A combination of great organizational and communication skills, creativity, and a sense of calmness is what separates a successful event plannerfrom an average, or rather a bad one. Planning any important event such as a wedding, a corporate gathering, etc. is a huge task requiring a number of responsibilities where things could go out of control in an instant. So how do wedding planners keep everything in check especially in a competitive city like New York?
While for this blog post, we are going to explore what mistakes unsuccessful wedding planners tend to make that can fail any event disastrously.
1. They Undertake Responsibilities beyond Their Reach
You only have a pair of hands and should commit to work that the two limbs could cater effectively. The practice of micromanagement to see even the tiniest “flower” is in place may seem pleasant, but an effective wedding organizer delegates his/her work accordingly and trusts his coworker on doing the job well. A well-acquainted event organizer will easily recognize the skillset of each employee and hand them task accordingly, and knows clearly when it would be wise to bring in outside expertise.
A proper delegation can be done by holding meetings with coworkers on regular basis and see if everything is going as per the initial plan.
2. Never Having A Plan B
If things can go things, there is a probability they will. This calls for equally effective alternates or Plan B’s that should keep the flow of event as seamless as possible. Perform an event risk assessment early during the planning phases. Create a full health and safety report such as for transportation plan to cater obstructions, or if a portion of the wedding is to be held outside, a backup for sudden whether changes. Further if nothing is looking to work as decided, what course of action you will take to inform all the attendees?
Things should also be included in Plan B that could potentially run out of your budget and how to counter those during the wedding.
3. They Don’t Acquire the Latest Planning Tools
Understand the true purpose of technology! You need to make the most out of your plan by saving effort, money, and time. Your trusted little diary may have been your loyal friend since the inception of your business, but in today’s digital world learn to acquire technology to stay abreast. Keep your team on with you in developing and editing the wedding plan and budget within everyone’s access.
The use of social media platforms, Google Docs, and other tools in event management can keep each detail in check and allowing each member of the team to see the most recent changes regardless of their location and availability.
4. Cutting Costs Where They Shouldn’t
An experienced event manager is well-versed how to get the best out of the client’s investment. Clearly recognize the areas which could be stripped off to save some budget, but be equally vigilant on areas which requires a decent capital. For instance, cutting the costs on catering is a big no-no, you don’t want the guests to complain and leave hungry, thirsty, or even without a cheap wedding toast.
Having sufficient employees on board is another crucial thing. Labor costs and management are one of the most burning issues in wedding planning. So having scarce helping hands on a to-be couple’s big day can have worse consequences than going over budget.
5. A Creativity-Less Arsenal
Undoubtedly a successful event greatly registers a proper and thorough planning, management, and organization, but it should not in any way affect creativity. You may be running a well-managed and disciplined meeting, but not necessarily would have included the creative aspect. An uninspired meeting with no enthusiasm will not motivate any communication between the delegates and coworkers and others. So how can we change the course of action to promote participation of all attendees? How can the event planning’s purpose be understood better?
Consider by allowing attendees to come up with their own ideas about the structure of the meeting by selecting speakers and content. Bring some interactive and fun-filled networking concepts and sessions. Use social media websites to engage with your audience and be able to stand out from your competitors.
Most importantly, avoid using the dictatorial approach in the meeting. Remember, a successful event provides evidence of organizers, sponsors, speakers, and other attendees all working on the same page in a unified manner.
Conclusion
A number of event pitfalls including cost overruns, time delays, untimely caterings, and eventual customer discontent can be commonly seen especially in large and busy cities. But working on the above described issues, you can successfully flip any mediocre event to the best of client experience and admiration.