Courtney’s 5 Special Event Tips 

For those of you who are returning to the Planit Blog, it’s great to see you, and for those of you who are new here, my name is Courtney and I’m the owner of Planit Events Inc. I’ve been in the events industry for many years now and I’d say that I’m just as passionate about it as the day I started. I love curating event designs and putting my client’s visions together to ensure that they have a successful event. Usually, I pick a topic to focus on for each of my blogs, but I thought I would switch things up a bit for this one. In today’s blog, I will be sharing 5 tips that I have learned throughout my experience as a professional event planner in the Edmonton and surrounding area. 

Copyright Lauren Voisin Photography. All Rights Reserved 2016.

Tip 1: Plan Ahead

I apologize in advance to those who are returning, but I’ve said it once (ok, more than once) and I’ll say it again, always plan ahead! Planning your event is the core structure that your entire event relies on. Planning has the following benefits:

1. Gives you time to troubleshoot when problems arise
2. Allows you to potentially test out ideas
3. Gives you ample time to research

So, when you are planning what things should you consider? I like to start with deciding what the event is for, who the audience is, and what my goals are. I then like to decide on a budget. This aspect can be tricky sometimes but don’t worry I’ve got you covered. Check out the Planit blog to learn how to plan out your event budget.

Once you have your budget you can start to make decisions on the details. Think about the venue and how you picture the event. Need help choosing the right venue for your event? Check out the Planit blog. Work on the details from biggest to smallest.

Tip 2: Stay Organized

Now with details, it’s important to stay organized. Planning an event can become messy, fast. But if you stay organized from the start, things will be much easier for you and your team. So how do I stay organized? 

• Plan out my days (ensure to make time for yourself too!)
• Use reminders on my phone and calendar to keep me on track
• Make lists and monitor them
• Use digital tools (read more about this in the Planit blog)

Organization is different for anyone, so try a few things out and see what works for you.

Tip 3: Ask for Help

Planning an event can be super overwhelming and take up a tremendous amount of your time. Don’t forget that it’s ok to ask for help! Believe it or not, most large events aren’t just put together by one lone person. Make yourself a team of friends, family, colleagues or vendors. I know sometimes we don’t always have a team available, but you can also consider hiring an event professional to ease the burden. To learn more about how hiring an event planner can help, check out the Planit blog.

Tip 4: Don’t Be Afraid to be Creative

I think sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the latest trends or get nervous to try out something completely different, but I’m here to tell you to be elaborate and think outside of the box! The best events that I have attended have always been different than the typical event and that’s what makes it so memorable. The only tip I have to give is to make sure the idea you have fits the audience that will be attending your event. Will your creative idea help you reach one of your event goals? If the answer is yes, then give it a try! Event planning in many cases is about trial and error. I didn’t find my favorite food vendors quickly, it took years of trying different ones out.

Tip 5: Always Evaluate

Last but not least, always evaluate post-event. This tends to get overlooked but it’s important to address how well your event went. Ask yourself the following when evaluating your event:

1. Overall, how did the event go?
2. What went well? What did not?
3. Did I meet my event goals? Why or why not?
4. What would I do differently next time?
5. What would I do the same?
6. Which aspects can I improve on for future events?
7. Did I stay within the budget? Why or why not?
8. What unexpected challenges came up?
9. Did I deal with the challenges well?
10. How did my team perform?

Although events are a lot to plan and put together, the reward of a successful event is priceless. To learn more about the services I offer at Planit Events Inc. visit our website. If you have any questions or you want to inquire about any services please feel free to reach out.