10 Top Tips on Planning a Successful Event

10 Top Tips on Planning a Successful Event

With the Christmas Season just around the corner, the pressure is on to ensure everything goes smoothly for your team – but don’t worry, we have some tips for organising the BEST events!

 

1.     Start Early:

By planning early for an event, you allow time to work on each detail of the event thoroughly to ensure nothing is missed, and that all avenues for each element of the event have been explored. This will enable you not only to keep your cool knowing that everything is under control, but also enable better budget control, which might enable you to budget in extra costs for added decorations and entertainment. Early planning ensures the majority can attend the chosen date too!

 

2.     Finalising your budget:

By finalising your budget, you will know how much you can spend on the necessities for your event. Try and think of three budget scenarios. One, which is your lowest budget which will be based in a basic event with little entertainments and extra packages. Two, which can be an average budget which will allow you to be slightly flexible and will have enough room for some added extras, such as arrival drinks and entertainment packages. Three, which will be your most expensive budget with lots of room to add on extra packages, having lots of food and entertainment for your guests and also the chance to have a bigger venue. When you have found the budget that suits your needs, this will finalise the type of venue you are looking for and will help you spend on added packages. It is important stay true to your chosen budget and choose the right options to suit this – if you select a venue that is towards the higher price range and then can’t afford the theming that the team voted on, this will hugely affect the moral of the event, so prioritise your budget to create the best option for you.

 

3.     Finding the venue:

Budget and location are the first factors to consider here – if the hotel isn’t suited in these areas, remove it from your short list. Site visits are always recommended to get a feel for the venue, to meet the events manager there and build a relationship with them to ensure they fully understand your requirements.  Here are a few questions that your guests might ask about: Does it have enough outdoor space? Does it have parking? Does it have specific smoking areas? Does it have a private bar? Can the catering accommodate our dietary requirements?

4.     Create a Timeline:

Starting with the day of the event, create a detailed list backtracking every task that needs to happen, assigning each firm deadline and assessing how much time needs to be allocated to each task. Some deadlines may change, but use it as the main reference for your team, making sure everyone ticks things off as they get accomplished. By having this available to the team, it can be a useful tool for any questions that people might want to ask, and will make people feel more involved.

 

5.     Make it a Team Effort:

Organising an event can be hard work on your own, if possible, make it a team effort and delegate to your team members. If everyone has ownership of a piece of the event (set-up, venue, catering), details are less likely to slip through the cracks and team members will feel more involved and make the event feel more special. 

 

6.     Have a Plan B for EVERYTHING:

Anticipate which aspects of your event could go wrong – be it the invites arriving late which delays sign up, through to last minute emergencies. It is important to analyse potential problems from the start, work out which would more significantly affect your event and create backup plans for each. Make sure you are in contact with your venue organisers and all booked suppliers so that all parties are aware of any potential problems that can occur in order to prevent these and bounce back from these should anything happen. However, don’t get too hung up about what might go wrong, as the guests will have a fantastic time regardless, and by having a back-up plan earlier on, there will be little disruption on the night.

 

7.     Finding the right entertainment:

To find the right entertainment for you and your colleagues, always ask the venue if they have any recommendations of entertainment companies or if they have a favorite DJ that they use regularly. To get a better idea of what will suit your event, ask your colleagues of what entertainment they would like to see. This would be a good opportunity to mention the potential entertainments in your spreadsheet or shared document. Remember, you can’t please everyone but as long as the decision is made fairly, your event will be memorable and guests will have a fantastic time!  

 

8.     Themes:

Having a themed event can bring the whole event together, everyone can keep focused and it can set the mood for the night. However, themes are not just for show. You may want the room to be themed or for everyone to participate by letting your guests have a specific costume. Ask your Venue / Event Planner for advice on themes. Some themes may not work with the venue that you have chosen.

 

9.     Take lots of photos:

By posting positive photos online on your company’s social media and website you can demonstrate the success of your event and company culture. If you have the budget, a professional photographer can be able to take pictures that are required for your needs and will approach you for specifics. Ask for a specific number of shots to ensure you cover all bases. An example of this can be a picture of the full room, photos of event branding, and lots of photos of attendees enjoying themselves.

 

10. Ask for feedback:

ALWAYS ask for feedback from your colleagues on how the event went. Good and bad reviews can help you plan the next event and can help you steer away from any mistakes that did occur. Try and focus on the positive comments rather than the negative, although having negative comments can help you improve on your next event!