Planning an event can definitely get those grey hairs coming through, but we want to stop that from happening, well¦ at least help slow it down! It’s probably the most stressful part of the whole period. After reading this we want you to really understand what steps are needed in order to plan a successful event. After all, it is all about the planning¦
Decide on who youre targeting
Probably one of the most important and obvious steps, who exactly is your audience? You should be able to clearly define who your target audience is. From this all the other decisions will fall into place in terms of format, content, prices, location etc. This structured approach will also help you to stay focused on achieving specific goals and not allowing the scope to become too broad or watered down.
Be sure of what you want to achieve
Remember, there has to be a purpose to your event, otherwise what’s the point? Everyone has their own objectives but be clear in what you want, and use this as your mantra. Really implement this into your team so you dont have someone who isnt on the same wave length, otherwise it can have a bad impact.
Check the schedule
This step is usually missed by most, I mean – why would you care if yours is so good? Remember, that’s your opinion. People will have different motives and interests so they are more open minded. If your event is the only one taking place on a certain date then you will surely get more interest.
Know your limits
You dont want to overload your event with things you realistically cant do, whether it’s budget or time. If you decide to throw a live event in a week’s time, only plan if it’s achievable. If it’s a big event, prepare several months ahead. If the budget is small, you may have to counterbalance with creativity and a lot of do-it-yourself work.
Budget
This is the most important part of planning an event, is it feasible? Most events are funded by sponsorships, ticket sales, internal marketing budgets or a combination of all three. When you create your budget for the event, youll need to estimate how much money you can realistically raise from each area. Before you book your venue or sign any contracts, it’s a good idea to start signing sponsors first, or selling advance tickets to make sure there is enough interest in your idea to fund it.
Understand how to market your event
There are many platforms that you can explore, depending on the nature of your event, of course. Create a marketing plan for the event. The more organized you are, the more professional your event will be. Twitter is terrific for promoting events and for creating a sense of online community around an event. Set up a unique hashtag early on. Search Twitter first to make sure it’s not already in use. When people tweet, it promotes the event automatically on Twitter. Even away from social, you could get bloggers involved, journalists, partners¦ The list keeps going on but it is down to you to identify your demographic and what platforms to use.
I hope this has given you a better understanding in event planning, and what it takes to really get it going. As we said before, planning is key to anything you do!
Source: Fusion Communications Feed