The best way to begin the event planning process is to first brew yourself enough coffee to caffeinate an entire office. And don’t give your coworkers the wrong impression by leaving the delightful smelling aroma wafting through the kitchen. This is your moment – hoard that coffee like your life depends on it. Once you have enough liquid perkiness flowing through your veins, it’s time to sit down to really contemplate the event at hand. At the start of any project, you will always have more event planning questions than answers. This is why brainstorming is essential to any planning process.
What will really get you where you need to go is making sure you asking quality event planning questions. You need dive into every corner of your event, because the details are what make your events shine. Guests won’t let your hard work go unnoticed if you put in the time to make it great. Keep these essential event planning questions in mind the next time you set out to plan an event.
What are the goals of the event?
Focusing on the little decorative touches and fun aspects of the event are both exciting and important, but you need a strong, clear foundation to build upon. Much like building a house, if the foundation isn’t solid and the contractors aren’t all on the same page, all the pretty walls will fall down. Communicate regularly with all other people involved in the event to catch problem areas and prevent disaster well in advance. You get the idea.
Remember your SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound) objectives, and make extensive notes and action plans for each one. Once you have the foundations of your event sorted out, you can start handpicking all the details to round out your event and make it sparkle.
What type of event is this?
The first question to ask is about the nature of the event, as all subsequent event planning questions will be determined by this answer. Is this a meeting? A corporate event? A promotional event? For this article, let’s assume you’re hosting a promotional event for the launch of a client’s new outdoor recreation gear. There will be a rowboat race across a lake, with a celebratory picnic afterward.
When is the best time for this event?
Now that you know what type of event you are hosting, you can begin to lay out each of the details that define it, asking more specific event planning questions. Knowing that the boat race will be held outside, consider the time of year. Warm weather is ideal, but intense heat or humidity could either deter guests from attending or make guests who do attend uncomfortable. The time of day will affect what conditions you endure, in addition to the time of year. You will of course be subject to some constraints when it comes to timing and choosing a date, but within your realm of possibility, take full advantage of the freedoms you have.
In the instance of outdoor events such as your boat race, remember to consider the possibility of inclement weather. Will your event go on rain or shine? Will you offer a rain check or make up date? Will guests be refunded in the event of a complete cancellation? These are details your guests will be interested in knowing when choosing their RSVP response.
Once you have an idea of when to hold your event, don’t forgot to check out local and surrounding area event calendars for other major holidays, events, and similar happenings in the same time frame. Know your target guest list and be cognizant of their interests and agendas. After bending over backward perfecting each detail of your event, it would be terrible to be overshadowed by a major annual event and lose guests because of a simple oversight.
What location/venue will the event be held at?
You know for certain you’ll need water access for the boat race, but what other event planning questions do you need to consider about the location? Is this a long race that will require seating for more than just the picnic? Since the event is outdoors, you’ll need to consider whether or not you need to provide a shaded or sheltered area. Some venues may have large shade trees, pavilions, or access to an indoor facility with restrooms. The venue you choose will have an impact on what type of inclement weather plan you provide. If you do have access do shelter, you may not need to set a cancellation policy or rain date.
When thinking about the venue, also consider your food plan. Will the food be catered by the venue or by an external company? Are you accommodating any dietary restrictions? If you serve alcohol you’ll need to think about permits depending on your location. What type of tableware will you need if not provided by the venue?
What amenities your venue offers will determine what gaps you need to fill in your plan. It is important to decide exactly what kind of experience you want to give your guests in order to make these decisions.
What should the theme be?
You want to draw people to this event, so you’ll have to do something to capture their attention. The goal of your boat race is to promote your client’s new outdoor recreation gear. Partner with the client to create an identity that people will recognize, and want to get involved with. If it’s a stand-alone event, think about ways to get people excited about it. Will you offer games or prizes? Will there be an unusual attraction like a portable rock wall or access to the boats and boat rides following the race? Pique their curiosities with attention-grabbing attractions and features that fit your theme, and they’ll likely want to join in.
What is unique about this event?
If you were an attendee instead of the organizer, what would make you want to attend? What has stood out to you at previous events? Assume your race/picnic has a Wild West-theme where all participants must be in costume. Tie all of the event pieces together by carefully choosing details, like ensuring that all promo materials utilize fonts and imagery from that era, or having part of the picnic catered in-theme, or awarding unique, era- relevant prizes for best costume. This attention to detail brings your event to life and leaves your guests with a lasting impression.
What services will you need?
Once your event starts to take shape and the foundation is mapped out, you don’t want to overlook marketing and documenting the inevitably amazing moments with your guests! Will you have an event teaser to get your guests jazzed up and excited to attend? Would you like a photographer for your event, or maybe a photo booth? Have you considered a videographer or live streaming your event to extent your reach and accessibility to guests? Having an external vendor tackle event services like registration, live social feed walls, or other audio/visual setup can add to the overall experience and engagement at your event and free you up to focus on your attendees and the overall event experience.
Regardless of how seamless your event planning may be, there will likely be one aspect that you’ll overlook because you’re too involved in it. Many eyes will guarantee fewer errors, so give your proposal to a colleague to sort through before you take any action. Open and frequent communication about your event planning questions is key to the success of any great event, so keep chatting and you’re sure to have a fantastic event!
