5 Tips to Plan a Successful Event

Events get bigger and more lavish every year, and 2018 is bound to take it to the next level. Weddings, corporate events, fundraisers and private parties alike are growing in both size and popularity. No matter the type of event, there are endless planning decisions that need to be made carefully to ensure your event goes off without a hitch. From the moment you decide to start planning, to the arrival of the big day itself, thoughtful choices should be made. And with the demand for events growing every year, the demand for fresh and unique ideas is increasing as well. From venue and theme to speaker or entertainment, people don’t want to host just an average event; they want to create an experience their attendees will never forget. Consider these starting points when planning your next event to ensure it is a huge success:

1. Budgeting. The first thing to tackle for event planning is determining a budget. Create a financial “blueprint” by doing research and determining what expenses and revenue opportunities. Don’t forget payments for vendors, venues, permits, parking arrangements, entertainers and security, to name a few commonly overseen expenses. Having all of these things accounted for during the planning process is important and far too often overseen, resulting in unnecessary stress on the day of the event. To make sure the big day goes as smoothly as possible, consider which aspects are top priority and worth splurging on, and which you can save on. Always keep the goal of the event in the back of your mind when making these decisions, asking yourself what is most important to your audience. Is it entertainment and education the goal of the event, or are they there to celebrate a special person or couple and looking to dance? Cater your entertainment to the type of event and crowd attending, and ask these entertainers if they have payment options to help avoid piling all costs onto one month’s bill.
2. Staff and Service. Something that can make or break your event is what vendors and staff you choose to work with. Hire reliable vendors you know have a good reputation or those you’ve had positive experiences working with before. From caterers to venues, there are hundreds of potential clients to choose from. It’s crucial to learn as much about each one before making final decisions. When it comes to interviewing and hiring each and every staff member, keep in mind exactly what theme and feel you want your event to have. Come prepared with questions to help nail down the perfect team to make your dream event come to life. In all of these decisions, look at customer reviews and blogs to learn a bit more about the people you are relying on for your big event.
3. Technology. Utilize technology for both useful and fun aspects of event planning - from giant interactive graffiti walls, to ticket sales and marketing strategies. Fun things to consider adding to your upcoming event include giant floor pianos, photo booths, wearable technology and virtual reality. Wearable technology is fun for your guests to show off their involvement, and useful for event management in terms of using cashless purchasing, attendance and security. Virtual reality is a great way to get attendees involved and engaged in real time during the event. Entice your attendees with these fun aspects of event tech, but use them to help yourself make planning a bit simpler as well. From event planning and registration, to apps and ticket sales; there are technological solutions in many different areas that can help optimize your event and draw in the more niche crowd possible.
4. Activities/ Entertainment. The event staple that is a live band, DJ, or other musical group performing on a stage isn’t going away anytime soon, but that is only one type of entertainment in this day and age. We’ve recognized a rise in unique performances at weddings and corporate events, like flash mobs, wandering bands and musicians, and singing waiters or staff. This rise in desire to have a unique event has even brought forms of entertainment like magicians, hypnotists, and beatboxers back from the dead. Consider keeping things surprising at your event by hiring waiters that break out in song and dance to the surprise of your attendees. Always leave them entertained and surprised by keeping things fresh. Outside of performers and speakers, your attendees might be looking for something unique and fun to do while attending your event. Consider investing in something active for guests to participate in, or something that provides them with a memento of their time at your event. The perfect blend of these two is an interactive or slow motion photo booth, where guests can dress up with props and pose for photos with their friends and colleagues. Personalize the print-outs with a banner depicting what the event was and the date it took place to serve as a souvenir. A slow motion photo booth is perfect for public events, where a video is put together after the event featuring those who posed in real time. Take to social media with the final product, tagging all sponsors and your event page to draw in some online attention.
5. Engage and interact with your audience. Before guests even arrive at your event, create some hype and excitement via social media and online marketing. Use your event page and confirmed guest list to push branded content out to draw in as big of an audience as possible. Consider giving your audience teasers to the fun things you have planned, while giving them some room to wonder what else you have in store. Make your event enjoyable for your guests to increase engagement and ratings. If you are upbeat and providing interesting insights, they are more likely to respond positively and spread excitement with their followers who might not be aware of your event. By starting and guiding the conversation yourself, you gain control of the tone and information being spread amongst attendees, before they have an opportunity to form their own opinions. Utilize social media in different ways, such as responding to comments, gathering suggestions and making your audience feel involved in what you have planned. Plan to capitalize on the amount of technology everyone has in their pockets during the event as well. Pose questions and surveys throughout the big day to keep your guests engaged and interacting. Create a unique hashtag to not only to encourage guests to interact with you, and utilize the hashtag to track what attendees are saying.

No matter what event you are planning, remember to start early and fully consider every detail that needs to be fleshed out for the big day. While planning an event can be stressful, especially for those who don’t do it all the time, we are here for you! Consider our event planning services for your next big event, we’ll work with you to make the process as painless as possible!

Post Published on March 26, 2018.