By Casey Bryan
Being an event organizer is a job that requires a heck of a lot of planning and methodical thinking, but even the most experienced event planner or marketer can forget things. Below we detail some of the most easily forgotten items when planning an event. Hopefully, these event planning tips will help you streamline your planning process.
1. Two Schedules
For event planers, it’s an important to have two different event schedules; one that attendees see and one that people behind the scenes see. The schedule for the event team’s eyes will have important minute-by-minute information to ensure a smooth running event both in front and behind the scenes.
It’s important to share your behind the scenes schedule with all staff, even those involved in the most minute part of the event.
2. The Right Equipment
If you are hosting a large event then you’ll need to consider hiring crowd control barriers or fencing to contain and help direct people. You’ll need things like quality crowd control barriers that cannot be easily knocked over – these will prove invaluable in areas where queuing is required. There will also be areas within your event confines that will need to be closed off. Temporary fencing is a great option for this and can be set up to block access to specific spaces and to also assist guests in navigating the event.
If you are running large events on regular occasions then it may be worth while investing in your own equipment rather than having to hire it every time.
3. Quality Signage
Clear and easy-to-read signage is an important tool at events. Concise signage can define a clear pathway for patrons and offer information on established areas for patrons; resulting in well informed attendees and less confusion.
4. Partnerships
It’s important to leverage any partnerships that you have with your event for marketing purposes. Ask stakeholders and partners to share your event with their audiences on all social media channels and with their email databases. Perhaps make it easier for them by creating a graphic that is simple to share; this will also benefit them, as they will have something of value to share and engage with their audience.
5. Mobile-Friendly Tickets and Promotion
Consumers use their mobile devices more than ever to purchase and interact socially. It’s therefore important to make your event “mobile friendly”:
- Offer free WIFI so that attendees can easily post and share content from your event.
- Offer paperless ticketing. People often forget to print their tickets out and if you’re not offering a digital alternative then you’re creating an obstacle for your tech savvy attendees.
- Suggest a hashtag that can be used at your event and ensure it is displayed around your event. This is an easy way to encourage people to promote your event through social media.
- Enable live streaming on popular social platforms has become a major trend. Use this to your advantage on platforms where you have the biggest audience.
6. A Way for Attendees to Provide Feedback
After all the dramas and emotional highs and lows of hosting an event, managers often forget to follow up with their attendees to receive feedback on their events.
No one’s perfect and we can always strive to improve on our best. Consider using an online survey tool like Survey Monkey to customize your own survey and receive constructive feedback. The survey can be sent out via social platforms and email, making it easier to reach your attendees. Offering a reward or entry into a competition can be a great way to ensure that attendees will respond to your request for feedback.
