What makes a successful event: Part 1, Planning

As a professional events manager, you’re probably no stranger to a good plan (we’ve all heard the old adage, “fail to plan, plan to fail”). But why is the planning stage of an event so critical, and how can EventsAir’s new 6th-generation event management platform help? We’ve outlined a few key planning areas below to help make your next event a runaway, knocked-it-out-of-the-ballpark success…

Map out an event workflow

Before setting your event-planning wheels in motion, you need to map out a workflow. There are always multiple important tasks that need to be achieved, including managing communications, creating a website, taking registrations, organizing travel and accommodation, arranging speakers, liaising with sponsors and key stakeholders and more. Decide what needs to be done and allocate each task to yourself or a relevant team member, along with a timeline for the date it needs to be completed by, so you all stay on track. With our events management platform, all information is stored and updated immediately in the cloud – making it easier than ever to collaborate with others, even if you’re not based in the same office.

Gather all the information you need

To plan, market and run a memorable event, you need the relevant information about your attendees – but unfortunately, you’ll never get all the information upfront, which means planning your event will be an iterative process. The EventsAir platform makes it easy to gather information along the way, including from event registration forms, pre-event signup forms, social function signup forms, mid-event feedback forms, attendee enquiries and more. All data relevant to an attendee is stored on their profile, making it easy to see who you’re catering to – too easy!

Set a project budget

Ah, the all-important budget. Take your total figure and break it down into the various expenditure categories, such as venue, catering, speakers and marketing expenses, as well as all those little things that tend to be overlooked, such as security deposits and audio-visual support. Our real-time dashboard accurately tracks and visualizes your data, making it easier to get a handle on the numbers – so when you do start spending, you’ll be able to accurately measure your progress in each area and see how you’re tracking against your total budget.

Schedule communications in advance

Communicating with potential attendees is key – as soon as someone expresses an interest in your event, it’s vital that you maintain regular contact with them to encourage them to attend. Our event planning platform allows you to tailor communications to your audience – you can customize your strategy with our email tools and social media integration, as well as send attendees personalized invitations, confirmations and updates to build excitement and anticipation before the big day rolls around.

Want to know more about how our 6th-generation events management platform can help you? Get in touch to find out more or to book your free tailored demo session.

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EventsAir has been at the forefront of Event Technology and Innovation for over 30 years, continually pushing the boundaries of what an event management platform can do. Built by event planners for event planners, EventsAir is a secure, scalable, cloud-based solution that can manage everything from in-person, virtual to hybrid conferences, meetings and events in a single online platform – anywhere, anytime and on any device. In use in over 50 countries by multi-national corporations, professional conference organizers, government departments and tertiary education institutions, EventsAir is also used in global congresses such as G20, APEC, CHOGM and ASEAN, as well as sporting events like The Olympic Games, World Rugby, Commonwealth Games and Pan Am Games. EventsAir is trusted by event professionals around the globe. For further information, visit www.eventsair.com