4 Key Considerations Before You Begin Planning Your Event

4 Key Considerations Before You Begin Planning Your Event

Whether you’re running a school leaver’s event or a conference surrounding corporate responsibility, the demands of organizing a small or large scale occasion remain the same. The truth is, all events require a few of the same pieces to be slotted together, it’s just about identifying your needs and planning in advance to make sure you aren’t caught out.

In this guide, we are going to look at four of the most important initial considerations for event organisers to keep in mind. By asking yourselves these questions before you begin the full planning process, you are much more likely to organise a successful occasion which people enjoy attending. Hopefully, it helps!

Purpose

Whilst seemingly obvious, the first point to think about when you begin organising an event is exactly what the purpose of your occasion is. Often the needs of your event are made most obvious when you sit down and think about what you are trying to achieve and who your event is for. For example, leisure events like parties and social gatherings demand very different facilities to be present compared to a conference venue. 

Building on this, you may be able to find a more affordable setting for your event if you’ve identified exactly what you need from it. Not all business venues are expensive, yet many pay more than they need to because they don’t think about the essential facilities that they need rather than just place a deposit on a location that is large enough to host their attendees. These considerations can save you time and money whilst also helping ensure your event is the best it can be. 

Seasonality

Another key thought to keep in mind is the season in which your event will take place. Seasonality and weather affect all aspects of an events success from the venue choice through to ticket sales and enjoyment on the day. Some venues are suitable for all seasons, whilst others are more tailored towards specific types of weather and this should be seriously kept in mind during the venue decision process.

Additionally, think about where your target audience will want to spend their time during this season. If you are marketing a Christmas business event, then you might find yourself seeing reduced ticket sales as business people would prefer to spend the holiday season with family. Always put yourself in the shoes of your attendees.

Budget

Tips to plan and organize an event

Budget is often a complex topic. Some people don’t know how much budge to assign to their project, particularly if it’s your first time organising an event. In actuality, budgets and pricing vary wildly depending on sector, purpose and venue location. In general, it’s advised to write down an absolute maximum budget but strive to spend less than that figure. As you work on the event planning you will quickly identify whether your budget is too low or too high, at which point it might be time to revaluate your goals or the scope of your project.

Size and Monetisation

Finally, building on the budget points just mentioned, it’s key for all event organisers to consider how budget might be impacted by the size of the occasion and the method in which it is monetised. Techniques like ticket sales, raffles, corporate sponsorships and other such systems can have a major impact on budgeting, particularly for larger events where costs can quickly reach huge numbers. 

Any event that you organise should be fully paid for before it begins, allowing the rest of the money raised to be dedicated to profit. Always keep in mind how many people are attending and you how you will make enough money from your occasion to make it worthwhile.

With these questions in mind, you should be much more prepared to create an event which attendees will be talking about for months or years to come. As with anything that you are organizing, it’s important to take your time, be thorough and plan heavily, as there are plenty of stories about poor events resulting from inadequate planning.

Christie Lewis
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