Clients may have different expectations for each event, so it’s important to identify techniques to help navigate you through the planning process. Identifying helpful tips or techniques may improve your event planning skills to ensure your events are successful.
Setting up a successful event requires careful planning, attention to detail, and effective communication.
Here are some tips to help you plan and execute a successful event:
-Define your goals
-Plan your program
-Create a budget
-Choose a suitable venue and pick an event date
-Choose your event software
-Choose a competent event planner or team
-Promote your event
-Be well-prepared
-Prepare speakers and presenters with everything they need.
-Showcase your sponsors effectively
Whether it be a virtual or hybrid event all tips listed above can be applied to you.
Define your goals
Having set goals for the event makes it easier to make sure that everyone is working towards the same thing. It creates unity and makes the event management run smoothly. Without a clear purpose, the event could easily go off track.
Plan your program
No matter what event you are planning, you need some form of program. And the more organized it is the better. A well-planned program will entertain your attendees and set a good mood. Value the attendee experience of the event and remember the importance of content guests.
Whether it be a hybrid or virtual event be sure to incorporate aspects to your program that will engage the audience.
Create a budget
Before starting the whole event planning process it is essential to know what you are working with. Decide your event budget early and makeup plans that support it. And remember, budgets are not of much use if you are not following them. Also, a key factor into budget planning is determining the format of your event, for example hosting a virtual event will incur way less expense than a hybrid event execution.
Choose a suitable venue and pick an event date
Select your event date and carefully choose a fitting venue based on the type of looking and feel you are going for.Try to make sure that there are no other competing events planned on the date you are considering and think about whether or not most guests likely will be able to come during that particular date. When comparing different venues consider the purpose of the event as well as the location of the venue.
For virtual events ensure you select a location that streaming will have little to no disruption as it relates to internet connectivity.
Choose your event software
Whether it be a virtual or hybrid event, event management software systems can offer an all-in-one platform to help event planners build, manage and execute their events.
Types of event software that can be worthwhile having include:
-Registration
-Ticketing
-Event website
-Attendee engagement solutions
-Lead tracking tools
-Virtual event solutions
-Hybrid event solutions
-Attendee management
Our Saas product iTeneri is one of the most powerful newly emerging technologies one of its kind in Jamaica, it offers an end to end solution for your event no matter the format.
The right event software can make all the difference in streamlining your processes when planning your event.
Hire a competent event planner or team
Event management is a big task for one person no matter if the event is big or small, so get yourself some team members if possible. The event planning will feel way less complicated with a great team that you can fully trust. If you believe it is above your head, outsource some help. Here at iTeneri we offer superior event management support from start to finish.
Promote your event
To ensure that your event is well-attended, effective promotion is necessary. Use of social media, email marketing, and other channels to reach your target audience and help build excitement around the event.
Go over what the best way to promote the event is and consider what platform might help you to reach your target audience. Set the event up for success by creating a marketing plan. There is a far bigger chance that many people will show up if the event is marketed well. Event marketing is the key to a great turnout.
Have backup plans in place
No matter how well you plan, things can always go wrong. Make sure you have a contingency plan in place for things like bad weather, technical issues, or last-minute cancellations.
Prepare speakers and presenters with everything they need.
Now, it’s time to ensure your speakers have everything they need to succeed. Keep in mind that this may be their first time presenting. Even if they’re seasoned speakers, they’ll need all the details well in advance of the big day.
That means they should have everything they need for the day of the event. For live speakers, make sure they have the right setup at home—that might mean a ring light, a high-quality microphone, and ensure they understand how to use your conference software to stream their session.
For speakers who pre-record their talk, they should have recording software, a high-quality microphone, lighting, and should send you their recording ahead of time so you can ensure it works prior to the event
Showcase your sponsors effectively
When organizing a virtual conference, you don’t need to go it alone when it comes to financing the event. Contact potential sponsors to discuss funding opportunities in exchange for multiple benefits—including exposure with your audience.
Plan for how you want to feature your sponsors, including:
App for attendees. Ensure the event platform used will recognize sponsors, send push notifications, and ensure attendees have easy access to the sponsor information/.
Sponsor marketplace. Just because your event is online doesn’t mean you can’t cater to valuable sponsors. The right conference platform will have features to accommodate a digital sponsor marketplace that attendees can navigate to find relevant products and services.
iTeneri to date has hosted over 300 events locally and internationally with a customer success team driven and dedicated to client satisfaction. We have a unique event management platform that streamlines the processes involved in planning, executing and assessing the impact of virtual and hybrid events. The next time you think about event planning in any aspect think iTeneri.
