Event Planning: The Three Secrets of Outstanding Events

The three keys to event planning and execution are, quite simply, organization, visualization and control.

-- Organization: The most important thing to remember about an event planning is that things will go wrong that you can't anticipate. That is why you must plan in advance for everything that you can possibly anticipate. This leaves time and energy to put out the fires and deal with the problems that were truly unforeseeable. Detailed timelines, confirmation calls, to-do lists and file systems that keep pertinent information at your fingertips on event day are all indispensable tools in planning and execution.

-- Visualization: The difference between a good event and a great event is in the details. The critical skill needed to eliminate those small glitches that can linger in the memory of an event participant is to literally visualize the event from the point of view of each type of participant. This is an especially important step in determining things like directional signage, crowd management, registration or check-in procedures or supply needs.

--Control: Once an event has begun, you can never turn back the clock, you can only fix what you can and move on. Don't ever panic, and don't allow others to pull your focus towards unproductive ends. Problems occur and things don't always go as planned. If you allow your focus to be shattered by fixating on wishing you could turn back the clock, you won't be prepared to handle the next crisis. The more you master organization and visualization, the fewer issues will ultimately arise. But when they do, learn from them what you might have done differently to avoid the problem in the first place (remembering some problems are impossible to plan for), and go on to your next task or problem with a clear head. A secret that all professional event planners know is that, barring a major catastrophe (and even sometimes then!), most events are perceived by participants as successful. Most of the problems that we see at our own events are never even noticed by event participants. Part of this is the ability to reduce problems through organization and visualization and part is the ability to put our fires while they are still sparks.

But the most important part of this secret is the understanding that most event participants are not vigilantly on the lookout for problems as we are at our own events. However, problems become more visible if the event planner is drawing attention by rushing around, or worse, attempting in an obvious way to solve why or how a problem occurred, rather than just addressing it as quietly as possible and leaving analysis for later. The good news is that when you are later able to identify why a problem occurred, your organization and visualization skills will benefit, decreasing problems in the future. Focusing on these three areas will quickly increase your effectiveness in planning future events that are not only successful, but outstanding.