When planning a conference, wedding, fundraiser, or banquet, it is safe to assume that you have visions of a hassle-free unforgettable experience dancing through your head.
The goal when preparing for any event is to have everything go as planned to ensure everybody in attendance has an enjoyable and memorable experience. Knowing and avoiding common mistakes can boost your success and reduce the chance that something goes astray. Below are common event planning mistakes and a few tips and tricks to help avoid them!
Not Planning Early Enough
There is always plenty of time to iron out the details until there isn’t! One of the biggest mistakes in event planning is procrastinating or underestimating the time commitment needed to ensure a fantastic event. Therefore, it is critical to start planning as early as possible by outlining your goals and preparing an essential checklist. Once you have a date, a budget, and a summary, it is best to start immediately! When securing your venue and date, an important tip is to check that no competing events are happening on the same day. Have key conversations with your planning team and your venue far in advance about what you are hoping to accomplish with your event, the experience you want your guests to have, and the most important things to your organizing committee. By preparing well in advance you’ll be able to pay attention to the details and successfully pull off your event with the much-added benefit of time while also keeping everyone focused along the way!
Not Thinking About the Experience of Your Attendees
When planning an event, getting caught up in executing everything can be easy. Still, it is vital to take a step back and keep the attendee’s experiences in mind as they are often the heart of the event. Begin by starting from the beginning. Can you easily find and navigate the venue, or do you need signage? Is there available parking or transportation? Will any queues clash, causing congestion or long waiting times? Little things like this can make all the difference. You may also want to consider why people are attending your event in the first place. Would providing a hybrid option bring added value? By putting yourself in your attendee’s shoes, you can transform simple event procedures into wow moments that your guests won’t soon forget.
Not Allowing Enough Time for Setup
Time management is a recurring skill when it comes to event planning. Creating a seamless event requires that you allow adequate rehearsal and set-up time, which usually means more than you anticipate. Giving your team a considerable time slot for setup allows for last-minute changes, tech rehearsals, and making the perfect decor touch-ups. Consider a dry run of the technology and transitions several days before your event to allow time to make changes. Looking to take off even more stress? We recommend finding a trusted partner to handle decor for you. At TCU Place, our preferred supplier, Handy Special Events, has everything you need and will even help you to match decor with your event objectives so that the entire experience is transformative for your guests.
Trying to Do Everything Yourself
Event planning is a team effort. From the high-level coordination to the smallest detail, it is an exhausting task to take on by yourself, and it is essential to delegate tasks. Finally, make sure to take breaks if things feel too overwhelming. That’s easier to do when you start the planning early. Becoming burnt out can take the joy out of event planning and cause you to lose sight of the event’s goal.
Planning every detail of an important event is no easy task. If you are looking for a place to host your next event, make sure to check out TCU Place. Our team of experienced individuals can advise and support you during your entire event. From decorating to ticketing and everything in between, we can help ensure your event rolls out as smoothly as possible. Contact 306-975-7777 or click here for more details.