Planning an event? 5 things you may not have considered
It is very rare that anybody gets things right the first time, and this is true with events planning also. No one person ever woke up in the morning and thought “today, I’m going to launch a product and it’s going to be a huge success, in fact I’m not even going to plan the launch – I’ll just turn up at a venue and begin”.
Nobody ever did that, because it’s a terrible idea. Planning an event isn’t that much different – it takes planning, organising and multiple crossed fingers that nothing unforeseen goes wrong.
That said, even the very best of plans don’t always work out and that is sometimes down to some seemingly minor detail that we forgot about. Here then are 5 things you may have not considered, and that many other people simply forget about.
5 things to consider when planning an event
1. Digital connectivity
While we do live in an increasingly connected world, it can be easy to forget the little things like making sure that your event attendees can ‘get connected’. Of course, the kind of event that you are putting on will dictate whether actually need this or not, but it can be worth it for the Tweets and hashtags!
Make sure that you have wi-fi setup and that you either make the connection ‘open’, or you pass around the password so that people can connect. Charging stations may not be a bad idea either, ensuring people can stay charged. Connectivity is a small consideration but it can make the world of difference – especially if 3rd party bloggers are to be encouraged!
2. Food and drink
The big one here, is drink – alcohol in particular. If you are planning on serving alcoholic drinks at your event you will need a license – even if you are just handing out glasses of wine and not actually selling anything. It is really not worth getting on the wrong side of the law on this one, and it is really easy to apply from the Government website.
Putting on food doesn’t necessarily mean that you need a licence, but it is worth checking with the local authority a few weeks before the event is to be held. You should also take into account allergies and dietary needs (vegetarian, vegan, halal etc.). All of this should be tackled during the planning stage and should certainly not be left to the last minute.
3. Events emergency kit
It’s better to have one and not need it, than need it and not have one. Regardless of the kind of event that you are planning, odds are you are going to need something that you’ve either forgotten or you have run out of. Ribbon, posters, scissors, tape even fuses – they can all go into your events emergency kit. You just never know when you may need something, just to kick yourself for not having thought of it.
4. Documentation of the event
Keeping a thorough record of all of your events can be a rather good idea, especially if you are planning on updating your website and blog with all of the juicy details. This is good practice, also, for social media sharing.
This practice is also useful for showing off the ‘human’ side of your company, and if you can get quotes from key attendees then so much the better. Just remember that you may need permission to publish quotes and images, even if it was your event!
5. The debrief and review stage
This one is also overlooked quite often, but it is just as important as any other part of your event. Reviewing the reception of the event, performance of key sequences and speakers and finding out just how everything thought of the night in general is very important.
On the night, try to take notes and if you record the whole thing then even better. By learning what worked and what needs improving or cutting out, we begin to see how we can make the next event even better.
Planning a successful event does take time and the careful consideration of many different factors. You should also pay attention to the event furniture too, making sure you have the right amount and types of chairs, tables and anything else that you might need!
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