You’re planning an event. How can you ensure it’s a smashing success?

If it is a first time event. Make a list of people/sponsors that you can COUNT on. No sense in moving forward without guaranteed support. Don't be afraid to reimagine your event and then move forward with support.

understanding what the client is looking for and knowing what the event is for and who is attending. Be sure you have all the right partners in place to execute.

Two things: 1 - What does it cost to produce the event? Divide that amount by the number of attendees and that price is the value your guests will place on sacrificing their personal time to attend. Make it worth RSVPing. 2 - Notated every detail!!! Even if you think it's miniscule, it matters and it can make or break the experience your guests talk about when they go home.

In my experience, the biggest successes are achieved due to a great mutual and agreed upon understanding of the “why” of the event. While it’s important for you to have this understanding, it’s equally important that all key stakeholders agree with it- that way they are excited to out their skills, resources and relationships in the mix to produce the best possible outcome. So while we as event creators are the tip of the spear moving past all distractions and maintaining focus to hit the target, they help aim it, they put the force behind it, they ensure it is polished, they make sure it’s flexible but sturdy. We win together!

I agree but remember you may be executing an event on behalf of someone else - and so it’s THEIR vision you need to tease out. It’s not always clear - and it may change as you go through the planning process.

In my view, after creating and producing many types of event formats and for many different clients and audiences, the most successful events/experiences are the ones where their design has been led by storytelling. That is every choice from venue, content, styling, catering, entertainment, speakers, activities, marketing, etc has been made based on that transformation arc, that journey, we want guests to experience. Story & design, go hand in hand from start to end.

I like to use the design process to really think through the attendee experience and prioritize connection. Thinking through each touch point to not only work out any pain points, but identifying areas where you can make a personable impact on your attendees. Great event design goes deeper than aesthetics (although still important) to cultivate a truly memorable and impactful experience.

The big question in the event design for me has always been: how does the community that I’m bringing together like to gather? Is this a community that enjoys formal symposiums or forums? Or is this a start-up event where the entertainment matters as much as the content? Is this a B2B model where a consultative process will probably benefit greater attendance? Is there data available from a geo-located launch? This is a great time to kickstart team-wide meetings and make sure the vision is shared across all departments.

Begin with the customer experience, then work backwards from there. Using customer perspective focuses the attention on what is important rather than what matters to you. It is easy to get stuck on, or even obsess over, details that you think are important but actually contribute very little to the customer experience. Focus energy and time where it counts.

Think differently! From venue selection and presentation formats to food and beverage and decor, we need to constantly ask how can we build an event that is interesting, memorable and focuses on attendee experience at every opportunity. Building the right environment is critical to stimulating guests and facilitating the right mindset for learning, engaging with one another and providing an ongoing connection.

I feel like the importance of this step is often overlooked. I might even go as far as to say that “Building Your Team” IS the most important step. Ensuring you have a team that takes initiative, communicates clearly, acts as problem solvers that are fast on their feet, is SO important in the world of events.

Team is develop by time. Nothing instant in the process. Find the team member that you can trust. Let go your team member if they ruins the goals, event they are your friend.

Building a proficient team involves assigning defined roles and fostering collaboration among members to ensure a cohesive unit. Meanwhile, executing the event mandates meticulous attention to logistics, activity coordination, and ensuring a flawless experience for attendees. A well-developed team, combined with impeccable execution, forms the backbone for delivering a successful and memorable event.

This is all about finding the right suppliers and freelancers for the right job. Find people that have specific experience with the type of event you’re running (eg if you’re producing an outdoor festival, find a site manager that has previous experience of outdoor festivals). Freelancers can help you save money on your production - they will typically come with a black book of contacts and relationships with specialists suppliers, and may be able to suggest cost effective ways of doing things that squeeze more out of your budget. The bottom line is to hire a capable and competent project director if you don’t feel you have the skills and experience to lead the event.

Build a team that can work autonomously, but will turn to you when needed. Trust them to be capable to work and decide without your micro management, but be available any time they need you.

The number one consideration should be the safety of your attendees. Depending on the format and scale of your event, it might be that you need specialist expertise to help ensure the event is safe. Beyond this, it it s critical to delegate roles and responsibilities effectively before the event. Typically an ‘event day’ team will be much larger than a pre-production team.

It's simple. You create a fulsome plan and workbook schedule, outlining due dates, accountabilities, contingencies and potential risks. Then you meet with stakeholders regularly to ensure everything is aligning to that plan. If it is, yay! If it's not, make the decisions to right side that ship immediately.

Having reliable suppliers is crucial. As one of the leading medical providers in the UK we have never let someone down on the day, however, for my own wedding the company hired to run the bar and provide waiting staff for the meal were meant to send about 10+ staff and only about 2 turned up. Service was sloppy as a result. I don't think they are still in business.

Always have a Plan B,C and D to be safe. It’s always best to expect the unexpected as you never know what might go wrong.Have plenty of signage to point to the Refreshment area, Restrooms, Seating area etc.. This helps the attendees when they are at the venue.Have handouts that goes to the attendees and they are aware of what is happening at the event. Having volunteers is a key, they can help with attendee registration, distributing handouts etc.

Argh these prompts are old school thinking. The day of the event is NOT the moment of truth and I wouldn't necessarily say being prepared for unexpected issues or emergencies is really going to help. The day of the event is a culmination of all of the small things that you've done so far. If something goes wrong then of course you try your best to fix it but energy flows to where focus goes. Instead focus on having an awesome time yourself and others will follow that. Producing events is only stressful if you focus on the stress.

“The wrap up” of an event is as important as the start, we do need a good brief but also an even better debrief. Closing the project, thanking your team, suppliers and the audience in a timely manner is paramount. The success of your event depends on those relationships you’ve built with your suppliers and the trust and fluid dynamic with your team. Looking after them before, during and after the event has to be a non-negotiable. This includes collecting data (what worked, what could be improved, etc etc), analysing it and getting a few insights to apply next time. Events are a constant learning curve.

Debriefs are challenging many times as the post event highs or lows can skew the issues at times. It’s important to keep a record of the feelings immediately after delivery, but I also found helpful to revisit after the team has had a break to process all the emotions that come with live events.

Every other event teaches you something whether what to do next time or what not to do next time. It is important to learn from past experiences and develop your own style to make it better than before. This will help you in evolving and you will be updated with the market and the trend in the event management line.

One thing I found helpful was to keep a binder, on paper for me but can be done digitally, of all the planning notes, day of observations, and feedback. This helped me recreate that event or one similar without recreating the wheel each time. Plus when I left that position, the incumbent had my notes to work from!

Every other event teaches you something whether what to do next time or what not to do next time. It is important to learn from past experiences and develop your own style to make it better than before. This will help you in evolving and you will be updated with the market and the trend in the event management line.

Starting a new event is challenging and can be risky. Do some research in the local community to see if there are competing events in the timeframe you are considering. Who is your team? Nothing replaces experience. You need the concept first, then can you sell it? how do you operate it? what is your budget? Most first year events are break evens or losses, are you willing to do this? What are your goals? what will make it successful in your eyes? is it a for profit? a community event? a fundraiser? Can you find any partners who will help ensure people show up? What is the venue/site? do they do events on a regular basis? what can they do to help keep costs down? All in all, there are no guarantees. Welcome to the Event Industry.

In the rapidly evolving landscape, the traditional playbook for event planning has become obsolete. With sectors undergoing significant transformations, it is essential for creators to acknowledge the dynamic variables at play. Events that were meticulously planned months ago may find themselves outdated upon their execution, as industries adapt and evolve at an unprecedented pace. Events must embrace fluidity. Planners must be cognizant of the potential for growth and change within the industries they represent. By fostering an environment that allows for flexibility and innovation, events can stay ahead of the curve and avoid the perception of being 'last week.' This foresight enables events to remain relevant and engaging.

Expect the unexpected. You can think that you have a contingency plan for everything, that the amount of planning that you have put in guarantees a smooth event, but this is rarely the case. Some thing, somewhere, will go wrong, and the most important skill that can be learned is improvisation. After over a decade of working in events in various capacities, i’ve come to realize that even the most organized people can overlook things. When they inevitably come back to bite you, you can’t freeze, and you can’t panic, you find a solution, and you do the best that you can. If that solution isn’t perfect, you make a concession, and you make sure it never happens again.

Overplanning is a myth in successful strategies; underplanning, however, is a visible truth. Prepare for various outcomes to ensure resilience and adaptability. When underprepared, it shows affecting outcomes and team morale. Always plan meticulously and be ready for the unexpected.

Events should never be built in isolation. The event debrief shouldn't be a one off affair but should be ongoing monitoring of what this has meant for your long term strategy. You must understand what the next step is for the attendee after the event and how they will continue to engage with you organisation after that experience.