Special Events

Do you have a special event coming up? If so, you may want some tips on planning for the occasion.  Of course, there is always plenty of helpful information on different websites, but to simplify it, you can find most of what you need right here.

There are many different reasons for planning a special event. Award banquets, job fairs, or grand openings are just a few. Even if you have something entirely different in mind, the prep work is still pretty much the same.

The first and most important thing to do is to select the members of your team. Any good event is the teamwork of many people.  Pick people with the specific expertise that you need for each part of your plan.

That brings us to the next important part - the planning stage.  You will need a master plan and a date for the events. Once you set the date, everyone on the team can coordinate their efforts to make everything seamless.  Some of the components are: setup and cleanup, refreshments, traffic and safety, speakers if needed, volunteers and invitations.

The next step is a publicity plan. If media is involved, decide when and how they should be contacted. Also, there may be other methods of advertising that may need to be considered and planned for. Have a powwow with the team and discuss assignments, hand out identification badges and answer any questions they may have.  Create a checklist so that nothing gets overlooked.

Of course, the subsequent step is to create a budget. It should be specific and include ticket sales if any are needed, printing expenses, permits if required, food, supplies and security if needed. These are just examples. Every special event has different budgetary needs.

An important thing to consider is logistics.  Is it going to be outdoors or indoors?  Do you need to rent a building or space?  Make sure the space is adequate for tables, chairs, tents or parking. Emergency plans and transportation are two other things to consider. If it is an outside event, is there a place to go if it rains?  Is there transportation available if needed? 

Some people choose to use an event planner. Even then, you need to have a plan and a budget because the planner will need to know exactly what you want and how much you can spend. They are very good at what they do but the same thing can be accomplished by a well picked team.  It all depends on whether you want to plan and do the special event yourself or have someone else do it for you.