Whether you are organising a large conference or a small meeting, you have to stay on top of everything to ensure its success. Planning an event is no easy task and will often require the help and expertise of top event companies. From determining the appropriate budget to promoting the event, a lot of aspects need to be managed.
Fortunately, top event companies have mastered the art of planning an event and can easily pull off a successful event even if they encounter challenges along the way. While no two events are similar, there are various ways seasoned event planners can jumpstart the planning process and stay on top of things.
For many expert event planners, below are some of the basics of planning an event:
Define objectives and goals.
Before you jump right into the logistics like the key speakers or the venue, you first need to identify the reason and purpose for planning the event. Start by asking yourself what the ultimate goal for the event is. Do you want to drive new sales? Do you want to increase brand awareness?
Figure out what you want to accomplish and how the event will help you achieve said objective(s). You need to also determine a set of objectives that will support your main goal. Below are some of the basic examples of event objectives:
- Boost social media follows, mentions, and reposts
- Receive 100 preorders for the upcoming product
- Increase registration by 10%
- Increase revenue by 25%
With your objectives and goals in place, you can easily create a preliminary scope of the event. The scope will offer important details and will help you figure out how you can achieve the goals and objectives you have outlined. While not set in stone, it is crucial that you pay attention to the preliminary event details.
Identify the event budget.
One of the most essential steps in the planning stage is creating a budget. Establishing a budget can help you figure out the other aspects of your plan and help you avoid any unwanted surprises along the way. You have a better chance of pulling off a successful event if you map out your entire budget early on.
As you finalise your event plan, you need to revisit your budget every now and then. It’s likely for line items to change so it is important to keep an accurate figure that will reflect any current changes or updates. You might also need to make adjustments so you don’t exceed the budget you have identified.
Keep your team organised.
Your project plan should be more than just a to-do list. It should be a detailed breakdown of every single item that identifies the due dates, dependencies, owners, and completion status. You will be able to justify action items by mapping them to your top-level event goals.
Pick your venue and date.
Two of the major considerations that will help shape the rest of the project plan is the event and venue. It would be ideal to search for the venue as soon as possible. When deciding on a venue, you need to consider the dates for the location and base it on seasonal factors such as costs and travel.
Final Thoughts
The elements above are some of the basics you will cover in the early stages of the planning. When planning an event, especially a huge one, you need to begin as early as possible. With so many moving pieces that you need to be on top of, getting an early head start can help warrant a smooth and successful finish.