Tips for Successful Events

Events deliver on so many levels, people enjoy meeting face-to-face, they like and want experiences but as an organiser, how can you ensure that your event is going to deliver for everyone involved?

In our latest blog series, Tips for Successful Events, we look at the stages of an event, from your reasons for hosting to marketing your event, the day itself and evaluating the success.

Up next, 10 things to think about on the day itself…

Never underestimate how many pairs of hands you’ll need, gather a team and make sure you all get together on site before the event starts – even with the best-laid plans, it’s surprising how many questions can suddenly crop up once your team are in situ and experiencing the venue first-hand.
Schedule time for team briefings throughout the day so that you can update your team on any changes; discuss any pinch-points so you can act quickly to avoid issues happening again.
Be prepared to adjust or add additional signage and have the means ready. There’s no accounting for the different ways that individuals receive information; if you’re being asked for directions or if you see delegates looking lost it could be remedied quickly and easily.
If you have space in your registration area, consider having multiple registration desks arranged alphabetically, this will keep queues shorter and streamline the entry process for delegates.
Have an extra person or two ‘floating’ in the registration area to assist delegates with issues or questions – this will ease the pressure on those who are manning the registration desks and it will ensure that other delegates are not kept waiting. It’s also useful to have ‘runners’ throughout the event for any ad hoc jobs or emergencies.
Have a plan (and a separate area) for delegates who walk-in on the day. Will they be able to register and pay any fees there and then? Can you take payments by card and cash?
Communicate any programme changes to your team and delegates. Digital screens placed at strategic points work well for this and your social media feed is also a good medium for updates, but only if you tell delegates to expect this in advance so that they tune in!
Encourage delegates to fill up rooms from the front by cordoning off seats towards the back until front rows are full.
You need to be able to communicate with your team throughout the event. WhatsApp is great for this, just make sure it’s all set up before the event and that your whole team have access to it (and that it’s working) before your event starts.
Finally, being on-site can be draining, full-on and hectic at times, adrenaline normally gets you through it but don’t forget to stay hydrated, take a break in the fresh air and sit down once in a while, even if it’s just for a few minutes!