3 Helpful Tools to Save You Time When Event Planning
3 Helpful Tools to Save You Time When Event Planning
If you have planned an event before, I’m sure you know that it can be extremely time-consuming, especially when the events become larger. Throughout my time as an event planner in the Edmonton area, I have learned a few tips and tricks which I am going to share with you to help you save time when you are planning your upcoming events. In previous blogs, I’ve talked about budgeting, picking the perfect venue, and much more, but today I’m going to share some of my favorite tools I use to help my event planning process.
Organization Tool: Trello
Planning any event takes tremendous coordination, especially if you have a team helping you. Each aspect of the event can be split up into tasks that need to be completed by a certain date. Trello is a great project management tool that is great for all sorts of projects, including planning and executing an event, and the best part- the basic plan is free and you can invite your team members to join to help track the progress of the task completions. So how does it work?
Setting Up Your Trello Board
To get your planning running smoothly, first, you need to set up your Trello board. Follow the step-by-step instructions below:
- Create a Trello account, or log in if you already have one.
- Under ‘Your Workspaces’ click on ‘Create New Board’- here you can choose a background, add a title (I suggest the name of your event), and the visibility. If you are working with a team, use the workspace visibility that way you can share the board with your team.
- Once you’ve created your board, you’ll be brought to a blank template. This is where you can start adding in the tasks that need to be completed for the event.
- The ‘To Do’, ‘Doing’, and ‘Done’ lists can all be re-named to the categories you want by double-clicking on the name. You can then start to add cards under each list. The cards you make represent the individual tasks you have in each category.
- Each card can be assigned to a team member, labeled, have an assigned due date, or attachment. You can also add a checklist to cards (tasks) that have subtasks to ensure that you don’t miss a thing.
Here’s an example card to give you a better idea:
Using Trello
Once you have set up your board and invited your team, you can start checking off your tasks when they are completed. The cards will give you a visual representation of what’s been completed, what needs to be completed, and what is in progress so that you can ensure your planning stays on track. You can move the cards into different categories as the planning process evolves. As I’ve mentioned before, planning is the key success factor to your event running smoothly.
Marketing Tool: MailChimp
Marketing tools can be very beneficial to event planning, especially if you are the one in charge of creating the guest list. In cases like trade shows, or promotional events, it’s important to use the right tools to help you along the way.
Email campaigns are a great way to create interest in your event and grow a larger attending audience. Now that we live in such a digital world, almost everyone is checking their email at least once a day. Instead of sending out one mass email from your regular email account, consider using a tool like MailChimp. MailChimp lets you create great emails and actually track the progress of your campaigns! You can track things such as the open rate and the click rate (%) to see how your emails are converting individuals into event attendees.
Ticketing Tool: Eventbrite
It can be difficult and time-consuming coordinating the selling of tickets to your upcoming event. Eventbrite is an easy way to sell your tickets online for a small fee. Eventbrite offers different packages for you to choose from based on the number of events you’ll be selling tickets to and the number of guests your events will host. The great thing about living in a digital era is that many tasks can be delegated to software which saves you time and leaves you to handle the more important details.
Of course, these tools are all just suggestions. You don’t need to use them to have a successful event, but if they can help save you time and create efficiency in your event planning it’s worth a shot. If you’re looking for advice or need some of the weight taken off of your shoulders from event planning, Planit Events Inc. is here to help! I offer numerous event services as well as Decor Crate, a product I launched in 2021. Feel free to reach out, I would love to chat!
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3 Christmas Party Tips to Help You Throw the Best One Yet
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As the frost rolls in and the air becomes crisper, it’s safe to say that the holiday season is right around the corner. I know that for most of us, the holiday season is one of the busiest times of all between your work and personal life, which can lead to extra stress. So whether you are getting your plans together for a corporate or family event, I have some great tips to share with you to help ensure that your Christmas party is a hit for each and every one of your guests.
Plan Ahead
As the holiday season can become hectic quickly with numerous events, buying presents for family and friends, and much more, planning ahead will save you a considerable amount of stress. First, pick a date and stick to it. The sooner you let your guests know about your fabulous Christmas event, the sooner they can pencil it into their calendar before other invites arrive.
Once you’ve set a date, create a checklist for yourself. Not sure where to start? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! Check out the Planit Events Inc. starter checklist to get you started. What kinds of things should you include on your checklist? Consider the following when making your unique checklist:
- Where will the event be held?
- How many people will be on the guest list?
- Will the event be held at a restaurant, or do you need to start looking for a catering company?
- Will there be a bar?
- Will there be a gift exchange or prizes given away?
- What will be the entertainment?
Download the checklist here: Christmas Checklist
If you want to check out some more great tips on planning, visit my blog!
Décor
It’s not a Christmas party unless there is holiday décor! With lots of advance planning, give yourself a chance to think of a theme or, better yet, start a Pinterest board of all your favorite décor ideas, and from there, you can narrow it down. Think about who your guests are? Do you want to go for a more elegant look, or do you want a more fun, spunky vibe?
Need some help putting your décor together? Look no further! Planit Events Inc. launched a new product earlier this year, Décor Crate! Décor crate makes decorating for your event simple! So how does it work? You will receive your custom curated Décor Crate, which has all your decoration needs, as well as a small box with items that you will keep and do not have to be returned. Don’t worry; a handy guide will be in the crate! Once you are done with your event, simply package all the items that are to be returned back into the crate.
Once we have the crates back, we will sanitize and clean all the decorations and have them ready to go for the next event!
Entertainment
It’s important to choose entertainment that everyone will enjoy! But where do you start? Again, think about who your guests are and what they enjoy. What have you done in past years that people liked or disliked? Here are a few of my favorites:
- Photo Booth
- Guests tend to let loose a bit during holiday parties, and it’s great to capture these happy moments with a photo booth! Christmas props like antlers and Santa hats can make them even more fun!
- Live Music
- Music is a great way to get people up out of their chairs to dance and sing along! Remember, if you’re going to have live music, ensure you secure a band or DJ that will play the right genre of music for your audience.
- Games and Giveaways
- Games and giveaways are a great way to get people excited and involved in the party. Perhaps a gift exchange or raffle! There are lots of ways you can go about this. Remember, if you’re going to incorporate a gift exchange, set a minimum and maximum spending limit.
Now, remember, the holiday season is supposed to be fun and full of appreciation for one another. Planning ahead and sticking to your checklist will help you plan a great party that not only your guests will enjoy, but you too! Planit Events Inc. is always here to help, especially when you have too much on your plate. So let us take the stress away so that you can sit back and enjoy the holiday season with your colleagues, friends, and family! Reach out to us to see how we can help you plan the most fabulous holiday party that people will be raving about years from now!
3 Ways to Increase Engagement During Online Events
3 Ways to Increase Engagement During Online Events
The past two years have completely changed how events are run. Countless trade shows, awards nights, and corporate events have switched from in-person events to either online or hybrid-type events. That being said, event planners have been faced with new challenges, one of which is engagement. I have learned many engagement tactics over my years of experience for in-person events; however, I was posed with the new challenge of engaging guests during online events. I wanted to share a few of the valuable tactics I have learned over the last bit that have helped me improve engagement through the online or hybrid events I have been involved in. Remember, an online or hybrid event can be just as effective as an in-person event if you roll up your sleeves and get creative!
Compelling Content
I can’t stress this enough, but compelling content for your event is key to attendance and engagement. Focus on your target audience, research, and use past event surveys to determine what type of content your audience wants to see. Ensuring that the appropriate content is presented is the first step in the engagement process. Better yet, provide recommended content to each guest based on their interests or reason for attending the event! This can be done by asking each attendee to pick topics of interest during the registration process. Once you have compiled your compelling content, you can move on to the next step, which is encouraging networking.
Encourage Networking
Networking can be complex during online events, so guests need to be encouraged. But how do you do that? We sometimes forget that guests attend many events not just for the keynote speakers or to generate new leads, but many attend to broaden their network and create new connections! Online events can be a bit more tricky as it’s not as simple as going up to a new person and introducing yourself. As an event planner, finding the right way to encourage your guests to network is one of the keys to a successful event.
First, it’s essential to host your event on a platform that allows one-on-one conversations between attendees. These one-on-one conversations can be encouraged by creating “hot” topics that the target audience would be interested in discussing. Perhaps invite subject matter experts to attend your event to entice other guests to join conversations to learn and collaborate.
Another networking method is creating topic-assigned groups, where attendees can join a group topic they are interested in and discuss it among other guests, exhibitors, and sponsors (and trust me, the exhibitors and sponsors will love this too). These discussions create new relationships, opportunities, and connections!
Include Incentive
Online events can seem less attractive to guests, and they may be less enticed to participate, so how do you give them the little extra push they may need? Provide incentive. There are plenty of ways to go about this, so I thought I would give an example of two ideas you can implement into your next event:
- Assign points to guests participating in certain activities. At the end of the event, you can give away prizes provided by the event host or sponsors. These activities can consist of:
- Visiting an exhibitor/sponsor booth
- Joining a group discussion
- Booking a one-on-one meeting with another attendee, exhibitor, or speaker
- Joining a live keynote speaker session
- Encourage exhibitors and sponsors of the event to do a give-away of their own to entice attendees to visit and interact with their booths. These giveaways will allow your exhibitors and sponsors to collect basic information (name, company, and email) about potentially interested guests, which can turn into leads in the future.
Online and hybrid engagement is different for every event. Contact Planit Events Inc. to discuss ways to improve your next event to ensure your audience, sponsors, and exhibitors experience strong engagement, in turn creating a successful event!
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