We’ve been dealing with events management London, and indeed, all over the UK, for a very long time. But we haven’t forgotten what it is like to be starting out, and to not be sure how to get our event plan off the ground. So, we have pulled together our step by step guide on how to plan a successful event.
Event planning can be a stressful affair, especially if you have never done it before. From dealing with a great venue finding agency to confirming the catering, there are a lot of things to take into account. The exact arrangements can differ depending on whether you are planning a corporate event or a wedding but as long as you keep these simple steps into account then your event will be a great success.
#1 Establish a Budget
Setting the date and the objectives for the event are two of the most important things to take into account, but setting your budget should always be one of your first steps too. Without knowing your budget and end goal, you will struggle to find the perfect venue. Pin down the key themes of the day and how you want your event to run and once you have these things in your mind, you can start searching around to get rough quotes from suppliers.
#2 Secure Your Venue
Once you know where your budget is going you can then crack on with sorting out the rest of the event skeleton. The most important thing here is to pick the right venue – in fact it is of paramount importance. Your venue is the first thing that attendees on the day see, and so will set the tone of the day which makes it critical that you select the right one.
Here at Conferences Group we use superior technology and experienced staff to ensure you get the accommodation and conference booking that you need. We offer our clients free access to a team of experts who will quickly find and book appropriate venues and accommodations to fit their needs. This saves our client’s time and money while at the same time providing them with customised service tailor-made to fit their needs.
#3 Plan Your Schedule
Once you have your perfect venue confirmed, you need to plan out the finer details. Segment the day into 15- or 30- minute intervals as this will give you a clear idea of timings before you move onto selecting your suppliers. For example, if it turns out you only have a short time for dinner, then you may want to talk to your suppliers about a buffet rather than a three course sit down affair.
Once you have all of these sorts of details sorted out, you can be really clear about your expectations when you are talking to your potential suppliers. Having as much information to hand as possible, when you communicate with your suppliers will ensure your event runs exactly the way you want it to.
It is also useful to know planning deadlines when you are planning your event, so that you are not stressing out at the last minute. Write yourself a month by month plan and make sure you clearly mark planning milestones in it.
#4 Invite Guests
Make sure you invite your guests with plenty of time ahead of the event. That way if any of them can’t make it then you will still have time to invite your ‘back-up attendees.’ So, you need to have an A-list and B-list of attendees basically, to make sure the numbers work out in your favour.
#5 Confirm your Suppliers
This is the fun bit! Putting your stamp on the event by organising your suppliers. Now that you have a clear vision of what you want your event to be, you can now source suppliers who can help you fulfill that vision. Make sure you shop around and get at least three quotes on all of the major supply elements of your event such as catering, florists and so on.
#6 Double Check Everything
As the date gets closer, make sure you check everything with your suppliers and run through the final plan with your venue. Also, drop everyone who is attending a personal message to check that there won’t be any last-minute drop outs.
Now that you’ve worked hard on confirming all of the tiny details, from hotel bookers to food and beverage choices, it is time for you to sit back and enjoy the event.
If you’ve enjoyed this guide to event planning, and want to get started on planning your own then head over to the Conferences Group website to find the perfect venue for your next event.
