Events manager, isn’t that just a glorified way to say you’re a party planner? Can you actually make a career out of arranging buying some boxes of bubbly and some bunting? Well, yes. And while some may talk about it in a blasé way, event planning is actually a stressful, complicated and incredibly involved process. What might go wrong, will, and a whole lot of pressure rests squarely on your shoulders. But that shouldn’t put you off; quite the opposite in fact. Because we love a challenge, and you should too, and there’s no more exciting and fulfilling one than throwing a successful party and making it look easy. With this in mind, here are 5 IDEAL tips for event planning.
CREATE A CHECKLIST
It’s can be surprisingly, alarmingly easy to overlook certain crucial details when planning an event, and as antiquated as it might be in this day and age, having a list on hand, to tick off and check repeatedly, can help tremendously in the task of organising. A simple, visual record of what’s done and items still left on the agenda can help immensely in dividing your day into the most productive version of itself. Plus, there’s something really rewarding about the feeling of physically crossing items off the list; just bliss.
THINK TWO MOVES AHEAD
We’re not talking about a chess themed throwdown here, although come to think of it, that does sound rather great. Nope, we’re talking about deploying generous amounts of forward thinking and foresight to your event in an effort to get the best prices and products and avoid any last minute hiccups. Not only will this approach grant you ample time to find a suitable venue, arrange catering and hunt down esoteric, unique entertainment like fairground stall hire or a giant sized Monopoly board, for instance, but it’ll also allow you to receive and compare quotes on cost. The natural result of this is both staying within budget and landing your first choices; the two key ingredients for a rip roaring event.
THE DEVIL’S IN THE DETAIL
When it comes to separating the great from the good, it really is all in the detail; the myriad tiny touches which add up to one essential event. Focusing on detail is vital, and what gets you noticed. It’s also crucial in terms of narrowing down your party planning options, when it comes to booking venues, vendors and all the rest. There’s a surprisingly broad scope of choice out there, but with a focused vision, it’s much easier to find the really niche, unique offerings which will last long in the attendee’s memory. In other words, do sweat the small stuff.
ORDER AMPLE REFRESHMENTS
One of the most important aspects of any event is keeping your guests well fed and watered. You can provide all of the raucous entertainment you could dream up, but without refreshments (solid and liquid) things just aren’t going to kick off. You know how the saying goes, that no one ever enjoyed Vegas sober? Well, bear that in mind. Rumbling stomachs and empty glasses are one of the main buzzkills of any event. It just lacks generosity. Therefore, make food and drink a priority as running out isn’t a good look.
HAVE A CONTINGENCY PLAN
As there are a staggering number of variables which contribute to planning an event and its eventual success or failure, it’s not uncommon (in fact, it’s pretty much guaranteed) to encounter unexpected hurdles during the process. And while having a positive, optimistic mindset is a desirable quality in an event’s planner, it’s never a bad thing to prepare for the worst. To this end, it’s good practice to have a contingency plan in place for venues and food provision at the very least.