Planning an event can be both time-consuming and stressful. Staying on top of trends, understanding your client, and prioritizing planning activities are overwhelming to say the least. But having a firm grasp on all event-planning activities doesn’t have to be difficult. That is why we have created a list of 7 things every great event planner does.
Really get to know the client. From the very beginning, having a clear picture of your customer’s goals and expectations will help determine if their budget is realistic and will create a more trusting business relationship. Where corporate clients are concerned, understanding their brand may create a better idea of the image they would like to depict and the target market they are reaching. While each occasion is different, weddings are typically more family-oriented and may even result in family members getting more involved with the big day. In this case, it is best to get to know the family to anticipate any differences in opinion that may be addressed before the wedding day so that any issues can be avoided.
Build great relationships and connections. One of the most important aspects of being a successful event planner is building relationships and connections. The success of any of our events lies heavily on our strong relationships with our extensive roster of vendors. From portable restrooms to florists and lighting designers, our vendors know our expectations and we know that we can rely on them to deliver our vision, and our client’s vision.
Research, research, research. While some things never change, it is important to stay on top of your industry in terms of changing trends, new vendors in the area, or even ideas that may have worked for other event planners due to the changing climate. With the current technology that is available, even the project management and coordination aspect of event planning is constantly changing. New apps such as Trello offer organizational solutions to planning an event, while photo/video apps such as WedPics give customers immediate access to all photos uploaded to the app, during their event.
Make lists. There are numerous tasks to be completed when planning any event, and one excellent way to keep track of everything that has been accomplished or is still outstanding is to create lists. Although this may seem like an obvious solution, there is actually a skill to creating an effective list. Unlike creating one large list that includes all outstanding activities, successful list creation for event planning should include several lists that are broken down by topic. And there should always be a master list that includes all activities for final comparison. If you are struggling with your list creation skills, Forbes has some great tips for creating an effective to-do-list.
Keep an organized schedule and prioritize. As mentioned earlier, there are a great deal of activities that go hand-in-hand with event planning. To manage these activities successfully, it is important to stay organized and always prioritize. When planning your day, decide ahead of time which activities absolutely must be completed first, and update your daily list accordingly. Prioritizing will mean smooth sailing later down the line and prevent chaos.
Always have a backup plan. Although it is near the bottom of the list, this is perhaps the most important rule to follow. Implementing a backup plan is a must when it comes to event planning. No matter how much you plan, there are always things that are out of our control; from inclement weather to additional unexpected guests. We always keep an extra place setting or two at each table in case of additional guests, and remove them after the guests have been seated for about 15 minutes so that no one feels forgotten.
Get feedback. As every great event planner knows, it takes a strong team to create any successful event. We rely greatly on all of our wonderful vendors to give us feedback and guide us in the best direction based off of their specialty. We also always make sure to get feedback from our clients once an event is completed to see where we could improve. Event planning is a constant learning processes.
"A great event always starts with a creative concept," says Allison Sargent, founder and CEO of Allison Sargent Events. "No matter what you’re dreaming of, it's our job to bring that concept to life.”
Whether it’s an intimate gathering or grand-scale corporate event, Allison Sargent Events creates a custom experience that’s rich in detail and full of personality. From sourcing the perfect venue to designing the lighting and décor, ASE works with the top vendors in the industry to plan, produce and execute memorable and personalized events throughout the metropolitan area and across the world.
If you are interested in creating an event that people will remember for a lifetime, contact Allison Sargent Events at 973-783-5689.