9 Tips for Planning an Industry Event

Industry events are an important part of business management if a company wants to build those essential relationships that ensure growth. From a product launch of a few hundred audience members to an employee training session with only ten or twenty people, planning those events needs to be well-planned. This means following a clearly defined set of steps to ensure that your event goes off without a hitch and provides the most value to attendees. While technology has made industry event planning easier than ever, mismanaged or poorly thought out events can do more harm than good, so you must approach your event with a well thought out strategy.

1. Early Planning

The sooner that you start planning for your event the better. Ideally, you’ll want a few months of planning, but if you’re organizing a small event then that time can be cut down to just a month. The goal is to set up as much as possible as early as possible. The more that you plan in advance, the less stress you will have to tackle as the date of the event comes closer.

2. Have a Purpose

All events should have a goal, and it is up to the event planner to ensure that they both understand that goal and know the best ways to achieve it. Ask questions about the purpose of the event so that you know if the focus should be on making sales, networking, or training. Make sure that you identify smart goals that can be tracked and measured so that you know how well you have performed when the event is over. Always make sure that your event is more than simply a bland corporate advert: it should be an experience that engages.

3. Stay Flexible

The longer in advance you start planning, the more likely that you will have to make changes in the run-up to the event. Things can change very quickly, and if a caterer cancels at the last minute or your main speaker is delayed, you need to have an action plan in place and the flexibility to react accordingly so that your event isn’t negatively affected.

4. Choosing Location

The best location for your event will depend on many factors. You need to identify the venue that will help you meet your event goals in a way that brings your gathering to life. Location is often the biggest key to your attendance figures, so ensure that you pick the venue to suit rather than picking the first location and trying to mould it to fit your needs. There are plenty of options to choose from, with event-specific destinations that have been designed to be perfectly suited to industry events. Look at the conference venue Adelaide as a prime example of a location that’s been designed to host events of all sizes.

5. Logistics Planning

Once you have decided on your venue, you’ll have a much clearer picture of what you need to organise and what the venue will be doing for you. Some venues will handle the catering for your event, while others will require you to plan that side of things yourself. Check with your venue manager, and ascertain whether they can provide or have access to:

• Caterers
• Printers
• Photographers
• Security staff
• Technicians
• Florists

Once you know more about what you need to organize, create a list and tackle each item. You’re also going to need to finalise your list of guest speakers and presenters. Always have a long initial list of speakers so that you have options to choose from in case your priorities are unable to make it.

6. Know Your Budget

Event planning can see spending get wildly out of control if it is not managed well. It’s a good rule of thumb to have a budget limit, but to always assume that you’ll go over it by around 10%. Having that little emergency wiggle room can work in your favour should you have any unexpected expenses crop up. Don’t try to cut costs on your technicians or your caterers. These will often define the success (or not) of your event. Bad caterers might leave your attendees hungry (no good when you’re trying to keep them happy), and cheap audiovisual technicians might mean that sound quality is so bad that nobody can hear what’s being said by your presenters.

7. Always Negotiate

Good event organisers have to be able to negotiate prices comfortably. If you’re the type of person who would rather just pay extra rather than try to get prices down then your event is simply going to cost you more than it should. Vendors are going to want to have your business, and if you can knock 5-10% from every invoice then your chances of coming in under budget will be much more likely.

8. Managing your Team

Assigning responsibilities is vital so that your team members are not stepping on each other’s toes and repeating work that has already been done. Break down your event, and then list every task that needs doing in every section. For example, you can have one team member in charge of the registration logistics, while others can be working on how to get people to and from the event. When each member of your team has their own responsibility they will be more likely to spot small changes and potential issues than if everyone is trying to do everything.

9. Know Your Audience

Your event will be more successful the more that you know about your intended audience. This will depend on the type of event that you’re planning. An event to celebrate your employees will require a different approach to one that is aimed at industry CEOs in the same sector. The more that you have a clearly defined audience, the more easily you will be able to book the right guests and plan the right atmosphere.

With every stage planned and a clear strategy in place for emergencies, your event will be far more likely to go off without any issues. Remember to take the time after your event to measure and track what went right and what could have been improved. While few large events will be without issues, the more that you plan the less dramatic those issues will be. Get your planning right and you could be planning even bigger events next year.