Event Planning Research- Part 1 -Outline

This is the first of a ten part post– Event Planning Research- Outline

If you’re about to organize an event, remember to do the research first.  All it takes is one miscommunication for all of your hard work to fall apart. Especially with event planning, your reputation is absolutely dependent upon your proposal to the client. What you say you can do, and what happens for the event must be intrinsic to the overall plan and budget.  Barring any acts of God, the client should never encounter any unwanted surprises on your part. Thorough research will help control the future. Not any one person can be all things to all people, but event planners should be as close as it gets.

There are two types of event planning; social and corporate, and in between the two occasionally meet. While the scenarios and themes of any given event can vary greatly however, these are research tips and practices that have done me well in the past. This is the first post of a ten part series. Originally it began as one post and quickly grew out of hand. In this series I am discussing the research aspects of event planning. How to stay ahead of future problems, keep organized, and what resources you need to gather before planning your events.

• Clients: We will start the series off with your clients. Nothing happens with out them. All events start and finish with clients, and the better you know them the better you can understand their vision. There is a lot more to it than just asking a few poignant questions. Listening to the clients needs is the very first step. We will go over some basic client research methods in the next post, along with customer service strategies.

• Venues: Choosing and finding venues and locations. This is a little more detailed than walking in to a party hall with arms akimbo saying “this looks good enough.” We’ll be discussing what to look for and what to watch out for. And going over some questions that you should ask will be in this post.

• Food: Even if your company doesn’t supply the eats, it is your event and ultimately you will be held accountable for quality and service. Looking into ways you can preempt any serious food issues before you hire out. The food is the number one thing attendees will discuss with each other. It’s very important to know current food trends, price value and what will be in season as well as any health and nutritional information.

• Contractors: Third party contractors for your event can bring unyielding set backs. From staffing to stages to small wares, the more research you do the less likely you’ll choose the wrong people to work with. How to navigate through the myriad of services and what the warning signs are, will be discussed in this post.

• Entertainment: Understanding what kinds of entertainment will work for your event and how to evaluate and locate bands, DJ’s, actors, speakers and so on, is this posts topic. Your nephew’s garage band may be inexpensive and need the gig, but are they the right musical talent for the theme of your event?

• Logistics: There may come a time you will have to move people and equipment around and get them to and from an event. In this post we’ll discuss many different logistical problems and how good research will help avoid any unnecessary hiccups. In addition to hotels, transportation and pricing.

• Technology: What are the different technological tools  event planners need, and how to keep up with what’s new. We’ll gather all types of different technology  from video, audio, internet connection and social media services. Also, what software and templates can assist in your event organizational methods. Technology can be an event planners best friend, and we’ll talk about why here.

• Promotion: If your event is open to the public and you need to get the word out, promotional techniques can make or break you. We’ll address that here, as well as invitations. Who makes them and how you can go it alone for a more personal touch. What information should be included and how creative you can be.

• Feedback: Knowing  what worked and what didn’t in any event is essential for the learning experience. In this last post we’ll bring up questionnaires, what services are out there and how to use them. Also, what types of questions should be asked for better data.

Keep popping back into this blog and share any comments you may have through out this event planning research series. I would love to hear your thoughts on event planning and what you have done in regards to preparation. What helpful hints you might recommend or some stories you’d like to share.

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