The word “daunting” is thrown around a little too often these days, but if there’s one situation where its use might be warranted, it’s when you’re training a large event with hundreds of moving parts that, if any were to go wrong, could scupper the entire event! So, that probably won’t make you feel much better if you happen to be someone tasked with such a job, but fear not, as there are certain things you can do that should make the process much more manageable and easier to handle.
Define Your Event’s Purpose Clearly
There are some things that are missed because they’re seemingly too obvious, and perhaps this initial tip is one of those things. It might appear almost insulting to suggest that you ought to spend some time defining your event, but the fact is that, as with nearly everything in life, it’s the most blindingly apparent things that tend to pass us by. So, with that out of the way, what does this mean in practice? Well, each event is going to be dramatically different depending on what its scope is. For instance, if your event is something based around showcasing different businesses and allowing them to promote their wares, then you will need to figure into the equation what sorts of exhibition display stands to meet the requirements, how you will Venice a decent amount of attendees to make it worthwhile, how much you’ll charge and so on. On the other hand, if your event is something like a wedding, then having enough seating, entertainment, and food options will trump all else. Spending time at this stage will inevitably allow you to prepare the space, determine how to attract people to the event, and ensure that everyone’s needs are met sufficiently.
Create A Detailed Budget Plan
Fail to prepare a budget and expect to spend far more than you imagined it would cost. Now, it’s also worth mentoring that whatever budget you come to should include an overrun to cater for life’s little unknowns that tend to have a habit of appearing out of nowhere to intentionally destroy you and that it’s enough to cover at least one of the most significant components of the exhibition (such as the need to replace a band or lead speaker last minute, etc). The most common things to budget for include:
- Venue cost: In many instances, this will be the lion’s share of your budget, and as you might imagine, the fancier the venue and the closer it is inside an urban setting, the more you are going to be expected to fork out for.
- Production and setup:This covers the costs related to building exhibition booths, setting up the stage, lighting, sound systems, and any necessary technical equipment, which can all be streamlined through professional event hire Sydney services.
- Staffing: If your event is sufficiently large and staffing isn’t included in the venue fee, you’ll have to budget for this yourself. Different events will involve different staffing requirements, making the first point in this post even more pertinent.
- Promotion: Unless you promote your event, it’s very likely that very few people will actually turn up. And, if your exhibition is based on attracting businesses, you will have some explaining to do when they realize they’ve spent a small fortune and you’ve forgotten to market the event.
- Catering: Whether food is included or not, you will still have to figure out how to keep the masses fed and watered sufficiently.
- Insurance and permits: It’s almost a guarantee that you’re going to need some kind of insurance and possibly even a permit or two in order to host the event, and as is the way, these all cost money.
Choose The Right Venue
Venue style and location are critical to ensure success. The venue you select should fall well within your budget and cater to the theme and style you aim for. For example, if you’re hosting a charity fundraising event sponsored by local artists, then you might have more success raising funds by choosing somewhere with a little more artistic flair than you might need for a middle manager salesperson of the year award. Location is also vital. If you select somewhere that is too far away or doesn’t have sufficient parking or mass transit connections, you’re going to struggle to attract attendees.
Assemble A Reliable Team Around You (And Learn The Art Of Delegation)
There has never been a successful event in history that hasn’t involved a great team. By surrounding yourself with competent people who are well-versed in their specific areas of expertise, you can place your entire focus on the bigger picture and ensure that everything slots into place just so. The issue is that for plenty of people, this can be easier said than done as they are often worried that without their constant micromanaging, something will go wrong, and the responsibility will land firmly on their shoulders. While the latter part is ultimately true (as in the host multimarket bears the final responsibility for the success or failure of an event), by learning how to delegate effectively, you can avoid many of the usual pitfalls, such as miscommunication or unclear guidelines, and instead, have peace of mind that your orders are being carried out as you demand. Moreover, when you hire capable individuals, they won’t need constant nannying and should be able to take care of minor hiccups themselves.
Coordinate Logistics For Smooth Execution
These sorts of things don’t just appear out of nowhere, and if you want everything to run smoothly, you need to ensure that everything is coordinated down to a tee. We’re talking about military logistic levels of organization here since the more you are able to get things correct at this stage, the less you’ll have to break out into a cold sweat once the event has begun. For large events, you may even need to spin up a dedicated logistic team whose sole responsibility is to liaise with all the moving parts and report to you regarding the current situation.
Follow Up With Attendees Post-Event
Whether this is your first event or your tenth, it always pays to get some real-world feedback from those who have attended. This gives you vital data on what went well and what you might want to consider improving in the future.
Hosting an exhibition or something similar is no mean feat, and pulling everything off smoothly takes planning, coordination, and the ability to delegate. The tips mentioned here are only six, but they should get you started in the right direction.