Event Management Tips: How To Avoid Mistakes

EVENT MANAGEMENT TIPS: HOW TO AVOID MISTAKES

We know what it’s like. Your event is just around the corner, and it absolutely must be pulled off. Perfectly! Perhaps you’re looking for some simple event management tips that will make sure it’s all smooth sailing? After all, if all goes well your event will pay off big time with new customers and increased brand loyalty. But what could happen if things go wrong?

Well, in event management, things can tend to fall apart if you don’t grab hold of all the moving parts. Remember the absolute chaos that was Fyre Festival? The moving part we’re talking about relies on a whole lot of factors to be pulled off smoothly. But don’t worry, the Jawbone crew’s got your back. We’ve put together some top tips to help you avoid some common event management mistakes.

EVENT MANAGEMENT TIP 1: KEEP TALKING

One of the biggest mistakes event management companies make is not communicating clearly and effectively. Poor communication can result in a lack of attention to detail, poor organisation, bad (or late) timing and perhaps worse, complete misunderstanding and misjudgment.

It may seem obvious, but planning a successful event starts with proper, clear communication. And this should apply to your internal and external event teams like as vendors and suppliers. You’ve got to communicate exactly who does what and when, and then triple check and get teams to confirm they’re on board and as invested in the success as you are. So you can see how this comes down to being clear about roles and responsibilities which can clarify actions and keep teams accountable for all their specific tasks.

Clear and concise instructions along with detailed info, can come in handy if you want to avoid conflict and create better overall time management. That’s why we recommend having a dedicated project manager to help formulate tasks clearly and delegate accordingly. When everyone involved knows what’s expected of them, as well as what their delivery timelines are, your event is sure to roll out well. Tasks will be completed on time, and you’ll be laying the foundation for event success long before the day itself arrives.

Of course, the bigger an event is can often mean that it’s more difficult to make sure everyone is on the same page. But no matter the size, or whether it’s for public or corporate event management, you want to make sure that you’ve got your communication channels and processes waxed. Use event management software to make communicating with a big team easier.

EVENT MANAGEMENT TIP 2: STAFF UP

No single event can run as a one-man show. Underestimating the scale of a big event is also not a road you want to walk down alone (or in a team for that matter). Dealing with more attendees than your staff can handle can bring chaos that you really don’t want to be dealing with.

Although it can often be tempting to save on budget with less staff, if things get tricky, you’re going to want to have those extra hands. Always make sure you have more staff than required — or have staff that are versatile enough with what they’re working on that they can rotate their roles if needed. This way, you’ll have the extra hands you need if lady luck decides to throw you a curveball.

Remember, staff, are also just human. And real life happens to us humans. Don’t forget that things like sickness and family emergencies are very real and could leave you in a pinch. Don’t make the mistake of understaffing, always over prepare rather than under prepare.

EVENT MANAGEMENT TIP 3: BACK UP YOUR BACK UP PLAN

You read that right. Even the most meticulously planned events can fall victim to unforeseen issues. In fact “unforeseen issues” are just a fancy term for what life throws us. That’s why it’s crucial to be better prepared for any and every scenario possible with well thought-out contingency plans for when things don’t go to plan.

During the planning phase and brainstorming process, perform a risk assessment. Think about different outcomes, such as budget overruns, technical faults, mother nature issues, catering problems or anything else that could prevent you from delivering the best event results. Once you’ve laid out all the possible risks and scenarios, and found all the weak links, it’s time to come up with the back up plans.

Having a backup plan across different facets of your event will give you peace of mind, and allow your team to “keep calm and carry on” if something happens on the day. Make sure all these plans are briefed to staff and suppliers long in advance so that the roll out runs smoothly if anything does happen.

EVENT MANAGEMENT TIP 4: PROMOTE PROPERLY

One of the event management trends we’ve noticed is that planners can tend to get so caught up in the planning, that they forget about the importance of marketing (or worse they only market it last minute). Delaying the marketing of the event will leave little time for people to know about it, spread the word and attend. The recommended time to start marketing an event, is at least three to four months ahead of the event. And whether it’s a corporate event, a social event, a lifestyle event – it always comes down to a solid marketing plan.

Think about whether it makes sense to have a one-pager website dedicated to the event or campaign, or whether it would make more sense to create a page on your existing site or social channels. Where are people going to hear your message loud and clear? Either way, you’re going to need a place to direct those who want to know more about the event. You could even add a registration form to help you gather how many people are interested in attending. Include location, time, purpose, contact information and social media links with hashtags. It’ll all go toward telling a success story at the end of the day.

Other ways to think about promoting an event is through news releases, promoted social media campaigns, targeted ads or email marketing – depending on what will work for your brand and event. There’s really no point in having the event at all if you can’t get enough of the right audience to attend and enjoy it.

EVENT MANAGEMENT TIP 5: MAINTAIN MOMENTUM

Often event planners make the mistake of ending the event once the doors close. The truth is, your event is only really over when people stop talking about it. Keep the energy of the event alive by sharing images on social media, and having a community manager that can track the hashtags, respond to and share images of guests. Doing this can often be a way to bring in more business or even sell your services and products. It’s what you make of it!

Evaluate the success of the event, and note any improvements that could have been made. You could even send follow up emails with attendees to keep the interest going, and gather feedback for your next event.

EVENT MANAGEMENT TIP 6: PICK THE RIGHT PARTNER

Events can be challenging (trust us, we know). No matter the size or scope, they can be strenuous for a brand. That’s why you need to pick the right partner. With the right events management company, you can rest assured that every small detail will be covered. At Jawbone, we stay on top of event management trends, so you can sit back and let us handle it.

So if you’re looking for event management services in South Africa, we’re here to help. Get in touch with the Jawbone crew to find out how we can deliver a truly