The Dos and Donts of Event Planning | Handleforme

The Dos and Donts of Event Planning

Birthday and Event PlannersWedding PlannersBirthday Party and Event Decorators

Reading Time: 10 min

You’re planning an event, and it seems like a great idea. You might even be a little excited about it. But all that excitement can lead to mistakes if you don’t take the time to think through your plan carefully and consider everything that could go wrong. If you are planning an event in the future, here are some dos and don’ts for making sure everything goes smoothly:

Setting a clear goal or purpose for the event.

The first step in planning an event is to set your purpose and goals. You can't plan an event without knowing what you want it to achieve, so it's essential that you answer these questions:

What is the purpose of this event? What are its goals?

Establishing a budget and sticking to it

As you plan your event, it’s important to set a budget and stick to it. The most common mistake that people make when planning events is underestimating the costs associated with their party, event or other occasion.

Budgeting is an essential part of organizing an event, whether it’s a wedding or one of the many other occasions for which you may need help from an event planner in NYC. You can find out how much certain services cost by doing research online or through references from friends who have hired professionals before. If you’re unsure about what something will cost, ask around until someone has experience with similar situations and can give advice on how much they paid in relation to the quality of service they received

Choosing a suitable venue and negotiating contracts

Another important aspect of event planning is choosing a suitable venue. The venue should be the right size for your guests and have all the equipment you require to run your event successfully. It's also vital that you check whether the venue has any restrictions on what kind of event can take place there, who you can invite and how much alcohol can be served at any one time.

Before making an enquiry about hiring a particular building or space, it's good practice to gather as much information regarding its capacity, location and amenities as possible so you can make an informed choice about whether it will suit your needs. If possible, try visiting the place in person so that you get a feel for what it will be like when filled with people—and don't forget to speak with staff members about how they operate their business: Are they flexible? Do they offer discounts? Can they provide additional services such as cleaning after an event?

It's also worth noting that some venues may charge more for special occasions such as weddings; however these costs are sometimes offset by being able to choose from a wider range of options when booking entertainment in advance (such as DJs).

10-2.png

Hiring vendors and coordinating with them

You've already done the hard part: you've selected a venue, drafted your guest list and budgeted for the event. Now it's time to hire some vendors and find someone to help you with all of the details.

If you're organizing an event yourself (or if you have hired someone to do so), it's important that you don't forget about all of those small but vital details that make an event memorable. To ensure this happens, here are some tips on how to hire and work with vendors who can help ensure things go smoothly:

Hire reliable vendors who have experience in their industries. If there's a chance they'll be able to serve as experts at your event, then go ahead and hire them! Your guests will appreciate having access to people who know what they're talking about when offering opinions or advice on certain topics being discussed at the event. For example, if one of your guests has just started up a business selling organic foods locally but no one else knows anything about organic farming techniques yet—they should probably be invited too!

Hire vendors who have good reviews online from previous clients before hiring them or contacting them directly through email messages sent through internet service providers such as Comcast Cable Company since most people tend not trust sending messages through unsecure email accounts these days due largely due lack security concerns over potential identity theft threats associated with using insecure methods such as Gmail accounts instead which allows users  access control rights over entire domains rather than individual emails only; therefore it may make sense instead trying contacting each other directly via telephone callbacks whenever necessary because they cannot guarantee full confidentiality without asking first whether any information needs protecting before releasing such information publicly online where anyone could potentially see it eventually leading towards financial ruin."

Planning and promoting the event to ensure good attendance

Plan for success by ensuring that the event is widely promoted and held at a time when people are likely to attend.

Publish your event online, by mail and in local newspapers. Hire a public relations firm to help you promote it if necessary.

Send out invitations as soon as possible so that everyone knows about it and can plan their schedules around it if necessary.

Advertise on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. You could also advertise on billboards or bus stops if you have the funds available to do so.

Failing to plan ahead and leaving things to the last minute

Planning ahead is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your business. It's also something that most professionals don't do enough of, despite its many benefits.

Planning ahead allows you to make better decisions because you have more information available at your fingertips. You're less likely to miss important details if they're all written down somewhere, rather than scattered across Post-It notes stuck on your desk or in your head. Plus, it's easier to keep track of things when they're written down somewhere—and since planning ahead means more time for research, this will help ensure that those decisions are well informed!

Putting things off until last-minute always causes stress because there aren't enough hours left in the day by then (or perhaps even weeks). Planning ahead saves time and money so that when something does need done urgently at 11:58 PM on Tuesday night—and nothing went according to plan—it won't be such an emergency anymore! Planning ahead allows us all enjoy our lives a little bit more too though because we won't feel overwhelmed by our responsibilities as often...

7-2.png

Not having a backup plan in case something goes wrong

While it's important to be prepared, don't get caught up in the panic of not having a backup plan if something goes wrong. Your best bet is to create a backup plan for your event and then ensure that it has one of its own.

Don't sweat it if you're not sure exactly how many people will be attending or what their dietary restrictions are (this is why you have an RSVP list); breathe deeply and remember that these things can change at any time.

If you're worried about having enough food for everyone, ask someone who's worked at catering before if they know anyone who could help out—a friend-of-a-friend or someone with connections at a restaurant might just be able to save the day by providing some extra grub on short notice. If nothing else, there are always frozen pizzas!

Not considering the needs of attendees (e.g. accessibility, dietary restrictions)

When you’re planning your event, it can be easy to focus on what you want to do and forget about who will be attending the event. Having a diverse group of people come together is one of the most rewarding parts of hosting an event, but it also means that different attendees have different needs.

For example:

If you’re planning a party for children, make sure there are activities available (such as games) that are appropriate for them. You should also consider whether or not food options need to be limited in any way for safety reasons or dietary restrictions like allergies.

If your event has elderly attendees, be sure to ask if they would like assistance going up or down stairs so they aren’t left behind when everyone else leaves their seats during intermission or breaks between performances/presentations/etcetera

Overlooking important details or forgetting to follow up on tasks

Do: Follow up with all of your vendors and confirm details in writing. Don't: Forget to make a backup plan if something goes wrong at the event. Do: Check in with your team regularly and ensure they are on track with their tasks, especially if you're planning an important event like a wedding or fundraiser that will be heavily attended by your clients or other key members of your organization/company.

8-2.png

Not allowing enough time to test and troubleshoot before the event

Test the equipment. Before you run an event, make sure all of your audio and visual equipment is working properly. This includes making sure that speakers and microphones work, that lighting is sufficient, and that you have a backup plan in case one piece of equipment fails.

Test the venue. If you're using a venue other than your own, it's important to inspect it beforehand so there are no surprises or unexpected costs during or after the event. When possible, use this time to take photos from different angles so that everyone involved knows exactly what they're looking at when they come back later for setup day.

Test the food and drink. Try out some items from your catering menu before service begins by having dinner with friends so you can get feedback on everything from presentation to taste—and don't forget about leftovers!

Test entertainment options like live music or speakers as well; these things may need some extra attention depending on how much interaction there will be between performers/speakers and guests (e.g., if there are Q&As involved).

Additional tips if you are planning events in the future

Make sure everyone is on the same page. Make sure everyone knows what they are supposed to be doing. Have a backup plan in case something goes wrong. Have a plan B in case plan A fails.

Conclusion

I hope these tips help you to plan your next event with ease. If you have any questions or need some advice, feel free to contact us at your convenience! We would love to help make your next event the best one yet.

As handleforme, we are ready to provide the best options for your party, by providing the best services for your party. You can find out some options we are offering this link. For any customized request based on your needs, please get in touch with us for the details!

Handleforme Pro

Sit Back, Relax, Handleforme Pro will take care of your events

hfm-pro

Get your free quotation from our experts

Get Quotation