How to Plan a Large Event
Planning an event of any size takes time, thought and killer organizational skills. But large events, say over $10,000, often require an event planner. If your company does not have one in house, it’s time to search for the best option. Check around. Review the work of several event planners and corporate event companies. Then, make your choice and together get to the nitty-gritty—
Set your goals and purpose. Companies hold events for a variety of reasons: to raise corporate awareness; to reward your wonderful employees; to be part of an industry convention, to sponsor a charity fundraiser, to hold a private party. Just make sure it’s fun!
Decide on a venue. Location, location, location. Choices for your event are endless. A hotel ballroom, corporate party room, a winery—for a “taste”ful choice, outside park, historic building, rooftop terrace, conference center, a cruise ship—makes a big splash, historic engine company, museum, art gallery, mansion, embassy, sports stadium—hot dog!
Decide on a theme. Choose the type of theme that fits your goals: Casino Night, Murder Mystery, Cirque Du Soleil, Mardi Gras, a Luau, Arabian Nights, Superheroes, Couture Balloons, Game of Thrones, Roaring ‘20s Great Gatsby.
Create a budget. Study the budgets of past events. Figure how much moola you will need for: space rental, food/catering, speaker fees, travel, insurance, music, decorations, shipping, additional personnel. And, budget for a few things that might come up, ‘cause they will.
Generate a publicity plan. Promote your inner P.T. Barnum. Build a list of possible attendees, email flyers/posters, write a social media campaign and design direct mailers. Try anything and everything to spread the word. A full circus bandwagon, however, might be a bit much.
Delegate team responsibilities. Who’s-doing-what is a crucial step. Each person needs to take ownership of their duties and details, including day-of processes. Every team member is important to the success of the event. And they need to know how valuable they are to you. Got any gold stars?
Summary.
Planning a large event takes dedication, organization and know-how; orchestrating an affair can take over six months prior to the event. But, booking a space and hiring an event planner could take one year or more in advance.
Organize everything on an event management tool like these trending apps: Cvent, SocialTables, Monday, or go old school with Excel Spreadsheets. Just make certain to include the whole kit and kaboodle. Like the old tagline for Prego spaghetti sauce says, “It’s [all] in there!”
