The key to a successful
event is simple—proper planning. Unfortunately, simple and easy
are not the same thing. The more time spent envisioning and planning the
event before it happens, the more smoothly it will run.
Event
planning involves
moving
from the high level issues down to all facets of implementation. When
planning any event, from a small meeting to an international
conference,
there are some fundamental points to consider. Determining financial and
marketing objectives, budget,
location
variables,
accommodation,
food and beverage considerations, technical needs,
transportation
and accessibility issues, registration concerns, guest
entertainment,
etc., along with the creation executable timelines for all these needs,
will ensure the success of any event.
Even the smallest event
creates a number of variables to consider. One unlucky corporate organizer
booked a hotel
meeting suite for a small gathering of out-of-town executives at
the same time that the hotel was booked for a rowdy sporting convention.
The meeting’s productivity was hindered by noisy groups of happy
partiers wandering the hotel’s hallways. In this case, had the
organizer checked what other groups had booked the hotel, a little more
money would have reserved the penthouse boardroom, avoiding the noise
issues.
The scale and type of an event
will determine the needs of the project plan, but here are some basic
components that hold true for many events
(this is a departure point for more detailed plans)
| Ottawa Conventions.com
Event Planning 101
Chapter 1: Planning an Event
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