Special event planning may seem like a walk in the park. They just seem to pop up effortlessly and then pack up and go. But organizing special events isn’t as easy as it looks. Why? The details. Every single detail must be well thought out and executed. That can take a lot of time, sweat, and sometimes tears to get the ball rolling. Where do you even begin?
How to Organize Special Events
For starters, you must always stay organized. Staying organized is the number one way to get things done in a timely and quality manner. Making a list is an easy way to stay organized, and that means making a list of everything. From lights, transportation, food, and refreshments to the program content, lists can help you keep in mind all the things you need to handle.
Visualizing the end result is a near guarantee you’ll be heading in the right direction. Try visualizing the end and working backwards from there. This will give you a much better idea of what you’ll need to make your vision a reality. It will also make it harder to miss any important details along the way. Depending on the event or the client, there will be different requests, but generally speaking, these tips for organizing special events will help.
5 Tips for Organizing Special Events
1. Stay organized
Get organized and stay organized. That’s the short answer. Furthermore, you should be taking notes and organizing those every step of the way. In case last-minute changes arise, you’ll be prepared to jot it down and remember it.
2. Pick a date
When you choose a date to host the special event, take everything into consideration. Keep track of the news and other events going on and work around those things as much as possible. Don’t assume that your event is more important than other events and accidentally schedule it over something else.
Anything big, people are going to be divided on showing up to yours or the other one. Book a nice, open date to host your special event. As soon as you lock in a date, let it be known—send the appropriate parties a “save the date” type of notification.
3. Visualize, but be flexible
As we said, you must visualize the whole thing from beginning to end (or end to beginning, in this case). However, there will be differences in what you had in mind and what the end result is. That is completely okay and you should actually anticipate it! You have your dream event in mind and following that as close as you can will be your best bet, but make room for change. Sometimes, there will be differences in size, location, or other things. So, stay flexible and adaptable.
4. Treat every task as a project
Take a look at the big picture. Realize that in order for it to turn out like you want, every single detail needs to be catered to. People will, subconsciously or not, notice the amount of work that went into something. Let’s assume you have three weeks to plan an event—with your detailed list of everything that needs to get done, assign different things to different people, or at least set a time for you to complete those tasks thoroughly.
5. Lock everything in
Nearing the end of the process, you’re going to want to make sure you have everything you need. That means contracts, DJs, photographers, food, etc. To make sure you have everything, make a checklist of your supplies and vendors, in addition to a timeline of when you’ll be getting those things. During this time, make sure that parking won’t be an issue for the guests and be sure to offer valet.
When you’re organizing special events, use this guide to make the process a bit easier and stress-free.
Organizing Special Events with PR Plus
PR Plus is a Las Vegas public relations agency that specializes in special events. That’s what makes us a little bit more than a PR firm. Learn all about why we’re the right people to take care of your special events.
