With so much going on in event planning, it’s easy for organisers to overlook the seemingly small stuff. You get caught up with major details such as venue, catering, and speakers and tend to forget minor details. Word of caution though. It might seem trivial for some, but these little things also matter. Sometimes things may seem inconsequential when you consider the magnitude of an event. But don’t fall into this trap. Top event planners know better than to overlook the small stuff. So, here are some pointers that you should take note of and include in your checklist as you plan for your next event.
Having a Back-Up Plan to your Back-up Plan
No matter how great of an event planner you are, some things are bound to be out of your control. Make sure you have a couple or more back up plans in place just in case Plan A and Plan B don’t work out. For example, have back-up plans when you have an outdoor event. Plan where you’re going to hold your event in case it turns out to be a rainy day. And have a plan on how you’ll transfer your attendees in case the day started out fine but it rains in the middle of the event. Having a backup plan isn’t enough. Remember to have a back up to your back up plan so that you won’t be rattled when uncontrollable things happen.
Having Your Plan Reviewed by Your Team
Yes, you’re the point person for the event but it takes a whole team to get everything done. After planning, make sure to give everyone a copy of the plan along with their duties and responsibilities. Ask them to go through it carefully and advise you if you’ve missed anything.
Optimal Staffing
Organisers tend to overlook staffing concerns. Remember, it’s not just who’s manning the booth. There are many things that need to be attended to during the event. You can’t just pull out your staff from the booth because you can’t afford to have an unmanned booth at any time. There’d always be attendees who would visit your booth or ask for information throughout the event. Experts say that it’s better to be overstaffed than understaffed. For sure, there’s always something that needs to be done and you can always use an extra pair of hands.
Having a Copy of your Resources and Speakers’ Talks
Ask for an advance copy of the slide presentation from your speakers. Attendees will ask you for a copy for sure and you want to be ready to send it to them right away rather than wait for days until the speaker remembers to send them to you. Sometimes it’s hard to get a hold of your speakers after an event so better make sure you have all the resources that you need from them before the event ends.
Accounting for Additional Charges in your Budget
Yes, we all want to trim down our expenses when planning for an event. But be sure to make room for additional charges. Have a contingency fund where you can get money from. There could be additional charges from the venue or caterer especially when you’ve exceeded your expected number of attendees.
Have Miscellaneous Stuff on Hand
Always be prepared with your scissors, masking tape, paper, markers, and pens. You might have to put up new signs in case there are changes during the event or some attendees might ask for a spare pen so they could take down notes.
Checking the Venue and Equipment
Check where the power outlets are and if you need adapters for your equipment. Check them yourself or delegate a trusted staff to test all the audiovisual equipment that you’ll use prior to the event. Make sure everything’s working and have a technical staff on standby all the time to fix glitches during the event. Ask your speakers what equipment they need for their presentation so that you can make the necessary preparations.
Schedule Business Meetings with your Team
For events that would run for days, make sure you include in your schedule a business meeting after each day of the event so that you and your team can have a recap of what happened and what needs to be done in the next days. You can also discuss challenges encountered and how you can resolve these issues so that the event will flow more smoothly the following day.
Wrapping It Up
It’s easy to get lost with all the details that you’ve planned for the event. But event planners always have to be one or two steps ahead of everyone to ensure the smooth flow of an event. Be sure to keep these pointers on your checklist if you want a stress-free event.
