If the past two years of living with a global pandemic have taught event planners anything, it’s to plan for the unexpected. With new variants popping up and uncertainty about when COVID-19 will depart the scene for good, event planners are becoming accustomed to having a backup plan as a necessary part of ensuring an event goes off without a hitch.
As we enter 2022, now is the perfect time to create your own calendar of events expected to take place this year. To kick off the New Year we’ve created a helpful list of five tactics for planning your events.
Now here are 5 important planning tactics to take with you along the way in 2022:
Test the technology before the day of the event
First and foremost, find technology solutions that suit the size and scope of the event. It’s best to do some shopping before you come to a decision. Schedule demos, ask questions, and play around with hardware and tools yourself. This will ensure both you and your team will be comfortable with the platform on the day of the event. No matter how comfortable you are with your tech team or team you have hired for your virtual or hybrid event, always rehearse and test. That way everyone knows what to expect, and the back-end of your streamed event can run as seamlessly as possible.
Have a strong event purpose
There’s an endless amount of virtual, hybrid, and in-person events happening every day. To ensure that your guests are engaged, curious, and entertained, make sure that you develop a strong purpose for your event. Here are some great reasons to host a corporate event: team building, onboarding new hires, welcoming a new CEO, or celebrating a company milestone. Whichever reason you and your team commit to, ensure that this is shared via your marketing and communications, so that all your guests know what to expect and what to look forward to!
Have a back up plan with a budget that can support it
Whether you’re hosting an in-person, virtual or hybrid event, it’s always important to have contingency plans at the ready. On the off-chance that the Wi-Fi cuts, an entertainer cancels, or new restrictions are put in place, having a shortlist of Plan Bs can help you avoid last minute panic. Some suggestions: Schedule a fill-in entertainer, create a virtual event agenda in case the in-person event can no longer happen, have a ‘technical difficulties’ slide available if a technical glitch occurs so event attendees know what is happening. There are many ways to plan for the unexpected, but the best approach is to have one!
Create an event checklist
A list a day keeps the stress away. A thoroughly prepared event checklist breaks down your master plan into itemized details. By knowing every aspect of the tasks at hand — from preparing the marketing, sending out invitations, booking event suppliers, and creating the budget — this checklist allows you and your team to chip away day by day. You can either be old-school and do it on Microsoft Excel, or you can level up and find a task platform that works best for your team.
Here are some resources for creating a checklist: https://www.wildapricot.com/blog/event-planning-checklist#event-planning-checklist and https://guidebook.com/resources/event-planning-checklist/
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