Whether it's social events or other events related to our professional life, we all appreciate good organization and details that meet our expectations.
This post is aimed at people who have to organize an event and don't want to leave anything behind.
As with everything in life, we cannot think of organizing something without prior planning. Being methodical in this phase will give us the maximum chance of getting everything right and offering guests a perfect celebration.
Event planning methodology
When we start to design an event and think about everything that is necessary, it is ideal to set small goals and specify them in various documents. In this way, we break down all the work into short, more manageable milestones and objectives that are easier to delegate.
As a general rule, we can do this by thinking about three moments: the planning of the event itself , prior to any action, the production of the event (which includes negotiations with suppliers and the development of the event) and the subsequent analysis phase to evaluate whether it has gone as expected and the objectives have been met.
To keep everything organized, we recommend generating:
Checklist
Checklists are a great tool to help you make sure you don't forget anything. By listing all the needs of an event in them , it will be impossible to leave anything behind . To complete them, it is ideal to have good communication with the production team and accept all suggestions. Time and budget will put all ideas in their place.
Schedule
A timeline is very useful for any management activity. In any long project that involves several people and activities, it is essential. When planning an event, it will help us maintain a temporal order of activities , so that it will be easier to follow up and not overlap work that cannot coincide in time, especially if a physical space needs to be set up.
The schedule should specify both the phases and all the necessary activities, and those that involve relations with suppliers and guests. To mark them, you can use Excel, with two axes, one time and one activity, or online tools, such as Trello , in which you can specify tasks and move them from one space to another (boards) depending on their degree of completion.
Budget
Money is essential to determine the size of the event. Depending on objectives and financial availability, the first actions will filter suppliers and spaces.
Ideally, a budget document should be broken down by items. We recommend doing it in balance sheet mode, with expenses and investments on the left and income flows on the right . The sum of both parts should be at least equal to avoid losses. In certain events where cash flows depend on public attendance, it is easy to make mistakes. In these cases, we will try to make a realistic forecast of the amounts that can be counted on. In these situations, it is a good idea to get sponsors to contribute a part of the budget, so that the risks of not reaching the planned income are reduced.
All types of expenses must be included in the budget: rental of spaces, technical kuwait number example equipment, seating, decoration, cocktails and meals, set-ups, payment to speakers, musicians, etc.
Preparation and development of the event
Promotion and dissemination activities should be planned during the preparation phase. If the event is private, it will be easier to contact guests, but if it is public, the number of attendees should be maximised, and for this, communication help is always useful: social networks, online advertising, press releases, brochures... hiring an agency or a communication specialist will reduce the stress level and allow you to focus on the activities of the event itself.
To ensure that the event runs smoothly and on time, create a schedule, indicating times and activities . Include in this event schedule both travel and opening and closing times, and above all, be very clear with suppliers and participants about their role and the time each has available to perform their service. Good communication and follow-up work with each person involved guarantees a good development.
After activities
Every event has its objectives. At a wedding, the main thing is to celebrate and enjoy. However, at other types of events, such as corporate events, other goals are set, which may include improving the brand image, attracting clients or having a certain impact in the media.
If we are promoters of concerts or shows, the objective is business-related, trying to maximize profit and ensure that income optimally exceeds expenses, so communication will be carried out in a more proactive and general manner.
In any case, a final dossier will be essential , with the compilation of data that will help us understand whether or not the event has been a success. Create two versions, one general, for the press and another to present all the information to the promoters, including information on the impact on networks, and in general, everything that will justify an effective development of the set of work inherent to the event.