Whether you’re starting a business in the event planning industry or you want to plan a special event for your customers, success must be part of the equation! However, given the fact that we live in COVID times, events are not an easy feat nowadays. 

So, if you want to make sure your customers will be left in awe of your organizational skills and ingenuity, here are a few tips that will help you organize events and throw a jaw-dropping party.  

Be Well Prepared

First of all, you need to start early. If the event is large (over 200 guests), it’s best to start planning a few months in advance. For small events (maximum 50 guests), you can start thinking about it a month ahead, but it’s best to take your time.

Even organization involves a wide range of moving parts and elements, so it’s easy to lose sight of some of them. That’s why, to keep track of everything, you should choose an event design software that can help sketch the whole event layout. 

It also helps to establish a communication protocol with the organization team and use apps that encourage collaboration such as open shopping lists, shareable documents, and more. 

Define Your Goal(s)

Why are you organizing the event for?

Some events are for increasing awareness, some are to gather funds, while some are just designed to provide an evening of relaxation and fun. So what is your goal?

For instance, if you want to get the word going about a new product, your event should make it easy for guests to share images and thoughts on their social media channels. You can do this with a bold theme that includes costumes for the guests (cool-looking people will want to share their outfits). 

Think Hybrid

You don’t have to be an event planner to know that 2020 was a disastrous year for the event planning industry. Sadly, even though people are more eager to participate in person nowadays, we are not out of the woods yet. 

That’s why marketers predict that hybrid events will continue to be a thing even in the years to come. This usually means that the local event will be smaller, with people who don’t have to travel long distances to get to the venue. Still, the event can be bigger if remote guests participate in a virtual setting (via video conference software). 

It may not be ideal, but it is the best we can do right now. Plus, virtual events are easier on the organizer’s pocket as they don’t involve the same costs and even planning. 

Set a Budget

Without a proper budget, it’s easy to lose track of your spending (even when planning for a small event). The budget (and its upper limit) should be established in the preparation phase, so you’ll know the available financial resources or at least a rough estimation. 

Here are some of the elements that must be included in the first budget estimate:

  • Costs with the venue (if the event requires in-person participation)
  • Devices, software, and other technology involved in planning a virtual or hybrid event
  • Theme & decoration (whether in-person or virtual)
  • Catering (for in-person events)
  • Participants (speakers, performers, anyone else invited to entertain) – consider costs with their accommodation, their participation fee, and others.
  • Labor – costs with the staff who will be helping with the organization
  • Marketing & Promotion in general

Of course, each event is unique, so feel free to add other costs to your list. 

In Summary

Whether you’re planning to start a business as an event planner or you’re just looking to get more awareness for your brand, events are not easy. The wide range of moving elements and the risks can drive you nuts if you don’t plan for failure. Still, if you do plan everything properly, the chances of success increase significantly.