Editor's Note: The following is a guest Marketing Mulligans post from Natasha Alishan, an account executive at Moonlight Media, Ltd., a U.K.-based PR firm which works with companies that develop technologies used in wholesale financial markets. This piece, which first appeared in PRNewser, discusses the basic criteria required to plan and orchestrate special events, a vastly-underrated skill not typically possessed by most marketing and communications professionals. Event marketing, along with the strategic management of the thousands of details associated with the coordination of a special event, is an art form in and of itself, and an outstanding capability to add to one's resume and skill set. This represents some invaluable advice to one and all.
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One common misconception is that creativity isn’t, or shouldn’t, be structured. Having good ideas is great, but you must organize these ideas to successfully execute them. Every event is different so there is no one-size-fits-all approach, but with a bit of common sense and the following tips, you should be good to go.
1. Define Your Goals, Audience, and Theme
The event must serve a clear purpose whether it be to create awareness of the brand/company or simply to celebrate an achievement. This leads to the theme of the event, which in turn determines the target audience.
2. Create A Detailed Action Plan
Make a thorough plan of all the steps needed to achieve your goal. Usually, in event organizing, there are many elements to pull together at the last minute so it is useful to have everything written out, with a timeline and the dependencies. Set out the steps assuming everything goes to plan, but also have a plan B. What if something goes awry? Don’t forget to double-check every detail; don’t just rely on yourself, but also on everyone in your team. Event organization is about teamwork, and two heads are better than one. Keep every document and write everything down for back-checking when expected phases don’t happen on schedule.
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| Don't let your next event turn into a "Real Housewives"-style fiasco. |
Consider your budget limitations vs. expectations and impact. The venue is essentially the first point of impact of the invitation. Not everyone can afford to have an event at a prestigious venue but choosing a location that has some links to your client is important. It must be easy to get to and appeal to your target audience.
4. Choose The Right Date
Think about which date will have the most impact. It was no coincidence that the Royal Wedding was the weekend before a holiday. Avoiding major sporting events is also extremely important and, much as I hate to admit it, no one’s going to turn up to your event if it falls on the same day as the Super Bowl or game seven of the World Series or NBA Finals.
5. Learn To Love Your Phone
Emailing is valuable but not enough. Calling your vendors, suppliers, and potential guests (simple rule – if you don’t ask, you don’t get) is more personal and in these situations tends to be more effective. However, follow up all calls with a confirmation email, to ensure all parties know what they’ve agreed to.
6. During The Event, Be Proactive and Stay Positive
There really is no problem too great. You can deal with any unexpected hitch if you remain calm and focused. If you believe in the event and its success, so will your team.
7. Enjoy!
And finally, enjoy. A good party is often influenced by the organizer’s demeanour, and you’ve worked hard to achieve success. Savor the moment, and take pride in a job well done.
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