Tips for Planning Excellent Events

As I reflect on the spring conference held last week with Real Estate Standards Organization (RESO) in San Antonio, I thought I'd share some tips and basic advice I've learned in nearly 20 years of events, whether corporate or private.

1. Work Backwards.

When you sit at the drawing board of a new event, first imagine the event in full swing. Look around: what does it feel like, sound like, what's the mood? If you're planning this event for someone, ask them to describe the scene to you as if they are sitting there at the finished product. Use these details to understand what is most important to your client and list what you need to make it happen. Then build your plan using due dates with "x days/weeks before the event." You may be surprised you have to begin planning earlier than you think to line up timelines. Be intentional with thinking through details; events are about creating an experience.

2. Do not put off anything.

Words that will kill any onsite event execution: "We'll just do that when we get there." No. Prepare everything physically possible before you arrive onsite. When you arrive, you will have an entirely new set of issues you didn't plan for: a speaker dropping out last minute, missing boxes of supplies, issues with the venue. When you've already done your prep work, you are free to deal with those issues at hand. If you haven't, those earlier items will never get done and you'll be behind before the event begins.

3. Consider two types of attendees you are hosting.

You must prepare for your attendees. A good event planner works to alleviate stress and make the experience seamless and organized. Different personalities interpret this different ways and you must accommodate both:

a) Your type-A attendee. She needs full details, full agendas and possibly a map before feeling confident she can walk into registration. Give her the goods, send emails full of information she can access. Help this group feel calm and prepared.

b) Your fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants attendee, aka the over-traveled professional. He shows up at your event because it's on his calendar, but it's his third conference this month so he hasn't tuned into the details. Make it easy. Provide signs. Make the path to events intuitive. Post the agenda in the foyer. Post the wifi code. Help these attendees be able to acclimate quickly and get to work.

4. Empower a team of experts.

You must be intentional on the composition of your team, warm bodies are not enough. Give each person specific responsibilities that they can own. When chaos hits and you have three differing issues to handle at the same time, you need to be able to call on three team members who can a) chat with a surprise prospective member/investor, b) capture an important photo op and c) handle a technical AV need from a speaker, for example. Choose the roles carefully based on your team members' strengths. Identify and explain these roles to your team and leadership so everyone can be consistent in their response. Use professional contractors only after strong recommendations and hang on to them when they are good. Empower team members to make on the spot judgment calls in their respective areas. They will develop into experts in these roles who will build on their experience and enhance their responsbilities with each event. The goal is for the lead event planner's role to decrease over time; this protects the team in case of the unexpected.

5. Do better.

Every event is a learning experience. One that looks like a well-oiled machine is one that has been constantly tweaked through the years. I've never walked away after an event without a way to make it better the next time. Do not skip the After Action Review meeting with your team. Even though you're exhausted at the end, write down ideas on ways to improve, or even just list complaints and dig them out when you begin planning next time. Keep this in a historical file year to year. If you fail to write it down, you will fail to remember it until it's too late and you're faced with the same issue during your next event.

At the end of the day, it's important to realize that event planning does require professionals. If it looks easy, it's because the team you saw was good at what they do. It doesn't mean it can be replicated without practice. Whether it's an intimate wedding or a city-wide convention, event planning is stressful but magical. You're setting the stage for your stars to shine and memories to be made.

I hope to see you at an event soon (See RESO events here)! I'd love to chat if you have ideas or questions.