For every event, planning is important. But even that planning requires a good measure of prior preparation. And, this is why, we have given five important things you should have in place, in order to have a smooth and successful ahead.
1) Set a timeframe
This is THE most important part of every event planning process. Setting a timeframe means having a clear roadmap and setting achievable goals throughout the course of the duration. Moreover, giving yourself a deadline leaves you with enough of time to not only achieve every task on the list, but also identify problem areas and troubleshoot effectively. Thus, giving you enough time to create a backup plan as well as bring everything together without a single glitch.
2) Don’t lose sight of the goal
Yes, we agree that the whole process of planning and putting everything together and doing a good job at it can be very chaotic. But don’t let it get to you and don’t lose yourself in the storm of things to do. No matter what happens don’t lose sight of the ultimate goal. Don’t falter in the quality. Right from the first step to the final day, your goal should be to pull off an amazing event, as opposed to “let’s just get done with this thing”.
3) Make a list
No matter what the scale of the event is, a list of things to do and things you’ll need is the ultimate life-saver. Event planners across every niche and level find a list to be their trustiest companion and most failsafe weapon. Start by identifying the tasks that are on top of your mind and require immediate attention. Things like the venue, catering, vendors, sound system, invites etc. should form the first half of the list. This should obviously be followed by the smaller yet crucial details. Once you start putting the list together, everything else falls into place on its own. Do this, and you’ll never regret it.
4) Finish the bigger and tougher tasks first
Leaving the bigger part of the task list for the end will also end up leaving you in a very sticky spot. Moreover, these are often the easily noticed details and if left unattended, can spell disaster for the whole event. The most efficient event planners get to work on the large and tricky details as quickly as possible. The sooner you get done with it, the easier it will be to run through every aspect of the event and be less stressed when the big day nears.
5) Delegate
A lot of things go into making an event a grand success, and even the smallest details go a long way in creating significant changes. This is why, it’s always good to delegate. Plus, you may be good at planning the event, but there’ll always be someone who can take care of the finer details better, and make the whole thing easier and bearable for you. Delegation becomes important especially when it comes to big groups and events that require great attention to detail and a high degree of precision.
6) Take it easy
At the end of the day, remember that Murphy’s Law is always at work. So, whatever has to go wrong, definitely will, and despite pulling all stops there’s nothing you can do about it. All that matters is that you have an open mind, to take every glitch in your stride and have fun. It’s the mistakes that make you a successful planner and the enjoyments make you a cooler one.
Planning an event is no rocket science; all you need to do is be patient and go about the whole thing step by step.
This post has been contributed by Arnold Rebello, who is an employee at Visual Concepts in Calgary. His hobbies include experimenting with food and travelling to different places.
Photo Credit: image 1 image 2 image 3 image 4 image 5 image 6 image 7
