It’s Time For Event Planning 101

⌛  By Kaylin R. Staten ⌛

I have always liked event planning -- probably too much.

Throughout my professional career and personal endeavors, I have planned anything from a 500+ person event to my own wedding. I love the hustle and bustle of events and created an atmosphere from scratch where audiences can come together for one specific purpose (when we could have mass events anyway). I love the little details and the overall vision, and seeing them work together is its own brand of magic.

While I don’t plan events 24/7, events are still part of my company’s fabric. It could be a grand-scale 150th Anniversary celebration for the City of Huntington or a small get-together with family and friends. 

No matter the situation, you want to make sure your event goes off without a hitch. 

Here are four tips you can implement before, during, and after your events:

Have a vision.

Get started on your general ideas for the event early on. Choose your theme, location, target audiences, food options, entertainment, speakers, color scheme, and more. You’ll also want to decide an appropriate event type for what you are trying to achieve. If you’re planning an awards ceremony, you’ll want it to be at least business casual, depending on the time of day and general expectations of your audience. You wouldn’t expect to be so former at a family cookout, as you plan for a more relaxed atmosphere with loved ones. Know what your audience’s expectations are and form your event around those expectations and your knowledge. You’ll want to cater to their needs and wants while also adhering to your established event plan.

Be consistent with communications.

While the world is ever-changing, the rules I follow with regards to communicating about events rarely changes. As a public relations practitioner, I make sure I am sending out press releases, media advisories, advertising messages, and other communications with enough time to ensure coverage. I send out invitations (print, digital, or both) at least two weeks ahead for smaller gatherings. For larger events, you’ll want to send out invitations two months in advance, or at least a Save the Date communication so your attendees will know that your event is coming up. As my career has progressed, R.S.V.P.s have gotten more wishy-washy. If you’re worried about the number of attendees (or lack thereof), give each “unknown” on your list a call. People also R.S.V.P. later than you would like and event show up (or don’t show up) on the day of the event, so take those behaviors into consideration as well. Be timely with meetings and other aspects leading up to the event. And DO NOT be late on the day of your event!

Don’t go into your event blindly. 

This is obvious, but you want to have a plan leading up to and going into your event. If it’s a major event, like a fundraiser or another community-based event, I like to start planning at least six months in advance, if not a year ahead of the event. I know that sounds ludicrous, but you want to establish a strong team to help you execute the event’s vision and go through the entire RPIE (Research, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation) process. If you’re doing a year-long celebration, it will behoove you to start more than a year in advance to create and cultivate ideas, establish timelines, and insert other planning practices in place. On event day, make sure everyone has what they need in order to fulfill their roles, and have the day planned out with timestamps and other information. Also, have an agenda if it’s a longer or more formal event -- and especially if it’s a conference! 

Know that not everything will go according to plan. 

As a perfectionist, this is a hard pill for me to swallow. I want to be in control of every little detail to make sure that it’s part of my vision for the event. However, as you and I both know, that is an unrealistic high standard. While having a plan is vital to the success of your event, you also have to realize pretty early on that every event will have at least one snafu. The caterer will leave something off the menu at your luncheon, rain will threaten the happiness of your wedding day, and someone will get mad about a minor infraction and could take it out on you on event day. Being able to handle these moments with composure and not flying off the handle will help you get through these seemingly unmanageable moments. To borrow half of a quote from Ernest Hemingway, have “grace under pressure.”

Kaylin R. Staten, APR, is an award-winning, accredited public relations practitioner and writer based in Huntington, WV with 18 years of professional communications experience. As CEO and founder of Hourglass Media, she uses her compassionate spirit and expertise to delve into the heart of clients’ stories. She is a recovering perfectionist, mental health advocate, wife, Luke’s mom, cat mom, and Leia Organa aficionado. Connect with Kaylin on LinkedIn.