You can plan for the expected but you can't plan for the unexpected
. There are a few key tips you should incorporate in your event planning to help ensure that your event will proceed as smooth as possible.
1. Develop a Budget
* Work out how much you have to spend (INCOME)
* Then work out how much you have to pay out (EXPENSES)
* Very important to stick to your budget and always update and reconcile monthly
* Most of all don't spend more money than what you have
* A good tip is always include a 10% contingency in your budget
2. Develop a Timeline
* This will ensure you don't forget anything
* Great way to stay organised, keep on track and ensure everything goes as planned
* This is a great document for prioritizing tasks and having a snap shot of the bigger picture
* This document is a work in progress file. You will move tasks around and add tasks as you near closer to the event
* Make sure you check things off your list once completed
3. Ensure you have Support
* The key is to have help when you are organizing an event
* Important from the beginning to give people ownership of tasks or roles
* Make them responsible and accountable - you will see a difference in their work
* Also very important from a risk management point of view that there is someone who can take over the event, if project owner was unable to proceed (for whatever reason)
* Great if you have support onsite - much better to have ten pair of eyes looking around to ensure everything is running smoothly, rather than one pair of eyes
* It also assists with quick response if something is not right and needs attention
4. Be Patient
* Very important that you look cool and collected at all times, if you don't clients and stakeholders will begin to panic (This is something you do not want them to do)
* You will find it easier if you are patient, calm and collected to solve unexpected problems easier and more efficiently
* Key is to always look in control, even if you aren't - people will then think you have the situation under control and leave you alone so you can deal with the issue at hand
Event organizing will not always go smoothly and according to plan. There are always hiccups along the way but a great event organiser is one that ensures that the key fundamentals of event organizing are taken into consideration - Budget, timeline, support and patience. Taking these four areas into consideration will ensure your event planning will go as intended.