Event Planners Must Never Settle

As an experienced event professional for well over thirty years, who has been intimately involved with hundreds of events, meetings, conferences and conventions, with groups ranging from about fifteen to thousands, I often find myself observing what inexperienced individuals do with the events they organize or run. A true event professional thoroughly plans all aspects, from intensive negotiations based on the needs of the organization he represents, through extensive planning of every detail from the initial planning stage, through the marketing, promotion, and implementation stages, to being on site to oversee that everything is implemented as planned. There is probably nothing as frustrating or disappointing to a true event professional that observing others overlook and seem to not even consider essential details. There is no place for excuses in event planning, and planners and organizers must commit to doing their very best.

1. Some venues are easier in terms of pleasing attendees than others. For example, cooperative and nice weather in a resort venue often lets attendees overlook certain oversights, while, of course, if the weather were not so cooperative, attendees often develop a less accommodating attitude. Regardless, an event planner must never simply adopt the attitude of praying for good weather or letting a beautiful resort help woo attendees, but rather must strive to enhance every attendees experience by thoroughly planning.

2. One of the most overlooked aspects of an event is often as simple as making attendees feel welcome. One of the priorities of event coordinators must be making attendees feel that you care about them, and letting them feel personal warmth, so that weather the weather is warm or not, attendees still have a positive experience.

3. While no event professional has control over the quality of food served, the best ones conduct tastings in advance, and tweak menus when something doesn't work. Great event professionals always emphasize providing both value and perceived value for attendees. Amazingly, I have overheard some organizers actually saying that the great weather compensated for the less than optimum food and service. There is never an excuse for accepting inferior service, and true event planners discuss in detail with the management and staff precisely what their expectations are, and what challenges they anticipate. They then create back up plans or contingencies, so that if something occurs other than originally planned, there can be a seamless transition to an effective and worthwhile contingency plan.

A great event requires thorough, effective and great planning, so that luck becomes less important, and the overall experience is enhanced. True event professionals are like Boy Scouts in that they are always prepared, and never settle for less than the best possible product. Does your organization need a professional event planner, or at least some professionally designed event planning? Most that do end up saving time, money, resources and aggravation, and please far more people than those who haphazardly go with the flow!