Event days are filled with many moving parts. It can be stressful, which is why our team loves bringing calm to the chaos! After being in business for 12 years, we are sharing the most common mistakes.
1.) Budget for Unexpected Expenses
The first step to planning your event is to create a budget. It’s crucial to understand how much money you have to work with. We’ve heard it before, “We don’t have a budget.” However, we promise – there’s always a number.
Once you know the magic number, reach out to vendors for quotes. As the quotes come, keep track of the overall budget. It’s a great idea to keep 10% of the budget as a buffer to cover tips, last minute guests, and unforeseen items like signage.
For Social Bliss Events clients, we oversee the budget! If you’d like us to take that task off your plate, contact us to schedule a call.
2.) Not Providing Refreshments
Sip and bites should be a part of every event. Whether you’re hosting a panel, a corporate conference, or a bachelorette party, make sure your guests are fueled. The type and amount of food you provide will depend on the nature of the event — and your budget. Be sure to work in a variety of options that cover a range of dietary needs to give guests the best experience possible.
Pro tip – Hosting a ticketed event (even if free) is a great idea to calculate an accurate headcount. The added benefit includes polling the audience for dietary restrictions.
3.) Forgetting Guest Experience
Your attendees are at the heart of your event, it is essential to keep their experience at the forefront of your mind. They’ve purchased tickets and set aside time in their busy schedule to show up. As our friends as Corner to Corner say, “The party starts in the parking lot.” During the site visit, take a moment to walk through the event as a guest.
Here are some other ideas:
- Book speakers and entertainment as early as possible. Not only is it a valuable marketing tactic to bring in attendees, but you will also be able to secure your top picks.
- Avoid an overloaded schedule by incorporating breaks throughout the day.
- Create a smooth check in process (see below)
- Include moments of surprise and delight. Kick off the event with a dance party, have a moment of meditation to close the session, or gift each attendee with a swag bag.
4.) Skipping a Walkthrough
It doesn’t matter how much communication you have with the venue and vendors, if you don’t curate a walkthrough, something is sure to be missed. Whenever possible, go over the agenda line by line with your team a couple of weeks before the event. This will give the team time to ask questions and ensure that all of the pieces are in place. It also will help everyone understand the layout, know which doors to enter, get final measurements, and confirm parking.
To dive deeper, check out these 4 reasons you should have a site visit!
5.) Having an Inefficient Check-in Process
The welcome table is your guests’ first introduction to your event. Even if your pre-event communication was flawless, a slow and inefficient check-in process can quickly frustrate attendees before the festivities even begin. Streamlining your check-in process is essential!
Event signage is key. Make sure signage clearly indicates where to park, where to enter and place your registration table in a visible area near the entrance with plenty of room. Make sure you have enough people to process registrations, this will reduce wait time and gives your team a chance to greet arrivals with a friendly smile.
We always have extra hands onsite at an event to greet guests upon arrival. Sometimes that’s a smiling face in the parking lots or a greeter in the hallway.
6.) No Backup Plan
Meticulously planning every part of your event is only half the battle because we can assure you — something will go wrong. You can mitigate the damage by having a contingency plan.
Once you have chosen vendors and set your agenda, take some time to think about all of the things that could potentially go wrong.
- What happens if the presenter’s deck fails? Does anyone have a back up copy?
- You ordered black table clothes but white ones show up onsite at the venue.
- The rentals are running 30 minutes behind. No other vendors can get to work until the rentals load in.
These are all real life examples that have happened to our team!
If your event is outdoors, make sure you have a rain plan. The weather is unpredictable. Even if you don’t have to use your backup plan, it can make the difference between staying calm or feeling overwhelmed.
7. ) Forgetting to Follow Up Post-Event
Don’t forget your event recap! Within 48 hours, follow up with attendees, speakers, and vendors to make sure that you take advantage of their feedback. They see things from a different perspective. This feedback is one of the best ways to improve your planning process and strategy before the next event.
In the last few years, we have utilized event recaps to improve our processes. We host a retrospective with every client after their event, and we provide all of the team’s feedback.
Did you know before the Dream Team departs on event day, they complete an event recap so the information is fresh on their mind? We discuss what we went, what could have improved as well as any complaints or compliments! It’s been a game changer.
There are many details involved with planning an event. To reduce stress and keep your event running smoothly, avoid these 7 common mistakes. Don’t forget we are always here to help! Contact us if you need a full-service planning team.
