The Art of Event Planning: 5 Tips and Tricks

Whether it’s an intimate wedding, a corporate convention attended by thousands, or some other type of gathering, your event planning must be on point.

From glamorous red carpet events to low-key dinners and industry exhibitions to private parties, there are several tips and tricks that you can use, whatever the size and prestige of the occasion.

Define Your Goal

Defining your goal is the most fundamental thing you must do in planning an event. It helps you prioritize everything that follows. What a company hopes to achieve as part of a new product launch is very different from what the attendees of a high school reunion are looking for.

While every event should be visually appealing and engaging, what that means will vary depending on its purpose. Decide on what the purpose of the event will be to steer you in the right direction. 

Have Clear Communication

Don’t assume that you know what the goal of the event is. Clear and concise communication with clients, stakeholders, attendees, or whoever you work with at the event is essential. It ensures that misunderstandings are kept at a minimum and that you deliver an event that meets or exceeds expectations.

If guests seem uncertain but do not communicate their feelings, follow your intuition. It’s better to overexplain than to manage a big mistake before the event begins.

Remember that sometimes that involves helping whoever you are working with identify what they hope to communicate with the event. That might be prestige or business excellence, or it may let participants know they can relax and have a good time.

Have a Crisis Plan

It’s never pleasant envisioning the things that can go wrong, but doing so can help ensure that when the worst happens, you are prepared for it. This also goes hand-in-hand with goals and communication.

For example, something going wrong with the opening reception might be quickly glossed over in a casual gathering primarily focused on socializing. Still, it could be disastrous at red carpet events where timing is of the essence. 

Making a crisis plan also helps you think about things that might go wrong as another challenge to be met and dealt with rather than a calamity.

Set Boundaries

Be clear about deadlines, and remind people of them regularly. Flexibility and working with people when unforeseen obstacles arise are essential. Still, if you don’t set some boundaries, you may have people trying to make multiple changes to menus, decorations, and the like.

To prevent people from making last-minute changes, give them plenty of notice before a deadline approaches. You may need to put your foot down if they insist on making last-minute changes. Otherwise, they may continue to take advantage.

If setting boundaries is hard for you, consider that it makes everyone else’s job easier. Clear parameters and deadlines help them better organize their workflow.

Pay Attention to Promotion

Who do you need to get the word out? What’s the best way to do it? 

Take note of whether you plan to promote the event to the general public or if the event is invitation-only.

Everyone may need a mailing list or other existing contact information. If that’s the case, make a plan as to whether you need to put that together as well.

Another essential factor to consider is knowing who your audience is. This information will be crucial for tailoring promotions that will reach and appeal to them.

Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

Believe it or not, doing a similar event that has been done in the past is a good thing. Talking to people who have had similar events can aid you as you plan out everything.

It is surprising how often people overlook these existing resources. Instead, they either do much more work than they must or miss essential elements because they have failed to look at what’s come before.

This doesn’t mean you can’t put your touches on the event. However, if there are already blueprints, you free yourself up to focus on more creative elements of event planning.

Conclusion

Whether you are an event planning professional, a volunteer, or simply planning events as part of your job, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. After all, there are many moving parts and responsibilities.

However, clearly articulating your goals and challenges and ensuring you understand what your attendees want will help your event shine.