing and planning a public event, then this post’s got you covered. Here are nine tips you can employ to make planning your event less stressful.
Purpose
One of the first things that you need to consider when you are planning an event is the event’s intended purpose. The event’s purpose will set its tone. Unfortunately, a lot of people completely overlook their event’s purpose when they are planning, which leads to the event’s guests feeling confused or uninterested. If at any point you struggle with your event’s planning, then you can always hire a professional event-planning company. An event-planning company will be able to ensure that your event’s tone matches its purpose, so your guests aren’t left confused.
Staff
Another of the first things that you need to consider when you are planning your event is the staff that you are going to hire. If you do not ensure that you hire event staff with experience, then your guests won’t feel as though they have been properly attended to. The reason that experience is important is that your event’s staff will influence your guests’ experiences. If staff is not trained, has no experience, and has bad people management skills, then it’s very likely that your guests are going to have a lot of complaints to make.
Planning
Meticulous planning is essential if you want your event to be a hit with those in attendance. Unfortunately, a lot of people overlook the importance of careful planning. Many people, when planning an event, overlook important things like staff, catering, and of course, the event’s purpose and how they can match the event’s purpose and tone. Again, if at any point you struggle to plan your event, then you can hire a planning company to do it for you. You should be aware that event planning companies can be very expensive. You can easily plan your own event, as long as you have people helping you.
Budget
A budget is essential if you want your event to be as problem-free as possible. Unfortunately, when a lot of people are planning events, they completely overlook the importance of a budget. The reason that a budget is essential is that it helps you to figure out what’s possible and what isn’t. If you are organizing an event on behalf of an organization then they will likely tell you what your event’s budget is from the very beginning. If you are planning it independently, then you will have to figure out how much you can afford to spend yourself.
Accidents
When you are planning an event, you always need to think about any accidents that could take place or anything that could possibly go wrong. Failing to plan for unforeseeable circumstances and accidents could result in you having to cancel or postpone your event. Some things that you should consider are difficulties with the event’s caterer, venue, or guest speakers. The best way to plan for unforeseeable circumstances and accidents is to have backups ready to go. A good way to plan for accidents is to have a panel of people helping you to plan your event. That way, you will get their insight, and their help if anything goes wrong.
Location
Your event’s venue is one of the most important things for you to consider. You need to factor in the length of time that you expect your event is going to go on, the number of guests that you are going to have in attendance, and the noise that’s going to be made. If the event is informal and more like a party, then you need to make sure that your venue isn’t in a residential area. A residential area could mean that your event has to stop at a certain time or that you can’t make noise.
Plan B
As mentioned previously, you always need to have a backup in place. The most important backup to have in place is a second venue for you to host your event at, preferably in the same area as the main venue, just in case anything goes wrong. While it’s incredibly unlikely that your event’s venue is going to be changed or canceled at the last minute, you still need to prepare for this. You should contact your backup venue and explain that you would like to reserve a room with them just in case anything goes wrong, otherwise, they might not be able to accommodate you. You should be able to cancel your reservation for a small fee closer to the time of your event.
Responsibility
You need to make sure that you delegate responsibility to different people involved in the event-planning process. As mentioned earlier, it’s a good idea to have a panel of people helping you. An entire panel of people working with you and helping you will help you to ensure that your event goes as planned. Ideally, the people helping you should have some kind of vested interest in your event, i.e., they work with you, or they care about the same causes as you if the event’s a charity event.
Invitations
Finally, make sure that your event’s invitations are managed professionally. Ideally, you should delegate the task of distributing invitations to a responsible person. If your event’s invitations are mismanaged, then it could mean people don’t receive their invitations or aren’t notified that the event’s taking place. Most experts agree that it’s a good idea to send both paper and digital invitations, so you cover all bases.
Planning an event can be a challenge even at the best of times. If you have been charged with planning an event, then you need to make sure that you do so professionally and expertly. This post’s guidance will help you to do that, so consider each suggestion made here.
