Expert tips for planning your next event
The fallout from COVID-19 was brutal for the event industry. The early months of the pandemic brought businesses and celebratory events to a sudden halt, resulting in a loss of jobs for many event professionals.
During these last few years, there was much soul-searching among industry insiders, wondering where the state of event planning would be moving forward. Many of us worked hard to pivot to virtual models, create new innovative ways of connecting and find alternatives to the traditional galas and parties so that people could gather safely during such a time of uncertainty.
What a difference two years make! Lots of festivities have found their way back onto calendars and, for many, there is a renewed excitement for celebrations of all kinds, particularly weddings and b’nei mitzvahs.
With so much demand, it’s important to plan ahead as much as possible for a special personal occasion or a corporate event. As an event planner with close to 25 years of experience, I know firsthand what to anticipate and how to prepare for it in order to help my clients bring to life their big day. Since COVID-19, I have even turned these insights into a training and coaching program to help venues and event professionals address their pain points — or even how to avoid them altogether.
Here are some expert tips to keep in mind when planning your next event.
Start with the priority items. Venues, for example, are being booked one to two years out. Therefore, the first step in the planning process should be securing the venue where the event will take place. Make a list of specifications you will need in a venue, such as guest capacity, general location and accessibility accommodations. Using your criteria, curate a list of potential event venues.
Next, track your outreach to each venue. Contact the event or sales department of each venue on your list to inquire about the availability for your desired event date. You may find that, even with advanced planning, your preferred date may already be booked. Keep track of which alternative dates are still available at the venues you contact. Depending upon what you learn from your outreach, you may be faced with a decision to make: Either keep searching for a venue until you find one that’s available and meets your needs or change your event date to align with a venue’s openings.
Once you’ve settled on a venue, that choice may dictate the next priority items for your to-do list. For example, if your venue requires an outside caterer, you’ll want to prioritize interviewing and contracting one as the next essential task on your planning timeline. Since the pandemic, there has been a labor shortage in the events industry, and many caterers are no longer able to take on as many events on a single date — which makes their availability more limited. Get on a caterer’s calendar early to secure your event date, especially if there is a certain caterer you already have in mind and would prefer to have at your event.
If an event will be outdoors, tenting may be needed to accommodate guests rain or shine — but act quickly. The pandemic created a heightened desire for gathering outside to strive to mitigate the spread of the virus. This is particularly important if there are guests on your list who are immunocompromised. Consequently, the demands on tent rental companies have increased exponentially. As soon as you’ve locked in your event date and venue, contact rental companies immediately to find one that can provide what you need.
Gear up for your big day by drafting an event timeline, but remain flexible when needed. Your planning priorities can and will vary based on several event factors. While having a longer period for planning can be beneficial at times, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to pull off an event in a
short timeframe. The latter can be achieved with the right knowledge, experience and efficiency — and perhaps support from an event planner.
Regardless of how far into the future an event may be, I work with my clients to create a planning timeline that tracks the order of priorities based on each individual situation. We adjust it accordingly as needed.
Working with a professional event planner can make prepping for your occasion less overwhelming for you — and more productive
(and enjoyable!) overall. PJC
This content is provided by our advertising partner, Shari Zatman, the owner of Perfectly Planned by Shari. For more expert event planning tips, visit the Perfectly Planned by Shari blog at perfectlyplannedbyshari.com/blog.
