When planning for events, whether in person or virtual, keep in mind everything that needs to be done, from soup to nuts! While it can be a lot to plan out and execute, seeing your hard work pay off in the end is so rewarding! The small details of an event are just as important as the big ones, and this guide will help you simplify your process going forward.
Event logistics are defined as the process of planning technical and logistical support services. This can mean bringing in a keynote speaker, securing a venue or arranging transportation for your guests. Event logistics are a crucial part of your event to keep on top of, because you don’t want your event to go awry. Keeping open lines of communication with people such as vendors, caterers and IT directors will help your event run smoothly and it will be an enjoyable experience for everyone involved.
Why are event logistics important? Think of it this way; you wouldn’t want to plan a wedding with no theme, budget or timeline, would you? Planning an event with simplified logistics will ensure that there will be no cut corners and that every aspect of the event is covered. In the months or even years leading up to your event, the planning, organization and logistics will set the tone for your attendees and ROI when the day finally arrives.
We know what you may be thinking - now how do I start to plan the logistics of my event? Trying to fit all of the pieces together can seem like a giant task. Starting small and working together with your team will help to plan out all of the details without missing any! Some events can have large numbers of attendees, which sometimes means having more resources to help plan the event as well. Bringing all of these elements together will create an enjoyable experience for everyone involved. Some of these elements may include:
Organization may be the most important element when it comes to planning events. There are dozens of different details to iron out, and these elements need to run smoothly in order to have a great event. If you are the main event planner for your event, use delegation to help alleviate some of the pressure off of you. Having spreadsheets or folders to keep track of everything that has been done or needs to be done will keep everyone organized. Having separate spreadsheets combined into one organizational folder and granting everyone helping plan the event access will allow them to check off when things are done. Adding due dates will help everyone get things done in a timely manner.
When doing venue research, keep in mind the number of people you have attending, including staff and vendors. You will need a room big enough to accommodate everyone, but one small enough that you will utilize all of the space. Security is also an important factor to consider for a venue. You want your guests to feel safe and secure while also having fun.
Whether your event is a single day event or lasts a few days, your attendees will need to eat! If your budget allows, you may want to make the catering fun for your guests, such as a make your own sandwich station or a macaroni and cheese bar. Researching surrounding food vendors will help you determine which company is the right fit for you. Meal breaks at events are a great chance for the attendees to mingle and eat. Giving your attendees delicious food choices will be a topic of conversation and could be used again for the next event!
Technology is a crucial part of any event! Whether you need to use a screen to show a presentation or use microphones, you need to be sure that the technology used is going to run smoothly. Doing a simple test run or tech rehearsal with the technology you’re planning on using allows for the glitches to be worked out, ensuring your guests receive the information they need in a timely manner.
Planning your event takes months of hard work and research. And your work isn’t done when the event is over! Take your attendees’ experience from good to great with this event management logistics planning guide! These tips and tricks will ensure your event will be one you will never forget.
Timelines are the best way to keep everyone on track, organized and make sure the event runs smoothly and in a timely manner. Be sure to factor in time for meals, small breaks and Q&A sessions. A printed timeline provided for each guest will guarantee everyone is on the same page and everyone knows what is coming next.
Your event should have goals that you are trying to achieve. By meeting with executives and/or management before the event to discuss these goals, everyone will understand these goals at hand. A meeting after the event will help to decide if the event was a success and determine if the goals were met. This meeting may also serve as a jumping off point for the next event you are planning on holding!
A guest speaker is a great way to motivate your guests through motivational speeches, fireside chats or small meeting groups. This guest speaker can be someone who is influential within the company or surrounding community. Allowing time for a Q&A session with the guest speaker will let your guests feel like they are on a more personal level with the guest speaker.
Depending on where your venue is located, your guests may need badges or day passes to enter certain areas. If that is the case, communicating with your team to get temporary badges or passes will allow your guests access to the rooms they need to get into. The more planning you do ahead of the event, the less you need to worry about on the day of the event and the more your attendees can enjoy themselves.
Check-in on the morning of your event can quickly become hectic, but it doesn’t have to be! Having multiple long tables with employees checking in guests can keep lines from becoming too long and causing back up. A smiling face checking in guests can set the mood for your whole event!
Your guests are going to come in contact with many people at your event. Questions, comments or concerns may arise at some point during the event, and by letting your guests know who their contact person is eliminates the possibility of your guests searching for someone to talk to. The point of contact is able to answer any questions or help with any general information questions.
When all of your guests are checked in and settled, the next step would be introductions and running through the timeline for the day. Going over the timeline ensures that every guest knows what lies ahead of them for the day and understands what exactly is going to be covered at the event.
If you have an event sponsor or a guest speaker coming to attend your event, checking in with them on the day of the event is crucial. With your sponsor, for example, confirm with them the number of guests you have attending so that they know how much merchandise to bring. For a guest speaker, having them arrive at their allotted time will keep the event running on schedule, and if there is extra time at the end, you can move into a Q&A session.
As the coordinator of the event, you should be available on site until everyone, including attendees and vendors have left. A final sweep of the event room looking for any items left behind will show your guests you truly care about them. If any problems arise, you will be there to help diffuse the situation.
A post-event chat with your team and thanking them for all of their hard work will help to determine if the event was a success. Discussing any pros and cons and highlights of the event will help to set the tone for the next event. You are also able to take notes on what worked and what didn’t work, or what you could do differently next time.
From your standpoint, you may think that you pulled off a great event. By sending out a survey to the attendees after the event, you are able to determine how others felt about the event. The survey can be anonymous or not, and will help you to better understand how to structure your next event, or what you could add or take away.
During the course of your event, be sure to take notes of everything that happens, big or small! Be mindful of what worked and what didn’t work, and keep that in mind when beginning the planning for your next event. Key points from guest speakers or brainstorming new ideas can be put into note form and sent to the attendees so they can easily have these ideas at their fingertips. Be aware of which guests registered but did not attend the event, as you can send them these notes as well. They shouldn’t have to miss out on important information just because they weren’t able to attend the event.
Pulling off a work event for your guests is no easy task. It takes a lot of work from many different people. In order to pull off a successful event, follow these 3 best practices to take your event from good to great!
Keeping the lines of communication with your team open will help greatly with your event. There are going to be many people working and doing different tasks, and the lines of communication can become blurry. Knowing who to contact if a certain circumstance arises will help keep your event organized and running smoothly.
Keeping an eye on the budget is crucial when it comes to planning an event. Items for a swag bag, for example, can become costly rather quickly. Having a team to brainstorm categories and ideas on which you will have a budget for will help with understanding where the money is going and how much is being spent. Events can come with a high price tag, but if you budget correctly, your event will be great and come in under the budget!
Work events can be made memorable for your guests in a number of ways. If your budget allows, a high profile guest speaker delivering a message will be a great surprise for your hard-working attendees. Swag bags with higher priced items such as headphones or a gift card will help your guests remember the great time they had at your event. If your event spans over the length of a few days, having a happy hour, complete with food and drink for your guests will allow them to relax and mingle after a few days of hard work.
Now that you have all of the tools to host a successful event, your hard work is going to pay off! Event logistics is a concept that has many details, both big and small, with several people working on various aspects of planning the event. The logistics of an event run from months before the event, all the way through the end of the event. With the feedback you receive from the attendees, as well as your own observations, you are able to take that information and plan an even better event for next year for you and your guests!
Ready to take the leap? Here at Hubilo, our goal is to make it easy for all events to bring people together.
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