Tips For Organizing Your Events

If you own or work for an event planning company, you know that the work never ends. Your job is to focus on every detail imaginable (or unimaginable), and the service you provide will leave a lasting impression on your guests forever. This article is a compiled list from reputable event planners and their thoughts of what they feel are some excellent tips to help you in your endeavor, while providing an incredible experience for you and your guests without feeling like you're going to drown in stress.

Create SMART Goals

Strategy is key to keeping yourself organized. Every business requires a game plan. Create goals for your company, your employees, your services, your vision. Don't forget them. Don't toss them to the side line. Anyone who doesn't share your vision and your company's goals will not be beneficial to your business.

Work Smarter, Not Harder

If you aren't familiar with using Microsoft Excel, I'd recommend you buy a book, take a course, or Google information to help you get an understanding on how to use the software. Excel is a good way to keep track of guest information such as names, addresses, dietary restrictions, RSVP statuses, etc. If you keep this information stored, it makes pulling up and referencing much easier. You can also copy and paste this information onto things like place cards, letters, and more!

Walk A Mile

If you have a list of venues that you want to offer to your guests, you need to have a real good image in your head of the environment. Drive down to the venues, walk around. Literally walk for an entire mile (It'll be good exercise). See the area from all angles because when there are 100 people at the venue, they will be looking at it from all different points of view. You want to see what they are going to see, and if there is anything about the venue that doesn't fancy you, then point it out to the owner and ask if a change can be made. If not, move on to the next place.

Promote Your Business / Event

The best event planners don't need to set aside money for advertising. Word of mouth should be your #1 source of customers. Referals from past events you planned, or venues that have you on a list can recommend their visitors to you. If you are looking to expand your marketing efforts, there are several options:

Facebook

Using facebook to share photos of your events and having friends share your company can be a good way to brand your company or future event. Facebook even offers local advertising if you are trying to reach a targeted group of people.

LinkedIn

Post your company on LinkedIn. It's the professional world's version of Facebook. The people on here mean business and that's what you are trying to provide.

Google Adwords

Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising on Google's search engines are a great way to bring in potential clients. Be careful if you plan on tackling this area of marketing. It's called Pay Per Click because you are paying money for each time someone clicks your Ad. This can become very costly, VERY fast. You should try to find someone who is familiar with this method of advertising to avoid wasting your money.

Have a Plan B

Image you are throwing a wedding for a couple and the servers you have brought on to help with everything have been told to retrieve the cake from the back. What happens if the server trips and drops the cake on the floor? You will have a monster bride to deal with. What if there was a thin towel over the cake when it tipped? The cake could be brought back to the kitchen, re-iced, and sent back out as if nothing happened. The idea is to have steps in place to make sure things like this don't happen. Events are like movies that can not be stopped. There are no re-takes, and once it's done, it's done. If something can go wrong then it most likely will. Be prepared to handle these situations and it will make your job a lot easier.

What are some tips you think are valuable? How do you stay organized? Let us know of some events that almost fell through and what you did to save them. Leave your comments in the section below.

Tips Compiled From:

http://www.eventmanagerblog.com/get-into-event-pla...

http://smallbiztrends.com/2013/06/small-business-e...

http://blog.eloqua.com/5-tips-for-event-planning