Regardless of whether you are organising a workshop, business meeting, seminar, client Christmas party, or conference, the key to ensure that your event runs smoothly is PLANNING. I believe that there are four key areas that are essential in your planning when organising a successful event.
BRIEFING WITH THE CLIENT
Start with a briefing session with your client outlining the key deliverables and expectations they have of the event. Prepare a checklist to make sure nothing is overlooked. Some of the things you need to consider for your outline include:
- What type of event will it be?
- What do you hope to achieve with the event?
- Who is your target audience?
- What does your budget look like?
- When do you want to hold your event (this will help you put your timeline together)?
CHECKLIST
Once you have a clear outline you can work on your checklist or action list to make sure that all areas of your event are covered and that you have delegated tasks to the appropriate people. Make sure your checklist has an area for the task, deadline and who it is allocated to. Project management software such us Teamwork or Trello can help streamline this process.
BUDGET
You need to ensure that your budget is accurate and clear. Everyone needs to be on board with the limitations they will have but there also needs to be an element of flexibility in the budget for unexpected expenses. Once you have confirmed your budget, stick to it. It is critical to keep communication open with your client.
TIMELINE
Create a timeline and work backwards from your event date to ensure that you have enough lead time for all tasks. Overestimate the time it takes to have things completed so that you have time up your sleeve in case of an unexpected delays.
Planning will always lead to a successful event!
Of course, there are other factors to consider when organising your event but hopefully these top key points will give you a great head start for your next event. Planning is essential and is the key to a great event!
If you are organising an event and don't have the time for the planning and organising involved, contact us to discover how outsourcing can make your next event stress free!
