3 Tips for Planning Your First Themed Event
Planit Event Inc. shares 3 great tips to help you plan your first themed event; birthday party, tradeshow, you name it!
Planit Event Inc. shares 3 great tips to help you plan your first themed event; birthday party, tradeshow, you name it!
Hi everyone! I’d like to formally introduce myself. I’m Courtney, the founder and face behind Planit Events Inc. I’m a mother to two beautiful children and a wife to a loving husband, Dave. I created Planit Events Inc. back in 2015 when I truly realized that event planning is the passion I want to pursue. So I went back to NAIT and completed the Event Management Certificate. This certificate, along with my previous education in Fashion Design and Apparel Production, gave me the management skills and, most importantly, the creative edge to produce events in Alberta. Needless to say, I haven’t ever looked back at that moment and regretted my decision. Anyways, that’s enough about me; let’s get to the content that you’re really here for!
Along my journey as an event planner, I have developed some best practices that I follow that allow me to produce a successful event each time, and today I’d love to share them with you! But, don’t worry; these same tips can be applied to virtual events as well!
Starting early is the best way you can guarantee to have a successful event. By starting the process early, you will have ample time to plan, implement and run an event just as you envisioned it. So how do you know that you’re starting early enough? As soon as you have set a date or rough date for your event, it’s time to start planning!
Once you’ve outlined your plan, it’s essential to set deadlines. Make sure these deadlines are attainable and aren’t going to have you wanting to pull your hair out. Some tasks may be composed of multiple pieces, so it’s important to break these down and write out each required step with its own deadlines.
Use an app, planner, or your phone to help keep you on track. Here are a few ideas of tools you can use to help ensure you are sticking to your deadlines.
Budgeting for an event can be one of the most daunting tasks, but it doesn’t have to be! If you have a specific budget that is already allocated, half the struggle is done, but if it isn’t, it’s time to get to the drawing board. Ask yourself the following questions to help you decide what an appropriate budget for your event will be:
Once you’ve answered the questions above, it’s time to start allocating parts of the budget towards components. Start by ranking your event components from most important to least important. Then, distribute the budget accordingly, and see where adjustments can be made. It’s also key to note that unexpected costs can arise even with the most precariously planned events, so set aside a percentage of your budget for that, your contingency plan!
Whether it’s unexpected weather changes, event location mishaps, or anything else, it’s important to have a backup plan in place. Think about the critical components of your event that you outlined when allocating your budget. If any of those pieces were to fall apart, will your event still run smoothly? If not, it’s time to set up a contingency plan just in case. It’s better to have a backup plan and not end up using it than not having one and running around like a chicken with its head cut off.
Back-up plans will ensure that your event runs successfully, and it will put your mind at ease when things out of your control happen.
Ok, whether we like to admit it or not, having help when planning and executing an event can be significant. That being said, you want to make sure that the team you choose is organized, can work under pressure, and is detail-oriented. If you decide to go with the team approach, select your team wisely. Assess strengths and weaknesses. We all have weaknesses but ensure that another team member has one person’s weakness as a strength.
Last but not least, create a checklist! This is by far one of the most valuable tips I can give. Not only does checking completed tasks off the list provide a great sense of excitement (ok, maybe that’s just me), it will help keep you on track and easily visualize what needs to be done and by when. Not sure where to start on your checklist? That’s ok, I’ve got you covered! Check out the starter checklist and the extra tips below to help get you started! Keep in mind the checklist below only outlines some of the major tasks, your event checklist will be much larger than this, but the checklist is a great way to start!
Creating a checklist for any event can be daunting when the hundreds of tasks are on multiple sticky notes, agenda pages, and so on. Here are some of the tips that I use to help me create a dependable checklist.
Hopefully, with the tips provided in this blog, you can put your mind at ease and tackle the next event you are planning with more confidence. Still looking for more help? Feel free to reach out; we can discuss ways that Planit Events Inc. can help make your event planning and execution seamless and easy!
-Courtney
Courtney’s passion for the event industry stems from many family gatherings where she would help with the abundant amount of food, the scheduling, and the décor. Even when she was little, she cherished each event as it brought people and loved ones together.
With a background in Event Management and Fashion Design and Apparel Production she has developed the management skills and the creative edge needed for the event industry. She created Planit Events Inc. in 2015 to serve the local community. Courtney is known for her logistical skills, and she is dedicated to each client to ensure their vision is a reality and she is devoted to Making Your Event Memorable.
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