If you are like so many of our clients and are spending nights awake thinking about your next event- here are 5 top tips to help guide you.

1) Start Planning ASAP

Event planning can be stressful, even for the most seasoned industry professionals, so take the stress out of it by giving yourself the gift of time. While larger event productions can be months, even years in the making, smaller events can have just as many moving parts. Allow yourself at least one month prior to the event to begin sourcing quotes. The more time you have, the more realistic it will be to pull off your desired result and within your budget.

2) Define Your Event Objectives

In order to measure the success of an event, there need to be some measurable objectives. Ask yourself, what is the purpose of this event – are you looking to increase branding and awareness, sales lead generation, customer engagement and upsell, or information/education? Do the event outcomes directly support organizational goals? Can the event be used to achieve worthwhile communication goals? If you set strategically based goals in planning the event, it will be easier for you to tune every part of your event for success.

Apart from anything else, if you are queried or even challenged by senior management about the ROI created by the event, you will be able to refer to the goals and measurable objectives you have put in place, which will show how the event supports your organization’s business priorities. If you have set realistic goals and objectives, the measurable results you have achieved from the event will demonstrate the value of your work.

3)Establish Your Budget

A well prepared, and realistic budget are essential to the success of an event. Make sure that the budget you have outline can cover the following:

• Venue hire

• Catering

• Entertainment

• Staffing

• Marketing costs

• AV and Technology

• Logistics of set up

We alway recommend our clients include a small contingency in their budget, just for the last minute details that always seem to come up.

4) Hire a Competent Planner

As seen above, planning events can take anywhere from a month to a year to pull off. Instead of trying to manage this on top of a busy workload, why not ask a professional to step in. In addition to their time management and expertise, planners also have existing relationships with supplier and can offer secure better rates than members of the public.

5)Minimise Last Minute Changes

To organize an event, you must work with many stakeholders, sponsors, staff, consultants, and vendors. Sort out things with each group ahead of time and set a closing date for any changes. For example, ensure vendors are aware they can’t pull out after a specific date. Set penalties for cancellations to reduce last-minute changes.

With an increasing number of people constantly searching for unique activities to engage in nowadays, event planning is a common activity for PR pros. But for your event to stand out in this rapidly growing industry, you must be creative and organized. Consider the above 5 things from the outset to make your upcoming event a success.

Still think you need some help? Email info@megara.co.za and we will gladly set up a meeting to discuss your requirements.