When it comes to planning your event, the to-do list may seem daunting. It makes sense — event planning is all in the details — but we’ve spoken with event planners from around the state for their tips and tricks for making your event run seamlessly from the planning stage to the day-of.
Stick With Your Game Plan
Your first step in planning any event is deciding on the particulars. What will the budget be? What kind of venue would be best? Event planners are readily available to help you with even the simplest steps in the planning process, but once they understand your vision they can give advice on making your event the best it can be.
“When it comes to planning events, I like to have the client give me their vision first,” says Lesa Carmack, booking manager at Arkansas State University Convocation Center. “I can’t tell you the cost until I know your vision.”
Choose The Right Venue
Choosing a venue for your event can be tricky. You first need to know the head count, then narrow down your possibilities by the venue capacity. There are ways to streamline the planning stage for events if you choose to go with an all-inclusive venue like the Little Rock Marriott. At the Marriott, clients are required to use the food and beverages provided by the hotel.
Jennifer Scritchfield, senior sales and events manager at the Marriott, says that things like tables and chairs being included in the booking price of events can help cut down on the cost of bringing in outside furniture rentals.
“For bigger events, we will negotiate a menu tasting with the client and our chef to work with the budget and still keep a great menu on the table,” Scritchfield says.
Stay Organized
Organization is key when it comes to planning your next event. Having an event binder with different documents including the event itinerary, guest list, keynote speakers and more can help you quickly flip to whatever information you’re looking for rather than shuffling through emails. Carmack recommends keeping paper files as well as digital files. She prints emails and keeps them in files, so that every detail is documented.
Trying to stay on top of deadlines is also important in the event planning realm. The better handle you have on events in the future, the easier it will be to adapt to things as complications arise.
“I try to stay a month ahead of events, as well as meet with customers and work on events that are really far out,” Carmack says.
See To Small Details
Aside from choosing the venue and figuring out the head count, there are many smaller elements that can make just as big an impact on your event. Choosing the table settings, linens and decor, for example, are decisions you should not save until the last minute.
“We will normally attend a tasting to choose the event meal about 6-8 weeks out,” says Leslie Gordy, events manager at Arkansas Business Publishing Group. “We can select centerpieces about a month out from the event.”
Be Tech Savvy
Deciding to include a video element to your event can kick things up a notch. Finding a video production company is a step that is often overlooked, but can set your event apart.
“Things to splurge on would be the video production company that you have creating the video for your event presentation,” Gordy says. “That will make or break the event. If the main presentation of your event is to show videos of each honoree, you better choose the best video production company out there and make sure that it meets your needs and gets the job done in the best way possible.”
Another often-overlooked element is the lighting and technology company you choose to set the mood.
“You want to choose a company who shares the same vision as you, whether it's about the stage design/setup, how the music will be played or the videos will be displayed,” Gordy says. “Those are all major things that you need to spend money on in order to make your event run smoothly and be successful.”
Spend Wisely
As for most, staying under budget is not only ideal, it’s usually imperative. There are ways for you to cut down on cost without compromising the caliber of your event.
“I come from years of working in the nonprofit world and I'm still in the mindset of getting things donated and getting the best deal out there,” Gordy says. “It was certainly trial and error for a few events, regarding what we could skimp on and what we should spend more money on. But in the end, we always stayed within budget and made more money than the previous year.
“For instance, centerpieces are things that I choose to skimp on. It's not that we don't think they are important, it's just that having a centerpiece on the table will not make us more money or sell us more tickets or sponsorships. It's an addition, and to me, you spend as little as possible on additions that don't make money for you.”