Event Planning Mistakes to Avoid

Whether you are planning a private celebration or are part of an event organising team when it comes to getting an event prepped, planned and organised, it takes a lot of time and effort.

It also takes a lot of thought and pre-planning. Seeing the whole picture, forecasting attendance and being able to understand what poses a risk to your event are also part of event planning.

You may require additional staff to assist with the event set up, such as Event Crew or Exhibition Staff. 

Mistakes do get made but they are avoidable.

I. Not leaving enough time for setting up

There is nothing worse that members of the public streaming into an event to find that the venue is still in the process of being set up.
Not only does it not look unprofessional, it is also a health and safety nightmare that can be easily avoided by;

•  Deliberately allocating more set-up time than you think you need
• Drawing up a detail set up schedule
• Aim to have everything ready at least an hour before your guests, delegates or attendees arrive

II. Too many people, not enough space

A sell-out event is great news for the profit margin. BUT, if your event venue is too small, not accessible or not the right fit, you could be storing up a heap of problems.

Turning people away may not be an option but neither is contravening fire regulations, as well as health and safety guidelines by squeezing people in a too-small space.

Avoid this by;

• Knowing what the minimum number of attendees will make the event viable
•  Setting a ticket cap
• Determining the maximum number of attendees/tickets that can be sold and stick to it

III. Not having a Plan B, Plan C…

Event organisers are marvels at being and staying organised because essentially, that is what their job is all about.

It is also about being able to identify a problem and the solutions. And this means understanding what could go wrong.

And yet, so many events slide into chaos because event organisers have failed plan for the most basic of issues. For example, failing to determine before an outdoor event what bad weather is and how bad the weather has to be before they call the event off.

Avoid catastrophe and bad press is something by;

• Identifying risks, hazards, opportunities and threats that could affect your event
• Having a plan for worst case scenarios
• Understanding what your responsibilities are when it comes come to an Emergency Event Plan (for commercial and community events)
• Having backup plans, as well as equipment or people you can call on to get you out of a tight spot
• Thinking outside the box of event planning!

IV. Not having enough staff

It is amazing how many people you will need for an event to run smoothly and yet, the number of staff needed is one thing that is frequently underestimated.

Many hands make light work. But it isn’t just that. Sometimes, you need professionals in certain roles because they are the people who are trained and experienced in delivering a specialist service at all kinds of events.

You need to understand what staff you need, and what expertise they need to keep people at your event safe;

• Stewards and marshals are a must for outdoor events to make sure that every part of the event runs smoothly
• First aiders, fire marshals and security are just three groups of specialists you may need on site whilst the event is ongoing
• Promotional staff can promote your company as well as sell tickets for future events and so on
• Crowd management is something that trained security staff are expert at doing
• Setting up and tidying away staff – just look at the hundreds of people who clear the fields after the Glastonbury Festival!

V. Choosing the ‘wrong’ date

In our excitement of creating an event, we can sometimes suffer from clouded vision. We pick a date on the calendar and assume that everyone will be available, and your event will be a sell-out.

Except it’s the Royal Wedding.
Or the Cup Final.
Or the closing day of the Summer Olympics.

Avoid poor sales due to a poor date by;

• Narrowing your options by making note of what major festivals or events are slated for certain dates
• Take note of cultural and religious dates too
• Determine which day of the week your event would be in with the most chance of success

Envisage Promotions is a leading promotional staffing agency. With several sister companies providing specialist event staff, such as security, we can help make sure every part of your event is a success.