Organising an event looks easy and, if it’s done right, it
should do. Unfortunately many people
find that, when they come to do it themselves, it is anything but. There are always lots of details, any one of
which can bring the project into difficulty and which can make the event look
“amateur”. If you want your conference, product launch, customer
thank-you or whatever else you have in mind, to go smoothly there are some basics
you need to get right.
When it comes to organising an event, of whatever kind, it’s
important to start at the end. When is
it to be held? Does that leave enough
time to prepare everything? Are there
any fixed points that cannot be changed?
Sometimes it’s the time of year, sometimes an actual date, that is important. Other things, like Bank Holidays, may influence
the best time for your event and they need to be established before booking a
venue.
When deciding on a venue it’s important to realise what the
pitfalls are. I once had to set up an
event where access for the stand equipment was so poor that large pieces of
metal equipment had to be negotiated around glass-walled corridors. Another had a huge pillar in a room which was
hosting a seminar, which meant that the seating arrangement was almost
impossible to sort out. Needless to say,
I had not booked nor seen the venues beforehand!
Depending on the venue, some will insist you use their
caterers, or include support you don’t need, and charge by the delegate, when
you may not know how many people you will have attending. It’s important to have a spreadsheet which
covers all the items you have to spend money on, so that you can see if you are
keeping within your budget.
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