5 Mistakes Newbie Event Planners Make


New to the industry or not, top event planners are always ready to take on anything that comes their way. Planning an event is not as easy peasy and clear cut as it can appear. It takes a great deal of planning, hard work and organization. As well as a boatload of factors coming together that help to push the event over the top. Good event planners are always anticipating their attendees and clients’ needs and requirements.

An event can be plagued by an endless list of mistakes. Resulting in an event nosedive and ultimately disaster. A scenario not welcomed by experienced or new event planners alike. After all these years in the events industry I have learned a thing or two. But one thing I know for sure is that success is in the details. And for me, the key to a successful event is exactly that the details. Attention to the right details will take an event a long way to greatness.

Event Planners, Stuff Happens, Let’s Deal with It

When we are aware of the potential mistakes event planners can make. We put ourselves in the best position to avoid them. You don’t have to be new to the industry to make rookie mistakes. From time to time stuff happen. And sometimes just sometimes things don’t turn out like they were supposed to. And in those moments, what do event planners do? First and foremost deal with it on the spot and assess your event. And those event planners mistakes that you weren’t aware of but did happen.

Avoiding the 5 Newbie Event Planners Mistakes

Anything can and will happen when planning and executing events. Budget problems, missing suppliers, late staff, bad venues, just to name a few, resulting in unhappy attendees and dissatisfied clients. Show me event planners savvy and experienced enough to avoid mistakes and I’ll show you a mistake waiting to happen and how to avoid it.

Identify Event Goals. This one happens all the time. When looking to plan a successful event you must first define your goals. Understand the organization expectations. And no matter what the event goals are establish them from the start. That way when planning the event and all that involves, it will help you to manage options and decisions.

Always Confirm/Reconfirm Bookings. Whether you made the original booking or the client did, it is imperative to always confirm and reconfirm every single booking. To ensure your event is a successful one, you must be aware of who you’re working with. Know your suppliers are, what they’re providing, the event scheduling and ensure you’re on the same page.

Never Lie About Experience. Honestly really is the best policy. If in fact you don’t have experience in a certain area, with a specific event or location do not lie or embellish. Always be truthful with your experience. While at the same time letting a possible client know you will do the legwork and whatever is required for success.

Remember the Event Toolkit. Always have an emergency event toolkit on hand. There are just too many event elements that can go wrong, you never know when a crisis will happen. A sign falls down, office supplies go missing or a printer runs out of ink. A toolkit can take you from disaster to lifesaver like a flash. The objects in your emergency toolkit can change. But it is imperative to always have one.

Don’t Over Hype What You Offer. You are your own advocate and it is key to promote your skills and services. But it’s also crucial to be honest and not over sell it. Remember when you actually do what you say you’re going to helps to develop trust. If you break that trust early on it’s very hard to rebuild it.

Let’s face it when starting out in any job, especially event planners, we all make mistakes. When you fall down the learning is rooted in the getting up. When it comes to event planning mistakes they are definitely avoidable. Hopefully this will be a reminder to us “old-timers” and helpful to all the newbie event planners out there.

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