In this article, we share 6 do\u2019s and don\u2019ts to pull off a successful event. Start planning early, and follow these tips to make sure you\u2019ve got all your bases covered.<\/p>\n
Have you ever tried to plan an event using an Excel spreadsheet or Word document? These tools aren\u2019t built for event-planning, and we don\u2019t recommend using them. Take it from us – it\u2019s a painful, painful process.<\/p>\n Instead, use a project management tool which allows you and your team members to easily view all the tasks at hand, and collaborate. Our personal favorite is Trello<\/a>, which is free to sign up for. Trello aside, there are plenty of other options out there – just Google \u201cproject management tool.\u201d<\/p>\n With these tools, you\u2019re able to:<\/p>\n Trust us, using a proper tool makes event planning that much easier!<\/p>\n Most event planning processes start with a kick-off call or meeting<\/a>, where you get everyone together and talk through the high-level plan.<\/p>\n It can be tempting to try to keep your working group small, so that the discussion goes faster. But for the initial stages, we\u2019d recommend involving everyone – even folks with a small role to play. This way, you can iron out any potential problems and challenges, avoid miscommunication<\/a>, and make sure everyone\u2019s on the same page.<\/p>\n In these kickoff meetings, make sure that everyone has a thorough understanding of each other\u2019s roles, and set actionable next steps. This makes it easy to move forward.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve nailed down some of the key details and are aware of the limitations or factors that you need to work around, feel free to reduce the meeting sizes, and continue with a smaller working group.<\/p>\n It\u2019s common for activities to overrun – especially if you\u2019ve got speeches, panel discussions, or any sort of presentation lined up. With this in mind, make sure you buffer enough time in between activities, so that you have some leeway.<\/p>\n Another reason to buffet extra time: in a post-Covid world, many folks are now used to working from home. This means they might not be up to spending an entire day socializing and mingling at an event.<\/p>\n If you schedule in pockets of time for them to get away, grab some coffee, and have a bit of a breather, you can bet that they\u2019ll be grateful!<\/p>\n Ever heard of Murphy\u2019s law? Anything that can go wrong will go wrong<\/em>.<\/p>\n When it comes to events, regardless of how much you plan, things rarely go off without a hitch. That\u2019s why contingency plans are so important.<\/p>\n Depending on how lucky (or unlucky) you are, you might have to deal with last-minute cancellations (from attendees and\/or vendors), technical and AV issues, missing supplies, and more.<\/p>\n So always have a plan B: have a caterer (who can take on last-minute requests) on speed dial, make sure you have a backup internet connection, and bring extra cables, equipment, and swag to your events.<\/p>\n If you want to be extra-prepared, come up with a plan that allows you to take your entire event online (via live streaming) in case local Covid restrictions change last minute, and you aren\u2019t able to carry out your event in-person after all.<\/p>\n When looking for an event venue, many rookie event planners make the mistake of making their decision predominantly based on budget.<\/p>\n But here\u2019s the thing: if you decide to go with a cheaper venue, your venue might only come with the bare minimum. This means that you\u2019ll need to incur extra cost\/energy to get the venue event-ready (think: lugging in extra equipment, putting up decorations, etc).<\/p>\n So make sure you\u2019re comparing like-for-like: if Option 1 is cheaper but doesn\u2019t come with everything you need, factor in all the additional costs you\u2019ll incur, before comparing the final cost against Option 2.<\/p>\n Can you pull off an event where the venue is impressive, the catering is top-notch, and the entertainment is Hollywood-worthy? Sure – if you\u2019ve got lots of cash to spend.<\/p>\n In reality, most event planners don\u2019t have an astronomical budget to work with. This means you\u2019ll need to prioritize – figure out the one or two things that are most important to your attendees, and splurge on those while saving on the other items.<\/p>\n For example, say you\u2019re planning a B2B<\/a> event, and you\u2019ve got some business travelers flying in for a convention that your company is organizing.<\/p>\n These folks aren\u2019t exactly there for the entertainment, so you don\u2019t need to spend on a live band or a photobooth (both of which might be suitable for a more casual, B2C event). But your business travelers will<\/em> expect decent logistics, so it\u2019ll make sense to spend on proper transportation (a nice coach complete with charging stations and refreshments, for example) to get them from point A to B in comfort.<\/p>\n Because there are so many moving pieces when it comes to event planning<\/a>, there\u2019s always some uncertainty involved. That\u2019s what makes the process stressful!<\/p>\n![\"Event](\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/ibrahim-boran-m8YjB0noWiY-unsplash.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n1. Do: Use a project management tool<\/h2>\n
\n
2. Do: Communicate and over-communicate in the initial stages<\/h2>\n
3. Do: Buffer enough time in between activities<\/h2>\n
4. Do: Have contingency plans<\/h2>\n
5. Don\u2019t: Select your venue solely based on budget<\/h2>\n
6. Don\u2019t: Try to do it all<\/h2>\n
Planning for your upcoming event<\/h2>\n