The event planning process requires hard work and dedication. From catering to the guest list to the décor, there are many activities that require scheduling and coordination. A single mistake can cause many adverse impacts, and you should, therefore, learn of the possible pitfalls and implement the necessary preventive measures.
This guide will discuss five unexpected things that can go south in your event.
Running out of time
It is usual for an event to run out of time, especially when it involves many things. To prevent this, create an event timeline showing the activities you intend to against their time. If possible, start creating the timeline some months before the event date.
Here is a rough estimate timeline that you can follow to schedule activities in your event.
- Eight months to the event- define your event schedule and set the budget
- Six months to event-look for speakers, and the guests who will embrace your event
- Four months to event-revisit your budget, start sending the event invitations
- Two months to event-confirm the list of those who will attend and send reminders
- Two weeks to the game- revisit everything to ensure all is well
Bad weather
Bad weather is an uncontrollable epidemic. It can break your corporate or social event within a few seconds, cause damages, or even translate to many losses. Snowfalls and torrential downpours can also disrupt transport and make it impossible for your guest to attend your event. Luckily, you can easily predict the possible weather outcomes and insure assets early.
Here are simple ways to deal with bad weather:
Use covers. Purchase or rent high-quality covers that you can use to protect your lighting or musical equipment. The best covers should be water-resistant.
Create a backup plan. If your event will be held outdoors; prepare an indoor backup location that you can move into when the outside environment becomes unbearable.
Inform your employees. Alert and train your employees on the possible measures that they should take in case bad weather interrupts the event.
Few people show up
This is one of the biggest fears for event planners. You have spent your resources, invited the best speakers, and even managed to get a sponsor of the event, yet no one shows up. To prevent this annoying issue, observe the following things:
Invest in marketing. Lack of marketing is the main reason for fewer attendees in events. Use both online and offline marketing methods to persuade many people to attend the event.
Lower the entrance fee. A high entrance fee is a turn off to many people.
Consider an indoor event. An indoor event is an ideal option if the weather is poor.
Collaborate with influencers. Use celebrities and other reputable influencers to market your event.
Too many people show up
While it is the wish of every event planner to attract many people, a vast auditorium can be stressful, especially if the available spaces cannot meet their demands. Besides, too many people can easily cause damages to your rented space or equipment. Such risks can add more costs to your event, but you can check this site to see how you can obtain coverage for such risks. An ideal insurance policy guarantees financial coverage in case the unexpected happens in your event.
You can, however, curb the issues of having many attendees by:
Making a list of all the confirmed attendees a week before the event-the attendance confirmation will help you get a rough idea of how many guests you will expect.
Creating a plan B-hire a large room or space that you can use as an alternative option. It will be easy to move into it when the guests exceed your expectations.
Being strict on the entrance- you can prevent the event gatecrashers by being strict on the gate, and letting in the people with tickets only.
Technological failure
Many events experience technological failure. For instance, the speaker’s microphone might fail to work well, or even the video presentations might fail. Moreover, the internet can become low and embarrass you in front of the sponsors and the attendees. To solve this issue:
Work with a reputable AV provider– the best provider should have high-quality technological devices that cannot fail quickly.
Rehearse well before the actual day- the rehearsal will familiarize you with the equipment
Avoid streaming live videos if the internet connection is poor. The hard files are reliable and do not have many shortcomings.
As you can see, many unexpected shortcomings can affect your event. The good thing about them is that you can always control them before they happen. Understand the possible pitfalls that you might face and find suitable solutions.
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