There’s no denying it:

Event management is one stressful role. Don’t listen to anybody who tells you otherwise. Heck, it’s literally ranked in 6th place on the list of most stressful jobs out there.

It’s no surprise either. Setting up an event is intense from start to finish! You’re up against the clock from the get-go, with a never-ending to-do list and endless metaphorical fires to put out.

Are you in the process of organizing an event? Well, you’ll know the struggle already.

There’s good news, though. Having certain tips, tools, tactics, and strategies up your sleeve can make your life a helluva lot easier. Want to learn more?

Keep reading to discover a selection of top tips for successful event management.

1. Start Planning ASAP

Planning an event is no mean feat!

There’s a huge amount to do- even for small events with a minimal number of attendants. You’ve got to find an available event venue, arrange the entertainment, sort out catering, finalize the guest list, invite the guests, set up the venue, and so on. If you are going for an Asian-theme event, there are sushi catering companies that can help you achieve the goals of your event. Make sure that the banquet room or event venue is well equipped with everything that the delegates will be needing. That being said, you may need to put portable toilets outside the venue, especially if you’re expecting a large crowd. Get in touch with a portable toilet rental company to make your reservations.

Furthermore, each of those overarching tasks involves numerous sub-steps. Then, of course, a huge amount can go wrong along the way (more on this later). In other words, the entire experience can be time-consuming and arduous.

The last thing you want to do is wait until the last minute to start planning it. You’ll open the door to a wave of potential problems and unwanted stress. Our advice?

Begin the process as early as possible! For big events, that might be 6 months ahead of the date. For smaller ones, a few weeks to a month should suffice.

2. Get Some Help!

You might be able to organize small-scale events all by yourself.

For bigger ones, though, you’re going to need some back-up. There’s just too much for one person to do! From the logistics to the practicalities and everything in-between, you’ll be run off your feet if you try to go it alone. If you need portable stages for your event, you can call our friends from The Stage Depot to set up one for you. Find professional A/V Company services to setup video and/or audio systems in your venue at least a day before the event.

Bring friends, family, and colleagues on board to help out. After all, many hands make light work! You’ll be racing through your to-do list in no time with enough people contributing. You may also consider working with an event management company. Their experience and established relationships with several suppliers and vendors will make the success of the event more likely.

Strong communication on your part will be vital here- especially on the day itself. Get yourself some BK radios, or something similar, to stay in contact with the team and facilitate the setup.

Make sure also to hire unarmed security guards to ensure that your event has the best security service. For additional security guard information and options visit https://theguardalliance.com/security-services/roving-patrol/.

3. Delegate

It’s one thing to have that help. But it’s another thing altogether to use it!

All too many event managers assemble a crack team of willing helpers, but then never use them to full effect. They find it hard to relinquish control, try to micromanage everything, and create a bottleneck in proceedings.

Delegation is key if you’re going to avoid that fate. By distributing tasks between helpers (according to skills, preferences, and need), you’ll be able to get everything done with far less hassle.

However, delegation is something of a balancing act. You don’t want to be bossy, but nor should you be too passive. You don’t want to micromanage, but too much independence can lead to trouble.

All you can do is try your best though. Listen to feedback, ask for help instead of issuing orders, and know that saying ‘thank you’ can make an almighty difference! With any luck, you’ll be working together as a team in no time.

4. Consider Possible Problems

One thing’s for sure:

Try as you might, you’re going to encounter all sorts of glitches, snags, and disasters along the way. Honestly, most event managers have to fight fires at every turn!

The entertainment will get stuck in traffic, the lighting won’t work, your venue will cancel at the last minute, or the sound system will malfunction. Whatever the case, something, somewhere down the line, is going to go wrong.

It’s your job to expect these issues and take preventative action ahead of time. Run a risk assessment, think about every disaster scenario that could occur, and put a plan in place for how to handle them. That way, you’ll be ready if/when they actually happen on the night.

5. Be Flexible Throughout

Some problems that arise could never have been foreseen (think power cuts, freak rainstorms, and global pandemics). Totally out of your control, there’s nothing you could have done to prevent them from happening anyway.

This is where flexibility (not to mention the ability to think on your feet) is so crucial.

You’ll identify the problem and be able to roll with the punches. You’ll realize what needs to be done and be willing to take corrective action- regardless of prior plans. In doing so, you’ll be able to nip these kinds of issues in the bud and stop them from getting any worse in the process.

6. Practice!

Think about stage shows for a second. What’s the one thing they always do before the opening night to prepare themselves?

A dress-rehearsal. After months of practice, they get together and do a full run-through of the play as if it were the real thing! In so doing, they get to assess the situation and iron out any creases before the ‘deadline’.

You could do something similar for your event! Get everybody on your team together and go through the entire step-by-step process of the event. You’ll realize any issues, address concerns, and end up with a smoother event as a result.

You leave too much up to chance.

Remember These Epic Event Management Tips

Few things in life are more stressful than organizing a big event. Whether it’s for work or leisure, the whole experience can be tense, taxing, and traumatic from beginning to end.

Unless that is, you go about it in the right way!

Hopefully, the event management tips in this post will help in that regard. Everything’s sure to both run smoother and be more enjoyable if you approach the task with these tips, tools, and strategies in mind.

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