?Whenever you have to plan a large-scale
event, it’s not easy to stay organised. While you might start out well, it’s
easy for time to get away from you and for everything to start to unravel when
you hit the first bump in the road. Not every event goes according to plan, so
staying organised can help you to weather anything that’s thrown your way and stay
on track to have a successful event. We’ve put together 8 tips for staying
organised when planning any event.
Have an Objective
The first thing you need to understand when
event planning is what exactly you need to achieve. What type of an event is
it? What is it setting out to accomplish? Knowing your end goal in-depth will
help you come up with a solid plan. This is the time to set your objective, because
it will be too late to change it later on. Why you are planning this event will
also come into this, knowing its purpose will help you to define what it is you
need to do.
Start a To-Do List
This is something that will evolve over
time. Many people have multiple checklists for every aspect of their event, but
at the beginning, you’ll need to start with one. Write down the major tasks
that you need to achieve and work out from there into the smaller details and
those things that can only be done closer to the time. Having everything
written down gives you a sense of organisation, even if at the beginning it
looks like a bit of a jumble. The main thing is, it’s no longer just in your
head.
Create a Timeline
Depending on the event, you might not
actually have that much time to get everything prepared. This is why you’ll
need to create a deadline for each of the major tasks, as well as a timeline
for everything else. By following this, you’ll be able to keep your planning on
track. For example, one of the first things you’ll need to do is look at venue.
While there are many institutional venues for hire in London, they are very
popular for events, so you’ll need to choose and hire one for your event as
soon as you possibly can. With your venue sorted, it will then help you to plan
the rest of your event.
Have a Back-Up
While writing everything down on paper is a
good start, utilising some of the many online project management tools
available means that you can easily edit, update and move tasks around within
your overall plan. You will be able to break everything up into different
sections and have access to it across multiple devices, so no worries if you’ve
forgotten your planner! You’ll still get the satisfaction of being able to tick
off each task as it’s completed, but you’ll also be able to store all of your
notes beside each section so you can refer back easily to any information for
may need. Having everything stored in one place will be invaluable as times get
busier.
Break Things Down
Once you know all of the major tasks that
you have to complete before your event, and a timeline to have them done by, it’s
time to break these down into their separate parts. Make each large task into smaller
goals, and then split these down further. You’ll soon see that everything
becomes much more manageable. By setting a deadline to each of these, you’ll
have a working plan for each day until your event. Of course, you’ll be adding
to your daily list as you go along, and different things will crop up, but by using
this as your basis you’ll be able to stay organised no matter what.
Delegate
If you can, delegate some of your work out.
Planning a large event all by yourself is a mammoth task, and as you’ll likely
still have your other everyday work to manage, it can be difficult to stay on
top of everything. By delegating out some of the work, you’re not only taking
the pressure off of yourself, you’re allowing some of your colleagues to be
able to step up and become involved in a large project. Showing that you can
manage a team and bring the complete event together will be beneficial to you
in the long term.
Tidy Up
Never underestimate the power of a tidy desk.
As things start to get more and more hectic, you’ll soon find post-its and files
covering every spare available inch. Having a tidy desk policy will help to declutter
your space and your mind. The same goes for your email inbox. Don’t let it get
out of hand but organise all of your mail into different folders where it is
easily accessible. You’ll be amazed at how much more in control you’ll feel
when everything is in order.
Decompress
It’s easy to feel burnt out when planning
an event. This is why having a switch-off routine can help you to decompress
after a long day. Whether it’s tidying your desk so it’s ready for you the next
morning, lighting some candles when you get home or listening to some music, we
all need to relax in the way that suits us best. While you might be focused on
planning, it’s easy to forget about what you need. Eating well and getting some
fresh air everyday can help you to stay stress free and will make the whole
planning experience a much more fulfilling one.
No matter what type of event you’re
planning, staying organised helps everything to run smoothly. By having an up
to date task list, a set of deadlines, and some solid delegation skills, you’ll
be well on your way to making planning an event seem like a breeze. Time to get
that checklist out and get organising!
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