Staging an event can be a great way of helping you succeed in your professional or personal life but what else does an event bring?

• Customers will appreciate the attention and consideration you show them.
• Teams of employees in businesses and other organisations will be motivated to bond together and freely give their best to achieve the organisation’s goals.
• Friends … well they will love you even more if you offer them an uplifting experience that takes them out of everyday life.

But how, what, where and when?

And how can I know how many will really come, what if the weather turns foul or the food doesn’t turn up, and what happens if two participants decide to entertain everyone else with a blazing row? After half an hour’s thought, it doesn’t seem so simple. Here’re some tips to help you on your way.

Don’t fret, but be aware…

If you decide to do it yourself, one of the first things to be aware of is the amount of time you need for planning and arranging! On average, a simple one-day, non-residential event for 30 delegates or friends, with no specialist activities will absorb 138 hours. A 3-day residential conference with 100 delegates, evening entertainment, and some specialist activities with minimal theming works out just short of 1000 hours!

Event management is a complex process

And you can’t cut corners if you want to ensure it’s a resounding success and maximise the return on investment. Time is just as much an investment as money and should not be overlooked.

Make a plan.

Write down everything you think you will need for the event to be a resounding success. Leave it for a day or two and come back to it, you will certainly find more things to add to it. Once you’ve made your list, think about how you will go about organising each one and how much time it will require. Prioritise, where possible, delegate and do not feel embarrassed to ask for help! There are many professionals who do this for a living and certainly you will find friends or colleagues who just want to be part of this great event you are pulling together.

The professional touch.

Event agencies and services can help turn a good event into something exceptional. That is, after all, what they do! There are many types of event management professionals out there and you would do well to pick one with specialities that you require. I.E., a wedding planner for a wedding, a corporate management agency for business events etc.

At KITES International, we have considerable experience in tailoring events for the corporate world. We quickly identify the essential key elements required in each individual request and thrive on creating a program that is completely unique. Each event is aligned to the principals and vision of the companies and clients we deal with, ensuring that their aims and expectancies are met and exceeded.

People love to be surprised.

Innovation and creativity are critical when organising an event. A unique concept, a fantastic location or something out of the ordinary is essential and ensures whatever event you design you will get a resounding ‘wow’ from the participants.

Do your research.

What does your client/guests/participants want? Where? How? What? When we work with a client, we start with a comprehensive research of the company and its core business, then define the event purpose from that – an incentive for successful employees, a product launch, a conference, hospitality for customers etc. Don’t be afraid to ask questions!

With the research completed, present the client with several different proposals and once they are happy the real work starts.

The Master Plan and Budget.

You should have preliminary plan outlined which now needs to be refined & developed into a Master Plan. List the suppliers, write down the contact details, prices, availability, special conditions etc. When do certain tasks need to be completed? How much will it cost? What’s the budget? Keep your master plan flexible and your budget strict! Above all, pay attention to the little details. They are the ones that will remain make your event shine.

The event.

Now comes the event. Arrive onsite well in advance check, double check and recheck all the arrangements. Speak to the suppliers, keep them to your schedule, make any last-minute adjustments and then, once the doors open, take a deep breath and watch for all of the smiles on the guests faces!

Post event review.

Once all the guests have departed and you’ve managed to take a five-minute break from receiving all of the congratulations you have rightly earned, it is time for a quick review. What went well? What could have been better? What would I change for next time? The review process is an important part of the event and definitely shouldn’t be overlooked. After all, if the next event is going to be an even bigger success you need to learn from this one!

Good luck!

Good luck with organising your event! If you follow the tips above, you are on the right track. Of course, there are a few other essential elements to success, but please allow us to keep a few trade secrets to ourselves!