What You Know: Event Planning

Clemy Crowther is an Events Manager currently working full time in a membership organisation, planning and delivering various events for businesses to network and develop their business. Clemy is also a keen volunteer in her community and within the events industry. In her spare time, she is an Events Presenter as well as a podcast host.

1. Communicate clearly & regularly with all stakeholders involved

Communication is key to organising any event no matter how big or small. Some examples include communicating the correct key messages with your audience right from the beginning to post event, whether this be email or information on the event website.

Working as a team requires clear communication in order to delegate various tasks and ensure any problems that arise are solved quickly. This is vital throughout the whole event management process, from the concept stage to post event reporting and ensures a smoother process to ensure the event is a success.

I would say communication with your suppliers is another key element, your suppliers play a huge part in the event planning and delivery so communication needs to be very clear and consistent, this could be carried out through regular meetings, phone calls and emails.

2. Set your event goals and monitor them regularly

It is highly important that you set clear goals for your event and ensure these are monitored on a regular basis. These can be anything from financial goals to number of attendees that are at the event.

Before you set goals for your event, ensure you know why you are putting on the event and what you want the attendees to gain from attending your event. It is very important to keep looking at these goals to ensure you are keeping to the overall goal.

3. Be organised!

From time management and diary management, the event planning process can be super fast paced at times therefore it is highly important to ensure you are keeping on track with your schedule as well as making sure you can fit everything from meetings and administration.

I often use project management tools, for example ASANA or monday.com, which helps myself and the team keep on track and look at what is outstanding for each area of the event.

4. Don't be afraid to delegate tasks

Something I was guilty of at the beginning of my career was thinking as an Events Manager, thinking I could complete marketing strategies, create event graphics and basically do everything myself! However, as an Events Manager, it is important to realise that you are managing the overall process which may involve hiring external event decor companies or marketing specialists if you are working in a small company.

One big thing I like to describe delegating as, is letting the “experts” of their field lead on a specific element of the event. They can bring in fresh ideas, have numerous events experiences and know what works best!

When it comes to the operational side of the events, it is super important to delegate to volunteers and other staff members as the Events Manager. This allows tasks to be done and promotes effective teamwork. It also allows volunteers or other staff to gain experience with the delivery of the event.

5. Do your research!

No matter the size or scale of the event you are organising, it is highly important to do your research, whether this be from event competitors, to choosing your suppliers. I would definitely advise you to ask for recommendations whilst carrying out research for things like choosing suppliers as it's very important to hire a reliable company!

From a costings perspective, it is super important to look at how much your typical consumer at the event would want to spend on a ticket, therefore by carrying out research- through questionnaires to competitor analysis, this could give you a good understanding of how much to charge.

Venue Management can be a long process, from finding a venue, to seeing what else they offer- from a bar to the AV/ technical side of things, therefore asking these sorts of questions during venue finding or going on a site visit allows you to get familiar with the venue and choosing the right one for your event.

You can find Clemy on Twitter & Instagram at @clem_crowther and on LinkedIn, Clementine Crowther. Her podcast can be found on all streaming platforms and is called Feel Good With Clem.