Whether you’re arranging a weekly meeting or an international conference, good event planning is essential: your event goes smoothly; delegates get more out of it; and your reputation rises. Whether you do-it-yourself or hire the event planning services of a specialist firm, your choice of venue will underpin the eventual success of your conference or meeting.
Having the following structure in place makes it easier to build-on the other aspects of a successful conference or meeting:
- A great location
- A wide range of on-site facilities
- An experienced ‘can do’ team
- A large selection of different rooms (and the ability to combine them)
- Onsite accommodation
- All the event technology you will need
Get the venue right at an early stage and all the other aspects of event organisation become easier. A really good venue may even become your unofficial event planning guide as they draw on their experience to help you.
Should you DIY or subcontract event planning?
While event planning companies are available, many people do their own planning. Professional event planners may have more experience with different events, but you have a better understanding of your business and event objectives than anyone. This may outweigh the advantages of using a professional event planning partner.
The practicalities of events planning
Even when faced with a busy schedule, major events planning can be a manageable task. For many managers, successful planning is a great way to build their reputations and enhance their CVs. For all events, successful planning includes the following:
- Agree clear objectives
- Allow sufficient time and develop event planning ideas as early as possible
- Break the task into manageable chunks (successful events planners always do this)
- Delegate wisely
- Budget accurately (and include contingency)
- Monitor progress (and budgets) closely
Choose a venue that will help make the event planning task easier
If they work methodically, one person can easily arrange a major international conference – especially with the support of a venue with an experienced events team.
The importance of evaluation in the corporate event planning process
Once their event is over, successful event planners always review the planning process. This is particularly important if the event is to be repeated.
- Did the event fulfil your agreed objectives?
- What worked and what didn’t?
- Was anything missing from your business event planning checklist?
- Which suppliers would you use again (or not)?
- Could you get more feedback in future?
And don’t forget to celebrate your successes.
Whether you do your own special event planning or hire one of the available events planning companies, Right Circle Events has the venue experience needed to help you deliver a successful event that will wow delegates and build your reputation for event planning. Call us now for more information.