7 Tips and Tricks to Help Make Your Event Planning A Breeze

Events are a great way to meet new people, make connections, and increase brand awareness. Events can also be stressful to plan. No matter how far in advance a company begins its planning, it almost always feels like there isn’t enough time to accomplish everything on the to-do list. The secret to successful event planning is preparing in advance for the tasks you need to accomplish as well as what can potentially go wrong.

Tips for Event Planning

Whether you are new or are a seasoned pro, there are steps you can take to make the event planning process seem like second nature.

Set a budget.

Defining how much you plan to spend on an event in advance is the best way to avoid overspending. If you previously planned an event, look at what you spent on the last one as a starting point. If this is your first event, start with a blank spreadsheet. In the furthest left column, list the various categories and costs. For instance, venue, catering, visual audio needs, promotional items, events, and additional staff are some categories to consider. As you begin to price out services, add their costs to the sheet and track the running total compared to your budget to avoid going over budget.

Go big and adjust.

When it comes to planning an event, it is much easier to trim down than it is to add on. During the beginning stages of an event, brainstorm everything you’d like to see. Once you finalize your initial brainstorming session, review the list and circle items that are essential to the function to help create expectations and avoid disappointment if something needs to be cut for budget purposes.

Be flexible.

Things change during event planning. Whether a caterer can’t get in the ingredients for the requested menu or a vendor can’t arrive at the desired time, things come up. It is important to be flexible when these changes arise to avoid stress and dissatisfaction with the event.

Negotiate everything.

Prices are not necessarily set in stone, and some vendors may be willing to negotiate their fees, especially if it is their slow season. Since it doesn’t hurt to ask, take the time to negotiate lower prices or extra items for the same costs.

Delegate.

The worst decision any event planner can make is to take on every task involved with the planning. Recruit team members that are motivated and willing to help plan and delegate responsibilities. Assigning a specific category to each team member is a great way to alleviate stress during the process.

Utilize technology.

When multiple people are planning one event, confusion and miscommunication can occur. Technology and software help organize everybody’s thoughts and steps. Whether you use event planning software or a shared google sheet, give everybody access to this on day one. Set up the sheet or program to notify all team members every time a change is made, so everybody is on the same page.

Hire the right shipping provider.

Shipping providers can make or break an event. Interview local shipping companies to find a reliable and honest provider with a solid reputation. The last thing any event planner needs is for items not to arrive on time.

Make your next event stress-free and let Econo-Courier help with your shipments and deliveries. Contact our team of professionals to learn more about our services!