Here are the top ten event planning tips for all occasions and how to make sure your evening is a resounding success.
1. Consistently Check Your Budget!
Any event will almost always cost more than you expect and more than you budgeted for. keep a detailed record of what you are spending and on what and put some wiggle room in your budget.
2. Book A Professional Photographer
If your event is related to promoting a company or new product range, the more publicity surrounding it the better. Instead of asking friends or colleagues to take photographs throughout the evening, hire a professional photographer.
3. Make Everyone Aware Of Your Back-Up Plan
You should always have a back-up plan, especially if your event is outdoors. For instance, arranging an alternative, covered venue space if the weather does turn, and ensuring you have enough staff members to cover food and drink service should anyone fall ill. Just make sure other people know the back up plan too!
4. Order Your Drink Online!
Don’t head off to the local store with your colleagues or family members, it makes far more sense to order your drinks online. When you plan ahead and place an online liquor delivery, you can have peace of mind knowing that everything you need for your event will be delivered on time and you can check that off your to-do list right away.
5. Use Social Media
Social media is a fantastic tool for both promoting your event beforehand, be that inviting guests to a birthday party or inviting them to a corporate networking event. You should consider creating a new hashtag, unique to your event and encourage every guest to upload their photographs, videos and their thoughts so others can view them too.
6. Work On Your Multi-Tasking Skills
Multi-tasking is one of the most crucial skills for any organizer, but when the task ahead involves managing other people, it is even more of a priority.
There are many ways to focus on improving how you prioritize tasks and how best to balance different responsibilities simultaneously and it would be a good idea to look into these as soon as you can.
7. Create A Project Timeline
Every professional events planner knows and understands the supreme importance of creating a project timeline.
Different to the evening’s schedule, a project timeline should detail everything from your initial planning and which vendors you are considering, to your final decisions and everything in-between.
8. Pay Attention To The Details
When it comes to heading-up an event, preparation is key. Make sure you are aware of the basic schedule of the evening and are deliberately involving yourself in the smaller details too.
9. Arrange Back-Up Food Supplies
If you have arranged for a caterer to bring the food to the venue, or else bring the food and then serve, unless you are absolutely positive that your contract or agreement is sacrosanct, it would be a good idea to have a back-up.
You could even contact a second food supplier and ask if they would be able to deliver food if necessary.
10. Get Everything In Writing
From bakeries providing birthday cakes, to contracts with musicians and entertainers and even guest speakers for corporate lectures, by far the best way of checking that everything is in order and there will be no nasty surprises on the day of the event is to make sure that everything is in writing.
