As a person in the events industry, you will be aware of the various ingredients that go into creating a successful conference, show or performance. From the moment you start the organization process, there are a whole host of different things to consider during the process. Ultimately, you want to host a smooth, well-organized and memorable event that receives good feedback and gets people talking. Trying to raise awareness for a cause, showcasing a new band or highlighting a new service from a business are just some of the reasons why you might be hoping to host a show-stopping event in the coming months. Whether you’re running business events or social events, there are certain elements you won’t want to overlook during the planning process.
As an event organizer, it’s important to give your event a unique twist so that word spreads amongst your target audience. Not only can this help to transform a brand from unknown to popular, but it can also set you up for massive growth and recognition in the future when it comes to other events. It’s true that behind every single event is a confident and experienced event organizer, who knows exactly what it takes to create a roaring success. Now, it’s time to delve deeper into the event’s organizing process so that you don’t forget a single thing next time you take the reins. Predicting potential pitfalls and oversights now will help you to rectify the errors in good time so that you are always one step ahead of the game when planning any event in the near future.
- A Reputable Ticket Selling Platform
The most crucial aspect of organizing any event is to ensure that people actually attend! For large scale events this can take a lot of planning and preparation, but choosing the right ticket selling platform will be a huge boost to your sales. Ultimately, you need to find an easy and inexpensive way to sell tickets online for your event so that you don’t become overwhelmed with the behind the scenes scheduling issues that may arise. Using a reputable ticket selling platform can not only help you to sell more tickets, but it can also help your event gain the online exposure it deserves. As an event organizer your focus should be researching venues, finalizing guest speakers, and co-ordinating the decor. This is why it’s important to hand over the ticket sales aspect to professionals who know what they’re doing. Managing the schedule and ticket sales of your event via a reputable online platform will truly take many of your stresses away.
- Meticulously Planned Schedules
As an event organizer, you need to put together a timeline so that you know exactly what needs to be achieved by what point. Having a meticulously planned schedule will not only put your mind at ease, but it will also ensure a smoother event is created in the end. Again, there are a number of scheduling software tools that can help you create your event timelines so that everyone involved is on the same page from start to finish.
- Fully Trained Employees
Having the right employees on your team can transform an event from messy to miraculous in an instant. In some cases, event organizers can leave training to the very last minute as they are so consumed in getting all of the final details of the day together. However, it’s equally important to hire the right people and keep everyone across all of the decisions that are being made. Whether you have a list of reliable people you can always count on, or you work via an agency to find the best possible match for your event, you should always ensure that you spend an adequate amount of time on training.
- Timings
As an innately organized person, timing is everything! Whether you’re choosing the time of your event or you’re planning the timeline of the day, this can have a huge impact on how many people may be able to attend in the end. For example, if you choose to host an event that begins at lunchtime, there may be an expectation that there will be catering available. If this isn’t within your budget, then you may want to adjust your timings so that it doesn’t fall during a peak meal time. On a similar note, choosing a more commercial time for your event may ensure that your ticket sales are higher. If you’re targeting office workers who generally work during the day, then a 7pm event might be the ideal solution for you. Carrying out market research and talking to people from your target audience is the only way to find out exactly what would suit them. Considering your budget and the requirements of your target audience will help you to choose the best possible timings for your event.
- Full Brand Clarity
Understanding the branding of the event is hugely important before you make any big decisions. The branding of your event needs to be relevant and appealing to your target audience. Opting for branding that is too unique or irrelevant to the type of industry you are serving may create confusion and won’t allow people to remember you. Having branded merchandise, freebies and flyers can also help to bring your message home to your target audience. As well as being great for visibility, it can also help to solidify your brand in peoples’ minds whilst they’re at the event. Try not to be too clever when it comes to making branding decisions; you want everything to be simple, clear and easy to digest.
- Venue Communications
Having open lines of communication with your venue will help to make the process so much smoother. Knowing when you’re allowed inside the venue to decorate and organize the space, and if there are any limitations in terms of music or equipment will prevent any issues from arising on the day. Speaking to the manager of the venue regularly and maintaining a good relationship with them will help you in the future too. Be open with them about your schedule and don’t hesitate to get in touch with them if you have any questions or concerns along the way. Depending on the type of venue you are working with, you may need to attend on site visits to ensure that the space is adequately set up with everything you need for the big day.
- Smart Marketing
Marketing your big event is arguably one of the most crucial aspects of the planning process. If people don’t know it’s happening, there won’t be many attendees and your ticket sales won’t be as high as you would like them to be. Your marketing plan needs to start months and months before your planned event so that you can create excitement and buzz around the topic. Social media, radio advertisements and online campaigns are a brilliant way to boost your exposure and get people to buy tickets.
- Data Gathering Techniques
Overlooking data gathering when organizing an event is something that should be avoided at all costs. You may be on the home stretch and looking forward to the event being over and done with, but a successful event organizer is always thinking of the next step. There is so much valuable data to be gathered during the organization of an event; holding onto this data in a legal way and harnessing this information will help you to create even more success in the future. When the day is approaching you may want to use email addresses and social media details to keep them in the loop about any important information on the day. This can help you build the excitement of the event and provide facts about the event such as travel and accommodation details. When they sign up to your mailing list, you now have a warm lead who may attend all of your future events if you keep in touch with them regularly and communicate with them about events they may be interested in.
As you can see, there are a number of different oversights to avoid when you’re planning an event. Whether you’re researching a good ticket sales platform or you’re exploring options for smarter marketing, there are so many ways in which you can create a successful event. You may be looking to increase exposure, sell a product or inform your attendees; whatever your goal is, you should make sure this is at the forefront of all of your decision making. Ultimately, you want to leave your attendees feeling positive so that they can spread the word of your event and bring you more exposure for next time.
Take into account all of the ideas mentioned above, and you will soon be well on your way to creating an event that operates smoothly and seamlessly for all of your guests. Keep all of the above elements in mind, and you will feel confident every time you start planning your next event, show or conference in the near future.
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