Mistakes to avoid when organizing events

Mistakes can happen and are part of everyday life. Whether it is in business or in your personal life, it is human and never 100% avoidable. Some mistakes however come at a higher price than others, which is why organizing events is not an easy task. Many of the mistakes are very common; to avoid them it is important to be thorough in your planning.

• Not starting early enough

Not starting early enough is one of the most common event planning mistakes that you will want to avoid. Starting too late can cause a series of problems, so as soon as you have chosen a date, you should start getting an idea of the overall range of the event and the budget. To not be limited in choices of accommodation and space you should book the hotel or venue where you wish to stay or hold the event, ahead of time. Advisable is, to get a signed contract with partners. Create an organization checklist in which you identify each step of the planning process and a timeline to determine when each step will need to be completed.

• Not checking the calendar

Before choosing a random date for your event, check the calendar and take a look at possible factors influencing your chosen date:
– Weather
– Your event coinciding with another big event (high profile sport event, city marathon, international conference)
– Road blockades or construction sides denying or making access to location difficult

Just because a venue is spacious enough and visually attractive doesn’t mean that it is the right place for your kind of event. Important to clarify is: does it have the right atmosphere for the type of event which you are holding? Does it fulfil your clients’ wants and needs? Here are some factors indicating the venue isn’t right for you:
-The space is small and unable to accommodate the expected number of participants
-The space is too large and will swallow everything and make the room look empty
-The space is too basic and doesn’t broadcast the right atmosphere
-The space has a pre-existing theme which isn’t harmonising with your type of event
-The space is lacking important features that you need such as separate meeting rooms

• • • Not confirming with suppliers

A signed contract is a legally binding agreement and gives you something in writing that makes the seller responsible for the services they must provide on the day of the event. Confirm with each supplier twice, confirm the receipt of the signed contract once both parties have agreed to the terms and then confirm one more time close to the event. This is a good way to make sure; your event is still in the suppliers agenda.

• • • Not having a plan B

Prepare yourself for things going a different way than planned and have a back-up plan for when it happens. It’s never easy dealing with things which don’t go as planned, but it will be much easier if you have come up with solutions beforehand. Trying to find solutions once the issue has come up is much more stressful. However, if you prepare yourself for uncertainties it will be easier; less time consuming and less stressful should an issue come up.