Working in events management can be an extremely rewarding career, especially when you see your hard work pay off in the form of a successful and enjoyable event. This type of role is not one that has definitive timescales. Some people may take 6 months to plan events, whereas others opt for spreading it out over the course of a year – it all depends on the best time of year to hold it, on what scale it is on and how long it will take to organise. In some situations, you may also find that you are hard-pushed to complete all the event preparations with only a few months, or even weeks, notice.
Being able to manage your role and simplify the procedure for creating your events can go a long way, especially if you have numerous events to co-ordinate at the same time. Improving your efficiency can be done by changing the way you work, both before and after events.
Software
There are a number of different event planning software packages available, depending on your style and size of event. This software may be able to assist you in consolidating your tasks onto one platform. Whereas in the past, you may have had to call, email, or log into different providers for certain tasks, such as ticket sales, venue booking, or even invitational communications, you may now be able to do all of this through one main account.
On top of this, if the package gives you the ability to connect with your social media platforms, this can also help you to streamline the marketing of the event, pushing it out to a wider range of potential attendees.
Teamwork
As your events workload grows over time, you may find that it is no longer feasible to manage all the subsequent tasks yourself. Having another member on your team can greatly assist with this. It is imperative that, prior to letting them loose on your events, you thoroughly train them in the processes required, as well as which aspects of the role they will be undertaking. Failure to do this may lead to complications, such as two venue bookings made for a single event.
You may find that creating a workflow chart depicting when each step should be carried out, and a means of marking off which aspects have been completed, can help to reduce the chances of any overlap.
Feedback
Following the event, you can look into ways of improving your service, or the event itself, should it be one that you repeat regularly. A short, easy to answer survey can help with this. Sending out a survey by email is the easiest way to accomplish this. You may find that not all of your attendees respond but, by looking at the responses of those who do, you may be able to find ways to further build on your events, and keep improving your services.
A lot of work can go into a single event day, so you want to make the most of the time you have available to you. Cutting down on the sources you use, and looking for ways to improve upon your existing practices, can help you to continue promoting high-quality events that attendees will love.
