We’re not going to lie.
A flawless event planning is probably impossible – there are always things that are going to veer off course from the event plan. But you can minimise and ensure you have contingency plans in place to help ensure you run a smooth as possible event from start to finish. And we’re going to share some of those tips we’ve learned along the way.
8 Tips on How to Ensure Your Event Runs Smoothly
Define Your Event Goals and Objectives
Define Your Event Goals and Objectives
As in any marketing
Defining goals drives quantifiable metrics to measure success and will make it easier for you and your team to reach those same goals and keep everyone on the same page.
Set a Date
Set a DateThe date might already be predetermined, but if this is the first event, make sure you consider the following before confirming the date:
Give yourself enough lead time! Ideally, you want 3+ months to plan (depending on the size of your event)
Be aware of public holidays, commonly celebrated dates (eg Women’s Day) and school holidays
Check dates of availability with your talent, VIP guests etc.
Once you’ve set your date, book your venue ASAP. You want to have a date and location nailed down before you can begin promoting, so this needs to be completed as early in the planning period as possible.
Organise Your Core Team
Organise Your Core TeamAny event takes teamwork. Consider assigning one Event Manager as well as individual heads of committees, such as:
Venue management
Speakers / entertainment
Publicity
Sponsors
Volunteer management
Note: depending on the size of your event you could combine areas)
Assigning individual roles to team members creates a sense of accountability, as well as preventing tasks from falling through the cracks.
Branding Your Event
Branding Your EventIf you want your event to stand out, you need to choose a theme that sets you apart from your competition. This means that you need to come up with an overall theme and you need to take great care with the actual name – since it can be a key attention grabber, especially in online media.
Brainstorm event names – and when you are brainstorming also think about:
How is your event different from other events in your industry?
What message are you hoping to convey during this event?
Create a Tagline – a short, memorable slogan that describes the event.
Design a Logo to represent your event. A logo is an effective branding tool, offering immediate recognition of your event in all of your publicity and promo items (e.g., t-shirts, water bottles, bags, etc.)Once you have your name, tagline, and logo, use it in all of your marketing collateral! A catchy or pithy tagline can be invaluable on social media when used as a hashtag. It also sticks in your audience’s mind and keeps your event in their thoughts.
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Create a Master Event Plan
Create a Master Event Plan Venue, logistics, & catering management (contracts, permits, insurance, etc.)
Speakers & presenters (identifying, confirming, logistics & management)
Activities & entertainment
Publicity & promotion (online & offline)
Registrations (online sign-ups, payment and tracking etc.)
Sponsors or partner management
Volunteer coordination/management
While in the planning stage, consider creating a detailed timeline, so that everything moves smoothly. Include when any permits or insurance policies need to be submitted, when registration ends, and a timeline of the day-of.
Determine Administration Processes
Determine Administration ProcessesHow are you going to keep track of your planning, registration, budget, attendees, speaker lists etc. etc?
If you don’t have a system set up to track this kind of stuff you may want to look into an event management system or determine another way to best organise and track your event information. Depending on the size of your event, simple (but organised) spreadsheets can work wonders.
Defining Your Budget
Defining Your Budget
Your budget should include estimates for all of the key areas identified on your Event Master Plan. Don’t forget to include travel and accommodation costs for speakers/presenters, etc.
The Analysis and Evaluation Process
The Analysis and Evaluation Process
How will you work out if your event is a success? By the number of attendees or by breaking even or raising a certain amount of funds? What systems do you currently have in place and how can you utilise these. Or do you need to do some research into event management systems to handle it.