Planning an event is a challenging task, especially when you are doing it for your company or organization. There are so many plates to juggle, targets to reach, and people to take into consideration that it can be difficult to know where to start.
From the importance of establishing roles and responsibilities to handpicking your partners and vendors (including the best presenter in Dubai) and tapping into your creativity, read on for the insider tips you need to know to plan a memorable work event.
1. Establish roles and responsibilities
One of the best things you can do while still in the event planning stage is to ensure that you are clearly establishing your team’s roles and responsibilities. Whether you have the resources for a whole committee or just have a couple of colleagues helping you out, things will go a lot smoother if you are able to divide and conquer the tasks and projects.
Keep in mind that there is no way that just one person can organize an event like this, so you are going to need as many helping hands as possible.
From marketing to event administration (those who coordinate all the details and logistics), accounting to establishing creative and partnerships, there are plenty of moving parts that need to be organized. Building a solid team will also assist you in solving any problems that arise, as each member will bring a unique set of skills and ways to find creative solutions.
2. Carefully select your partners and vendors
Partners and vendors make up a large part of events, so it is essential that you select the ones you will work with carefully. For this reason, you want to choose the best ones possible who already have a proven track record with this style of event.
While you always want to stay under budget, you don’t want to skimp on the partners and vendors that you use. When it comes to this aspect of your work event, you want to pay for the best.
For example, many work events can significantly benefit from having a professional presenter who is able to manage the crowd and keep attendees engaged and entertained.
It is always recommended that you hire a professional because they have the talent and skills necessary to capture everyone’s attention and keep it throughout the event. You don’t want to assign this job to someone from your company, so hiring a professional is the way to go because they will bring all the components of your event together to make it a memorable and enjoyable experience for all.
3. Plan for during the event and after it wraps up
When you have put so much effort into organizing an event, you want to make sure you are getting the biggest ROI possible. To do this, you need to be making the most of the time during the event and also after it finishes.
For starters, you want to ensure that the welcome segment is memorable because this will be the first contact that attendees have as they enter the event and will, therefore, affect its overall tone. You also want to have a professional photographer who can take lots of photos throughout so that you can capture the memories and use the photographs to promote future events.
After the event, make sure you send recaps and thank you messages to all attendees as soon as possible. Gratitude continues to be one of the most effective ways to build thriving relationships – whether it is with clients, employees, or board members. You also want to start circulating the photographs that were taken quickly.
On the organizer’s side, take the time to write down your reflections on how everything went so that you can learn and improve for next time. In these reflections, look for ways you can measure the success of the event in terms of attendance, vibe, and effectiveness of achieving your goals.
4. Let the creative juices flow
The most memorable events are those that have been planned with care, attention, and creativity. If you want your attendees to have a great time and remember the event long after it concludes, you need to ensure you are focusing on creating an experience.
This requires out-of-the-box thinking with a healthy dose of creativity. After all, the last thing you want is for your event to be just the same as every other similar occasion.
While it takes time and effort to create a memorable experience, the outcome makes it worth it. By working with (and leaning on) high-quality presenters, designers, and other artistic vendors, you can be intentional about every event detail, ensuring that things are well-thought-out and appealing.
Plus, you are much more likely to come up with creative ideas when you are working collaboratively. During brainstorming sessions, even a small suggestion from someone can transform your team’s ideas from good to great.
Final Thoughts
There is no denying that it takes a lot of work to plan and execute a memorable work event. Therefore, you want to set yourself up for success by giving yourself enough time to properly prepare.
You don’t want to be running around trying to check everything off your to-do list at the last minute so, to avoid this, start the planning and organization process as early as possible. This will give you time to brainstorm and change your mind about certain aspects and the opportunity to deal with any issues that may arise.
Similarly, on the morning of the big event, you also want to grant yourself extra time so that you can benefit from some headspace and the opportunity to approach the day feeling in control. Again, this will significantly help you remain calm, relaxed, and collected throughout the event.
Are you in charge of planning work events? If so, what are the biggest challenges that you encounter when trying to organize them? What tips do you have to share with others?
AUTHOR BIO
Hisham Wyne is an internationally recognised MC, broadcaster, presenter and moderator who helps the world’s best-known brands create memorable occasions. He regularly hosts conferences, panel sessions, gala dinners and award ceremonies for some of the world’s best brands. With 150+ events under his belt, Hisham is the professional speaker that brands and agencies turn to when wanting to interview, engage and entertain government VVIPs and Hollywood celebrities.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HishamWyne
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hishamwyne/
