How to be an excellent event planner
Planning an event is by no means a piece of cake. To make organization simpler, it is essential that you keep a checklist of all that has to be done. This will go a long way towards ensuring that you do not overlook any thing. The key to efficient planning lies in gathering the data that you will need to make decisions. Here’s what data you should have:
1. It is of utmost importance to know how many guests would be attending the event. It is a good idea to send out RSVP invitations so that you have a fair idea of how many guests are planning to show up.
2. What kind of food will be served? Will dinner be a proper sit-down affair or a buffet? Will you serve appetizers/ snacks? What drinks will be served?
3. What kind of entertainment would be provided for party guests? What will guests expect you to put up?
It is not enough to have a Party Plan List, you need to review it regularly, as you go about planning. Check off things that no longer need your attention or have already been taken care of.
As a planner, effective communication with all vendors, cannot be overly emphasized. Not only should you have a working knowledge of catering, photography, lighting, tents, floral arrangements, contracts, etc and you are require to keep up with latest innovations all these fields. Excelling as an event planner, requires one to know that he or she is the team leader for a particular event and understand the immense responsibility he/she has undertaken.
The next thing to focus on is the venue of the party/event. The number of guests expected to be arrive is of central importance in deciding where the event will be held. Some places to consider -hotel ballrooms, resorts, or restaurants. If the guest list exceeds 100, you can go in for unconventional venues venues such as museums, art galleries, aquariums or even universities. It is highly recommended that you plan keeping a higher than expected, guest number in mind, to avoid facing a space crunch.
Once you have finalized the venue, its time to focus on food - a factor whose importance cannot be underestimated. One major decision that event planning necessitates is whether a caterer should be hired For small events, you will manage fine if you do the planning and cooking all by yourself. However, for large scale events, caterers can simplify your task considerably. Think about what will be appropriate for the event- a sit down dinner with uniformed servers, or a buffet line that guests can pick and choose from. This will of course be determined by how formal or casual the event/party is intended to be. Other food-related things that require careful planning include place settings, dishes, glasses and cutlery, not to mention the cleanup afterwards.
The third major part of the event planning process is entertainment. Besides the traditional live bands or DJ’s, you can opt for magicians, jugglers, hypnotists or fortune tellers. When selecting the type of entertainment, do keep in mind the tone of the event. It is advisable that you ask for a demo tape or video before signing any contracts. Do make sure that nothing is “assumed” and no detail left out, when signing a contract.
Other questions that are integral to the planning process are:
· What do you expect from the event?
· How well do you know the guests?
· Who is going to greet the guests at the door?
· Who are the ‘must speak to’ guests?
· Who already knows who?
· Who is going to talk to whom?
· What will take care of ‘parking’ guests?
· Who is going to introduce who to whom?
· What time will the caterers/serving staff/florists/entertainers arrive at the venue?
· What time do you expect the last guest to leave?
While detailed planning plays a major role in determining the success of any event, do not expect the party/event to be absolutely perfect. Although it is important to look after the details to ensure that you do not overlook something which can negatively impact the event outcome, do remember to enjoy the party.
Remember, things may not go as smoothly as desired, but hopefully your guests will be too busy enjoying themselves to notice if anything is wrong. Relax, and have fun. Mistakes or oversights in planning can be chalked up as lessons learned from experience and will make you a better event planner in the long run!