- Meet with people you are managing the event for, and discern what type of event it will be, as well as their needs and expectations.
- Find out how many guests to expect.
- You should be able to work out a budget and have it approved and funded.
- How much space to you need, and what type? A hotel conference room could work for small seminars, or you may need to book dining venue for a fundraising dinner.
- Will guests need to travel to get to your event? Price travel information.
- If the event is more than one day or lasts well into the night, guests may need to stay over. Price hotels and motels in the area.
- Coordinate your venue and guest arrival so you can secure shuttle service if possible.
- Price caterers in the area, and ask for a discount for a large event. Make sure the caterer you hire can handle it.
- You'd be surprised at how much stuff you can get for free if you offer to let local businesses sponsor the event.
- A good band or DJ can bring a feeling of energy to your event.
- Try to get someone famous or semi-famous to make an appearance - even if it is just a brief one. A local dignitary can often be prevailed upon to say a few words.
- You can book local security, or contact the local PD to see if any officers are up for moonlighting at your event.
- Coming up with a great theme doesn't have to mean holding a luau or an '80s night'. For high power business events, find a way to promote the corporate vision in a fun, engaging way.
- You can't go wrong with flowers, and a local florist may give you a discount in exchange for displaying advertising. Don't overdo on decor - keep it simple and elegant.
- There should be an extremely available contact who can field calls from invitees about the event.
- You may have a marketing guru ready to hand. Otherwise, hire a advertising or marketing firm to promote large events.
- Hold a short introductory session, then set up leaders for different groups to carry on training.
- You should have plenty of help setting up for the event; your job as event manager should be supervisory.
- You want to be in control of every step of the event, from hanging signage to overseeing equipment set-up and seating.
- If not ushers, then greeters - there should be a few appropriately dressed and recognizable staffers to mingle and answer questions.
- Carry your cell phone and consider using a handset on a set frequency to communicate with key staff.
- You are ultimately responsible, so delegate, supervise and double check.
- Pay any outstanding invoices, balance the budget, and summarize for the powers that be.
Start by evaluating the number of people attending, what they are expecting, and how to meet their needs. An elegant dinner party will require wait staff. A garden wedding - plenty of seating, An educational presentation; a large room with seating and a blank wall for a PowerPoint or slide show demonstration if necessary. You have to be able to come up with a projected budget that covers details such as venue, refreshments, and staffing. Innovate.
Be creative; make the event something people will remember and talk about for years to come, this could mean coming up with a unique theme, finding ways to barter services to cut costs, or even planning the event in a unusual location. Finally, delegate - event management can be an unwieldy beast, and for large events you will definitely need some help.
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