You’re planning a major event. How can you ensure that every detail is perfect?

Understanding why you're hosting the event and what you hope to achieve is crucial. Whether you're aiming to raise money, promote a cause, showcase a product, or connect with people, having a clear idea of your goals helps you make smart choices every step of the way. From picking the right venue and creating engaging content to sorting out logistics and managing resources, everything should serve your main objectives. And knowing what you want to achieve makes it easier to measure success afterward, so you can learn from the experience and do even better next time. In short, when you're clear about your goals, every detail falls into place, helping your event reach its full potential.

When planning a major event, it is crucial to establish clear objectives. These objectives should outline the purpose of the event, expected attendance, desired outcomes, and the intended experience for attendees. Additionally, meticulous attention should be given to logistics, communication, vendor selections, production and design, event-day flow, and the involvement of key stakeholders. Above all, it is essential to define a comprehensive budget to ensure a successful event. These details play a vital role in the execution of a remarkable event.

Number one, realize it's not going to be 100% perfect. Take your breaks, eat your meals, hydrate, and sleep at night. Make sure you are able to perform at your peak to position yourself as a leader and elevate your event, problem solve, and troubleshoot effectively. Learn what details you must have and which ones can be close enough. Gaining clarity on the important deliverables and working to insure a flawless execution will align your performance with high caliber, quality events that adapt to the evolving dynamics that are an integral part of this business.

Key 10 points in planning major event - 1)Primary & Secondary Objective - Brand representation should be default. 2)Target Audience - This is most important, 3)Budget/Planning - Plan for available budget, do plan for contingencies. A good plan with timeline always finds budget. 4)Speakers & Content Planning - Right speakers for right topics and Content plays real deal in attracting the RIGHT target audience 5)Theme & Event Experience - Not mandatory, but creates a good experience and recall value. 6)Right venue 7)Audience generation plan - An Integrated promotional plan with internal/external, offline/digital, PR/AR is necessary. 8)Customer Journey 9)Capture feedback & giveaway for sharing their valuable time. 10)Post Event communications

Crafting an event budget demands thoroughness. Consider all expenses, even small ones like chocolates for suppliers. Allocate an extra 10% for unforeseen costs, adjusting based on economic conditions and currency fluctuations. Also, consider taxes like VAT/GST. Regularly revise the budget as the event approaches to adapt to changes. This ensures a reliable budget for financial planning and reporting.

En el momento que se realiza el presupuesto anual del área, deben considerarse los gastos en el rubro de eventos, tomar en cuenta los gastos anteriores y sobre ellos poner una cifra considerando la inflación. Si es un evento no programado, se tendrán que verificar los gastos con finanzas o reducir el presupuesto de algún otro rubro. Siempre hay que tener en cuenta que los gastos van a variar dependiendo del tipo de evento y número de participantes.

At The Main Event Colorado, we start with the vision, but the first task is always creating a detailed budget. It's the foundation of every event and ensures all details are (literally) accounted for!

A budget for the event is one of the key factors that many don't really pay as much attention to as they should. Think about what you want to achieve, some initial costings, and of course a budget contingency.

When planning an event, budgeting plays a critical role in ensuring a smooth and successful outcome. In this regard, budgeting can be likened to the oil that moves an engine, as it enables planners to make informed decisions on various aspects of the event. These include selecting the ideal venue, determining the appropriate timeframe, identifying the target audience, and facilitating decision-making on whether to proceed with the event or cancel it altogether. By allocating resources efficiently, budgeting ensures that the event meets its goals while minimizing any unnecessary expenses. Additionally, it allows for better planning and coordination of the event, leading to a more seamless and enjoyable experience for all involved.

Every perfect event must be within a well calculated budget, because nothing is for free even in free town, we are here for business and not for charity, I have come across different clients that want more than what they’re paying for, it’s surprising. However we have to do more research and be up-to date with necessary information and event paraphernalia.

Escoger un lugar para llevar a cabo un evento puede definirse una vez que se tenga el objetivo principal y dependiendo del público al que se quiere llevar. Esto dependerá si es una reunión general de resultados, si son entregas de reconocimientos, si son eventos grupales, Siempre hacer una revisión del lugar, y ver si cuenta con la seguridad para cualquier imprevisto.

When negotiating a venue ensure you ask all the questions on additional costs. Run your top-line plan by the venue to help uncover potential impacts. The devil lies in the details.

Selecting the right venue for your event is one of the primary elements of a successful event. Not only the look and feel of the event should be relatable to the nature of your event and content. It's also important to consider, do the venues you are considering offer a good range of dietary requirements, what are they doing to offset their carbon footprint. Other factors to consider, if you are looking to secure a conference venue, do they offer AV, and is a stage set factored into the venue floor maps/capacities - these things can get overlooked and can be risky if neither the venue or organiser has considered from the get-go. Look at working with a venue-finding agency that can support your search.

Não esqueça de checar toda documentação legal do espaço, desde alvará de funcionamento ao AVCB, e se de fato a manutenção do local é adequada, para evitar surpresas e custos absurdos oriundos de eventualidade de manutenção.

O local representa cerca de 50% da experiência em um evento, por isso a importância de entender a história, os serviços e como ele contribuirá para a entrega do objetivo do evento.

In my experience, from your quiet space, you should mentally walk through every element of an event as an ATTENDEE. For example walk through the on-site registration process from the time they head out to the event from their home or hotel room to their seat. Have you provided detailed info (i.e. venue address, location of registration & assigned event space onsite) to minimize the possibility of the attendees arriving flustered. Walk through it in your mind, how long should it take an attendee to get through registration based on the # of registration kiosks/tables available. How can you reduce the time so that they arrive at their seats quicker while still smiling. A mental run through from at attendee’s perspective is well worth it.

Being well versed and understanding of the logistics in all areas of your event is always an absolute necessity as an event coordinator, but making sure that you are communicating any of those logistics that may be applicable or helpful for your guests is critical as well. For instance, if your guests are frustrated trying to find parking upon arrival, those feelings of annoyance are going to set the tone for the entire event for them. You want your guests to be confident in any extra details ahead of time (attire, parking, rain dates, etc.), to set a successful “stage” for your event, and to help ensure a better outcome overall.

Para el éxito de un evento, se debe planear con mucha antelación, puede llevar meses y hay que tener siempre el apoyo de gente de compras y finanzas para que vayamos midiendo el presupuesto. Se deben hacer scoutings del lugar para ver si cumple con las necesidades del evento, ver pros y contras y sobre todo contar con el apoyo de la gente que nos va a apoyar dentro del evento. Se deben tener reuniones periódicas y mantenernos en comunicación de todo. Se debe tener una agenda, vuelos, comida, transportación, actividades. Es un trabajo que debe tener a un gran líder y confiar en el equipo que se tiene.

Running through the event as if it’s live always helps me. You can catch problems and make changes beforehand. If there are things you’re unsure of, have a backup plan! I always have speakers send me their slides in case technology isn’t working and 1/50 times- I need it. Finally, give yourself grace. Don’t expect perfection, and learn from everything!

Having a good working event plan is essential for the events success. This should be mapped out from the events first vision right through to the delivery of the event. It will form part of the venues function sheet as well as your own team so they have a handle on every eventuality. Plan for contingencies, we all know that on some occasions the unknown can occur, is there a workaround, what other options are there? Who is going to support you in running the event, how will you be communicating with your delegates, vendors, and stakeholders? How are you going to welcome your guests/manage the dietaries/timings of the event? Map it all out, in the early stages, you will be so glad you did.

Whenever you have an event, you want to use everything at your disposal to get the word out. Social Media, word of mouth, emails, flyers and even announcements at other events. The key is understanding who your potential audience is and where they are and meeting them there.

Event promotion is a living breathing part of the event process. From inception to during and after the event, an event marketing strategy should be implemented. Pre-promotion is critical to encouraging general awareness while onsite marketing offers amazing real-time content to share with large audiences not present. After-event marketing allows all to relive the moments and reshare to create a large market penetration.

Hay que tener en cuenta el tipo de evento que vamos a realizar para saber la manera en la que lo vamos a promocionar. Esto va a variar dependiendo si es un evento interno, si es una expo, si es premiación, etc. Pero cualquier evento, debe comunicarse con tiempo a los invitados y tener una agenda para compartir, así como fechas, horarios y días.

When it comes to promoting your event, it is crucial to tailor your approach based on the type of event you are hosting. Whether it is a public brand launch or activation, an internal conference, or a celebratory party, understanding the nature of your event will help determine the most effective promotional strategies. For public brand launches or activations, consider leveraging a mix of online and offline marketing channels to create a buzz. For internal conferences or parties, focus on internal communication channels to inform employees or members about the event. Regardless of the event type, it is essential to provide ample notice to guests and attendees, ensuring they have sufficient time to plan and make arrangements.

A comunicação é outro fator de suma importância para que um evento dê certo. Principalmente se você lembrar que: conteúdo é tudo, mas NEM TUDO é conteúdo. Saiba o que comunicar, elencando um calendário editorial com as atrações, valores de ingresso, trocas de lote, anuncios importantes, alertas ao público e patrocinadores/apoio. Não deixando de comunicar nem que seja um detalhe diariamente, seu evento tem grandes chances de dar muito certo.

Les imprévus sont l’essence même du métier de l’événementiel, savoir y faire face en anticipant en permanence des alternatives est primordial. Un bon exercice consiste a se projeter dans différentes situations pendant le déroulement d’un evenement et se poser les questions sur comment reagir si il se passe tel ou tel situation.

He vivido contingencias durante algunos eventos. Lo mejor que se puede hacer es tomarlo con calma pero con acción y solicitar ayuda del equipo, notificar a los invitados el tipo de situación que se presenta y darles la solución. Siempre hay que tener en cuenta todo tipo de contingencias y tener un plan extra.

Two of my mantras that go along with this are 1) control the "controllables" and 2) expect the unexpected. Plan for any imaginable scenario and then roll with the punches. Remember, most times you are the only one that knows when something doesn't go as expected.

Anticipate. Anticipate that something will not go as planned and not just what’s your plan B but how do you ensure you have a plan B for other event stakeholders? Here’s an example: My company recently held an event where we had sponsors exhibiting and of course there’s always the potential for missing or damaged exhibit materials. So when something didn’t show up, it’s not great for the sponsor. While it didn’t directly affect my company’s ability to hold the event, it would have made for a crappy experience for the exhibiting company. So to provide the best customer service, we contacted a local vendor and got the info on potential costs for rush printing and what they could do in only a few hours notice.

El plan B debe formar parte de toda la planeación. Sin embargo podes tener definidos pequeños planes por tipos de contingencias por ejemplo: técnicas, de seguridad, de salud...etc.. y tener base de expertos que pueden ayudarte en esos temas. No te confíes de la suerte.

Perfect? LOL you’re funny. There is no amount of planning/strategizing/contingency planning you can do to execute a perfect event. The key is making it appear perfect to attendees.

Start with the prior year's version of the event if one exists. What were the successes and opportunities? Create a committee or action group. Then create a playbook of responsibilities and time to align with the date. Conduct a dry run to discover anything that may have been overlooked. The day of the event, be ready and nimble in case you need a last-minute problem to be resolved. After the event, get feedback and be sure to properly acknowledge the work of those who played a part in the outcome.

You can’t. No event will ever be “perfect” and that’s ok. It’s understanding how to pivot, improve and navigate challenges that’s important.

Yes to all of the steps above. Then, put yourself into your guests’ shoes, from the minute they get the invite, to when they walk into the venue, and proceed throughout the venue across all of the experiences. Is the info clear and easy to read? Is the guest greeted by friendly humans who direct them to the next step? Is the flow of the room easy to navigate, intuitive? Will someone attending alone feel included or intimidated? Is the end of the event as seamless as the beginning?