Planning and managing an event can be a daunting and overwhelming task even for the most experienced professionals. Finding the right staff, acquiring the right venue, keeping guests and participants entertained while sticking to a budget may seem impossible, and plenty of things can go wrong. Every tiny detail matters and every step you take can go a long way towards streamlining your operations and making your event successful and memorable. If you're looking for ways to improve your event management skills, here are a few tips to help you plan and manage an event successfully.
It's almost impossible to meet your client's expectations if there are no defined objectives. Event managers must hone management skills too work closely with event planners and clients to ensure all expectations are captured and considered. You also want to have your own internal goals that are as specific as possible. When meeting with your client, create a list of questions and note down the answers that you will use to create a memorable event for everyone. For precise venue layout and arrangements, it's a game-changer when you can Import your existing CAD files into OnePlan, allowing for a detailed visual plan that aligns with client objectives.
Start planning as soon as possible. If you're managing a big event, it's essential that you start planning about six months prior. Smaller events require less time, like two weeks to one month, to prepare. Your plan should be thoroughly detailed and capture every aspect of your business. Know what needs to be bought, which services need to be outsourced, and the type of event you're managing. You might want to start booking venues early in advance, hire your team and invest in the best event management software to help you in the planning process.
The type of team you hire will determine whether your goals and objectives will be met or not. Finding the right team means hiring skilled people and assigning the right responsibilities based on their skills. You can divide your team into groups to manage different aspects of the event, such as security, entertainment, catering, and venue management. Individual responsibilities allow you to establish a system of accountability and effective collaboration.
A well-structured budget is one of the primary parts of planning and managing an event. Ensure your budget covers all necessary expenses and includes an emergency fund to cater for accidents and unexpected events. A budget should account for every payment, especially the big bills such as venue, entertainment, staff, catering, visual coverage, marketing, and security.
While it's not always possible to avoid last-minute changes, you must work with sponsors, stakeholders, consultants, staff, and vendors to prevent or reduce last-minute changes. This is a significant number, and you should expect that some people might not show up or pull out the day before the event. To counter such incidents, be in constant communication with your team and set penalties for cancellations after a specific date to reduce last-minute changes.
Here are some effective cancellation flow examples that will help you prevent or reduce last-minute changes.
No event is perfect. One of the most important event planning tips to remember that before or during the event, there will be issues such as a person failing to show up, the sound system breaking down, the food team arriving late, and many other challenges. As a planner, your management skills are critical and it's important to anticipate such problems and create a backup plan for each.
