Amatuer Event Planning: Five Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
We know that when you’re planning an event, no matter the size, you’re thinking about a hundred and one different things all at once trying to ensure perfection. No matter how hard you work, things don’t always go according to plan. Here are some of the most common mistakes event planners make and tips to avoid them, so that your next event can be as close to perfect as possible!
1. Leaving Promotion Until the Last Minute
Whether you’re planning a party, concert, benefit, or speaker series, not getting the word out about the event will leave you without an audience. Make sure you promote your event through different channels as soon as you can confirm the date, time and venue. This way people will know it’s happening and mark their calendars. If you use an event site like Freshtix.com, you can easily promote your events on social media platforms and connect patrons directly to the ticket page.
2. Not confirming your vendors/suppliers/ entertainment
Once you book your venue, you might need to rent furniture, find caterers, or book entertainment. After you do that, make sure to confirm with each vendor 48 hours or so before the actual event to make sure you are both on the same page about expectations, timing, location, etcetera. Confirming by email is great because you can easily spell out your expectations and receive a confirmation that you can save!
3. Forgetting to double check the weather and/or designate a coat check
This is especially important as we enter the colder months. If you’re event is outdoors and it rains, do you have tents? What about heaters incase the night gets cold? If you expect rain, having extra umbrellas to help guest back to their vehicles is always a nice touch! Also, don’t forget about a coat check! As it gets colder, event goers will be arriving with multiple layers, and looking for a place to store them!
4. Not having a Parking Plan
A savvy event planner will have thought about the parking situation when choosing a venue. If you’re in a city without a lot of parking options, make sure to consider what the venue offers for guests. The easiest way to ruin an event is by starting off with attendees who are frustrated before even getting inside the venue because they couldn’t park their car. Consider all the options available, whether valet or a parking garage. If the best way to arrive is public transportation, make sure your attendees know this, and provide clear and simple directions for doing so.
5. Underestimating The Size Of Your Event
Big crowds can create big problems, especially if your event space isn’t big enough. Make sure your venue is large enough to hold the amount of people you anticipate. Also, think about if you are selling additional tickets at the venue, and if so, how many? If you have a fear that people are going to gatecrash, sneak in, use wristbands to identify your attendees. Check out eventwristbands.com and see the options! Then you can make sure only people with your custom bands are in attendance.
Using these tips will surely help avoid many of the problems event planners seem to face regularly, but always prepare for the unexpected and have some sort of contingency plan. Nonetheless, make sure to breathe, relax and do your best to enjoy the event you worked so hard to plan!
