3 Classic Meeting Missteps and How to Avoid Them
Event planning is a complete profession on its own and that is for good reason. In any quality event there are a number of factors which need to be taken in to consideration to create an event which delivers its purpose and has value for those hosting and those attending. If you want to arrange a business meeting take these top tips from event planning professionals to create a valuable event which will benefit the participants and ensure that the money you spend is not going to waste.
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Events That Fall Behind Schedule
Even with meticulous planning and constant reminders to participants the possibility of people joining late cannot be taken out of the equation. Moreover there is always the possibility of some unforeseen event taking place which throws the entire event off schedule.
To solve this, communication is the first step. Make sure the venue hosts, participants and other involved members know when they need to be there and what the schedule of the event is.
Secondly it is important to have an agenda for the event. If for some reason the time allotted for the event has been reduced by having a list of prioritize the management can quickly decide what things need to be left out and what needs to be addressed in the remaining time. Furthermore each priority should have a time slot so that each point can be addressed rather than spending all of the little time there is left on just one topic.
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Managing On-Site Tech
Modern technology is a part of even the most basic of event and leaving the technology solutions to the last minute can be devastating. Whether you need a simple projector or high speed internet solutions for a crowd of 500 people, these things need to be sorted out with the venue management well beforehand.
In some cases the venue may not have the necessary solutions, in which case a third party supplier needs to be sourced. Though even with the right third party vendor one also needs to ensure that the venue can facilitate the solution.
It is advisable to sort out all technology related matters with both the venue administration and third party service providers at least a week before the event, so that one the final day everyone knows what to do and how to do it.
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Surprise Events
Even a professional event managers cannot forecast unseen events. The event plan should at least include solutions for all the potential problems that could occur.
Potential problems for the event include things such as bad weather, timing issues with the arrival of hosts or participants and technical problems with equipment. Catering problems could occur, and if there is a major problem the entire event may have to be postponed.
In all of these cases having a solution is important. Either you can arrange for backups for vital parts of the event, while for other parts which can be managed without, having a plan of action in the case something goes wrong could be enough. Communication is important in all these situations, timely communication with people attending, service providers and venue management.
Also make some room in your budget to cater for these problems if they happen to occur.
