If you’ve planned an event before, you will know that it’s actually much harder than you think. There is a range of things that can go wrong! So this week we talk to our Public Relations Director Peppi Bueti on some of the tips he can offer from his experience in Event Management.
The first question is to ask yourself why you want to hold an event, it is to launch a new product or service, maybe you want to entertain current or potential clients, or maybe you’d like to thank your staff and contractors for their great work.
Whichever way you look at it, it’s a good idea to have a clear purpose for holding an event. Are there certain goals you want to achieve, maybe it’s to generate leads, develop and foster customer loyalty or create awareness around a new product or service. At the end of the day your end goal will help you with your planning and also what sort of budget you should allocate for the event.
It’s very easy for event costs to get out of hand. One of the easiest things to do is start with a budget and pre-plan everything you can before committing to any costs. That way you can amend your plans to ensure everything fits within your budget.
To keep reign on your costs, make sure you shop around with different event suppliers. It’s always a good idea to get several quotes for catering, equipment hire and entertainment to ensure you are paying a competitive price.
Remember to set an RSVP date and most importantly do a last minute follow up to ensure people are coming along. We held an event some time ago where a number of people chose not to turn up despite letting us know they were coming. Not only is this really frustrating for the event organiser, it’s also very expensive because you still have to pay for catering and other items in advance.
Don’t forget to explore opportunities to generate PR for your event, local media love hearing about new products and services and interesting speakers, plus there’s always room for a good social photo. Remember to also share events on your social media sites and ask your guests to do the same as this will certainly help generate brand awareness across multiple platforms.
Finally a word of warning, prepare for the unexpected. It may rain if it’s an outside event, a double booked venue, a guest speaker who doesn’t turn up (or one that drinks too much), the perennial problem of a poor PA system and (God forbid) insufficient catering. Always have a plan for the unexpected and make sure you have staff welcoming and mingling with guests to ensure they are not feeling awkward.
If you have an event coming up contact Peppi Bueti and the team at Sunny Media today to find out how we can help ensure you maximise value from your investment.
One of Peppi’s top tips is to ensure you have ample catering at your event.