Planning an event is a necessity for many business owners. Whether it means promoting products, attracting potential clients, or securing investors—events are essential. But what goes into event planning in the first place?
You can hire a full-time event planner, but it may not be worth the investment if you don’t often host events. Combing through event planning ideas and websites can be time-consuming, too. Instead of wandering down a Google click hole, we’ve gathered some expert event planning tips and tricks to help you out. You’ll soon find yourself with great ideas for your next event.
Event planning tips
Balance tools and software
One of the most challenging aspects of event planning is keeping track of every single detail. With so many planning apps, project management software, and reservation systems, it can be hard to choose the right one. It’s even more tempting to use every tool available, but striking a balance is vital.
According to The Event Ninjas,
“Using the right software and tools builds trust with clients, because they can see that you’re keeping their valuable information organized and you always have the necessary information at your fingertips.”
There are many valuable tools for you to sort through. Your job means picking the best tools suited to your company. You may already have software in place you can potentially pivot for event management, too.
Get comfortable with saying no
It can be easy to overcommit to various event elements when you first start brainstorming. If you’re full of event planning ideas, you’ll quickly find it difficult to say no. You may have eager team members who want to “try it all,” but this will make hosting an event next to impossible.
“There are times when the event or client just isn’t the right fit, or it could just not be your area of expertise… If that’s the case, you can always partner with another company or bring on additional talent that can properly execute that event with you. You should never force it.”
Greg Jenkins of Bravo Productions has some valuable insights for those who wish to do too much. You don’t have to hire a full-time event planner. Instead, determine how much expertise you need ahead of time.
Strategize media and content in advance
Building up awareness and increasing excitement about an event is a great marketing strategy. The only way to make this event planning tip happen is through adequate planning. You can’t rush quality content any more than you can force a successful strategy.
Based on the expertise of Anne Fairfield Sonn, Director of Communications at Cibo Technology, you should,
“Work with your content team for owned media promotion of the event. Tap key company leaders to help develop content for the website, blogs, and social media channels. Space out the distribution of content to promote the event for a couple of weeks to generate a buzz. Identify key spokespeople who will be attending the event, structure their talking points, and reach out early to the conference organizers for a media list.”
Pre-developed media and content plans can help you leverage featured coverage on other platforms. It can also help diversify your media coverage and expand your virtual reach.
Plan to track client touchpoints
Touching base with clients before and after an event takes any event to the top. It’s essential to understand your client’s journey, especially for events. This can provide valuable opportunities for improved customer satisfaction.
Natasha Miller of Entire Productions has a lot of insight into creating processes on a reliable platform. As her company CEO and founder, she shared this wisdom,
“The moment a client touches base with an inquiry, they’re entered into our system. Every exchange is cataloged so anyone on our team can see a clear and complete picture of what’s happened so far. Once the event details are sorted, a myriad of automations kick in… keeping the client and all vendors in the loop and on the same page with the exact updated information.”
Putting the experts’ advice into action
With your newfound knowledge of event planning tips, it’s time to follow the experts’ advice. That may mean planning an event sooner than you expected. Or, you may need to assess potential opportunities for future events.
The most important takeaway from these top tips: make sure you’re prepared. Your event needs may vary quarterly or annually. The types of events you can host depend on many things, like:
- Who’s in charge of event prep
- Whether or not you have an event planner
- How much you can budget
Once you determine your event planning capacity, you can take action. Your next event is just around the corner.
