A Survival Guide To Event Management

Event management is an intricate process, even for people who do it professionally. With too many variables to control, it doesn’t take much for an event to spiral out of control and quick!

Is there a magic wand an event planner can wave to make the perfect event? Probably not. But having a method to the madness in our experience is vital to ensure your event is impressive.

Planning

An excellent place to start is figuring out the OBJECTIVE. The answer to the question “Why host this event?” will give you a clear goal to work towards. Start mapping down every detail about the event to figure out

1. What information are you missing?
2. Where to start?

Once you have a plan in mind, start BUDGETING. The most fundamental mistake for an event planner to make is exceeding the budget. Once you know a figure of money, you’re allowed to spend, break down the crucial parts of the event such as food, entertainment etc., and start allocating a budget for each.

Production

No event company can be a one-man/woman show. Picking the right team to DELEGATE to is essential. And remember, micromanaging is not a good look on anyone. With the budget set and a team ready, you’re ready to roll! Create an EVENT BIBLE that contains details about venue, vendors, etc., so you don’t miss out on anything. ATTENTION TO DETAIL during the production stage is EVERYTHING. An event with no guests, no matter how perfect, is a disaster. The best of events is wasted when no one knows about them. MARKETING the event with social media campaigns or invitations is an integral aspect of event planning.

Execution

Now that you’ve made your way to the event, make sure you MONITOR SATISFACTION as the event goes on. You’re almost at the finish line now. And just like that (LOL) the event is over. While it’s tempting to take a breather or jump right into the next event, an event is not truly over without a DEBRIEF. A good debrief with your team should tell you what went wrong, what went right, and what to do differently next time. Now you get to take a minute and brace yourself for the next one. Good luck!