10 Event Planning Blunders You Can Make (and how to avoid them)

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event planning

Planning an event in a complex task that involves numerous facets that demand equal attention. All the aspects involved in event planning are intricately woven together, which implies one wrong step will have an unfavorable domino effect.

As an event planner, it’s your responsibility to be prepared for anything. While it’s impossible to control every single element, you can do your part to avoid any major missteps.

1. Overlooking Murphy’s Law

Yes, having an optimistic outlook is wonderful. But according to Murphy’s Law, anything that can go wrong will probably go wrong. The caterer canceled at the last minute, now what? Your guests can’t go home hungry.

For this reason, it’s imperative to be prepared for everything. Prior to the event, you should perform a risk assessment with your team. Always, always have a backup plan and alternative options. You should have solutions ready before a problem arises.

2. Poor Communication

Never assume someone else’s knowledge about anything. Not communicating or poorly communicating can be the reason for your event’s downfall. It’s crucial for you to effectively communicate with your internal team and external suppliers. Rather than micromanaging, just make sure everyone knows exactly what they’re supposed to do.

3. Underestimating The Event’s Scale

Miscalculating the event’s scale can quickly prove to be disastrous. You don’t want to deal with an angry crowd that you can’t accommodate.

In order to prevent such a situation from arising, do your research to find a close estimate of the number of attendees.

However, even good planning can sometimes fail because of factors outside your control. If the worse comes to worst and you have to turn away people, make sure you have adequate security to deal with any escalations. OGS Group provides a qualified and experienced team of security for all kinds of events throughout Oxford.

4. Failure To Keep Track Of Changes

With event planning, constant changes are expected. For instance, the initial venue was flooded so now there’s a new venue booked or the registration process has been switched from manual to electronic form. Even the smallest of changes can have a huge impact on your event.

It’s important to keep a track of all the changes for a successful event. Failure to do so will result in missed deadlines and an exhausted budget.

5. Hiring Inexperienced Managers

Your team is an extension of you. Hire event managers with relevant experience. You shouldn’t have to hold their hands through everything. They should be capable of handling and completing tasks on their own.

6. Inadequate Promotion

All your efforts will go to waste if no one shows up for your event. Take all the steps you can to promote your event, scream from the rooftops!

While traditional marketing is the obvious choice, don’t neglect the power digital media holds. There is no better way to connect with people than social media. You can also create a website for your event.

7. Chaotic Check-In

You don’t want your attendees to feel frustrated even before they enter the event. Put an efficient check-in system in place to make the process goes smoothly.

8. Understaffing

Take into consideration the number of attendees you are expecting and accordingly hire staff. There should be enough staff to assist the attendees and deal with other tasks.

9. Lack of Transportation

A lot of times an event is conducted in different venues instead of one place. If that’s the case, then ensure there’s enough transportation available to take attendees to different venues.

10. Unclear Signage

The attendees should be able to easily navigate through the event. To avoid any confusion, put up clear and adequate signage that’s easy to read and understand.

Event planning is a tricky affair that can become a minefield if approached incorrectly. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but hopefully, it will help you create a contingency plan for your event.

 

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