So if you want your event to go off with a bang, and keep the frantically paddling swan feet of organisation totally out of sight, there are three critical phases to consider: pre-event planning, in-event management and post-event follow-up. Of course, in reality there is a lot of crossover between the three areas but out of respect for your attention spans, we’ve split it into three separate blogs.
So, here’s the Spirus quick* guide to planning a great event.
*Note that we said “quick”. Nothing about event planning is actually quick. We just said that to make you think it’s easy. (It isn’t.)
A few innocent little questions to consider before you start:
What sort of event are you running?
The type of event you want will depend on what it is trying to achieve. There’s a big difference between your office Christmas party and your annual customer conference or global product launch. You need to make it memorable, relevant, and deliverable. Conference? Exhibition? Day at the races? Celebrity-studded social gala? Almost anything is possible – but it needs the right planning.
When are you going to run it?
Beware of certain times of year – half the office is on holiday in August, December dates book up seriously fast, and make sure it’s not your office’s absolute busiest time of year. Give some thought to whether it coincides or clashes with other industry events: especially those of your direct competitors!
Why should people come?
This one’s a bit easier if it’s a party or something purely for fun (though you still need to consider it!) But if it’s something you’re asking people to pay for, like a conference or exhibition, or charity event to raise money, you need to think about why your guests should give up their time and money to come along. People are busy – give them a reason not to miss your event. Would you want to go to it if you didn’t have to?
Why are you doing it?
Don’t fall into the trap of just running an event because it’s been done before, or because everyone else seems to be doing them. What is the purpose? Whether it’s for brand-building or networking, informing or entertaining, it’s hard to do anything successfully unless you’re clear on what you’re trying to achieve.
And although yes, this is a leading question, we still have to ask:
Are you sure you can (or want to!) manage it all yourself? Might it be better to outsource it to a specialist?
Your planning checklist:
When? Don’t forget, dates are crucial for your venue and suppliers too – it’s not just about the guestlist.
Where? Pick your venue carefully. Don’t book the Albert Hall for 30 guests. Can people get to it? What’s the parking like? Does the venue have an events manager? Make sure you (or your events team) do a site visit – don’t take the venue’s word for it!
Who? Who are you inviting? Why? Are they available? Have you invited enough overspill to account for the likely RSVP percentage?
Budget. Budgeting is a huge part of event management, so make sure you get ALL the costs up front – and then allow a bit extra for the unforeseen. Much better to do a smaller event really well than a massive one really badly.
Communication: Consider how you’re going to invite people, record their responses, and give them the full details for the event itself. You need to allow plenty of time for this process and give people as much notice as possible. You can create mystery, excitement, exclusivity, theatre and above all piqued interest through your pre-event communications, so don’t waste the opportunity to make a good impression. Is there social media noise around your event? Do you want some?
RSVPs. Don’t assume the RSVPs will just come flooding in like clockwork. Often it helps to actually call and talk to people, either to ascertain interest up front and sell the idea, or to chase responses – both of which we can take care of for you, incidentally (#justsaying). It really is worth including something in your budget for this. Plus, even once they’ve RSVP’d, you’d be amazed how many will just forget to turn up. Make your event impossible for them to miss, and impossible to forget about afterwards.
Content: Meticulous planning will always pay off – book the right entertainment, get the right presenters in place, ensure the equipment is all fit for purpose; don’t forget serving staff, organisation teams and anyone else needed “on the ground” to make everything happen as it should.
Décor: If you’ve ever been to a film premiere after-party, you’ll know what an impact a well themed venue can have. Admittedly corporate exhibitions aren’t likely to go to quite the same extremes, but giving some thought to your decoration, décor, theming or other finishing touches is an essential part of planning any event, right from the off: your invites should be in keeping with the finished event, so don’t wait until the last minute to suddenly chuck a circus theme into the mix!
Get the Tech: There are few things more excruciating (from both host and guest perspectives) as inadequate or faulty tech set-ups. Sort it out up front – and get someone there on the day who knows how it all works!
Refreshments: Catering a party is a minefield, even in the planning phase – there are so many things to consider, from frequency and volume to allergies and basic equipment logistics. It practically warrants a blog all on its own – so don’t leave it to the last minute to start planning it.
Transport: How will your guests get to and from your venue? Are you providing transport? Communication is key here, so it’s not enough just to think it through – keep everyone informed too.
PR / Coverage: We’ll cover this one more in parts 2 and 3, but decide up front what coverage and follow up you want. It’s much harder to get video and photos once everyone has gone home!
Plan your follow up: See part 3 for details, but it needs thinking about before the event takes place.
So you see? Easy as really difficult pie…
Like any form of project management there’s an art to planning great events. If you need help with yours, from coming up with a stand-out idea to pulling off the year’s most memorable event, just pick up the phone and give us a call. We love organising events – and we’ve had a lot of practise. Here’s what one of our lovely clients had to say about us:
“Each year I have to come up with new ideas or themes for an annual event and after several years I needed some help with inspiration. Spirus not only provided a choice of inspirational ideas to choose from for my budget, but liaised with suppliers, efficiently tying the whole event together with their discreet attendance. I have now used Spirus for several years as I have found they keep me informed at all times and their advice and background work has been invaluable in providing very successful events.”
Aww, shucks…
Next time we’ll be looking at the day itself, and giving you some helpful hints to make sure your event goes off without a hitch.
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