{"id":925,"date":"2024-04-12T07:10:06","date_gmt":"2024-04-12T07:10:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/?p=925"},"modified":"2024-04-12T07:10:06","modified_gmt":"2024-04-12T07:10:06","slug":"in-charge-of-planning-an-event-how-to-get-started","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/in-charge-of-planning-an-event-how-to-get-started\/","title":{"rendered":"In Charge of Planning an Event? \u2013 How to Get Started"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_65 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-661fb290cc365\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-661fb290cc365\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/in-charge-of-planning-an-event-how-to-get-started\/#Planning_an_Event_for_a_Diverse_Group_of_People\" title=\"Planning an Event for a Diverse Group of People\">Planning an Event for a Diverse Group of People<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/in-charge-of-planning-an-event-how-to-get-started\/#_Set_Realistic_Goals_When_Planning_an_Event\" title=\"&nbsp;Set Realistic Goals When Planning an Event\">&nbsp;Set Realistic Goals When Planning an Event<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/in-charge-of-planning-an-event-how-to-get-started\/#Set_a_Realistic_Budget_When_Planning_an_Event\" title=\"Set a Realistic Budget When Planning an Event\">Set a Realistic Budget When Planning an Event<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/in-charge-of-planning-an-event-how-to-get-started\/#Less_Can_be_More_When_Planning_an_Event\" title=\"Less Can be More When Planning an Event\">Less Can be More When Planning an Event<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/in-charge-of-planning-an-event-how-to-get-started\/#Remember_When_Planning_an_Event_%E2%80%93_This_is_THEIR_Event_%E2%80%93_Not_Yours\" title=\"Remember When Planning an Event \u2013 This is THEIR Event \u2013 Not Yours\">Remember When Planning an Event \u2013 This is THEIR Event \u2013 Not Yours<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p>Coming up with new and creative ideas to wow a client on a budget is a challenge even for professional meeting and event planners.&nbsp; So if you\u2019ve been \u2018elected\u2019 head of the \u201csocial committee\u201d you may find that planning an event \u2013 for work, for your kids\u2019 baseball team or for the charity organization that you belong to \u2013 a daunting task.&nbsp; You\u2019ll be expected to create an event to meet the expectations and tastes of a wide range of people, many of whom have&nbsp;<em>no interest<\/em>&nbsp;in helping you but most of who&nbsp;<em>will have some \u201cconstructive criticism\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;for you after the event is over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ve compiled a few pointers to help you get started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Planning_an_Event_for_a_Diverse_Group_of_People\"><\/span><strong>Planning an Event for a Diverse Group of People<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Planning an event for a group of very diverse people (i.e.:&nbsp; the office party) is a challenge, no question.&nbsp; But it is not impossible and it does not have to be a nightmare.&nbsp; The key for a successful work-related event is to NOT try to be all things to all people.&nbsp; No matter how much time, effort and consultation you put into planning an event for a diverse group there will always be somebody who is not happy. &nbsp;In fact, trying to keep everybody happy has been the undoing of many who have experienced the joy of planning the company \u201choliday party\u201d.&nbsp; Just accept that, do your best\u2026and then move on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"_Set_Realistic_Goals_When_Planning_an_Event\"><\/span>&nbsp;<strong>Set Realistic Goals When Planning an Event<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Do not make even&nbsp;<em>one trip<\/em>&nbsp;to the party supply store until you and your committee members understand and agree upon the goal(s) for the event that you\u2019re planning.&nbsp; Is it to celebrate a traditional holiday?&nbsp; Are you creating an event as to allow work colleagues to get to know each other better?&nbsp; Are you celebrating the launch of a new product or service?&nbsp; Or, is this the end-of-the-season hockey banquet for a group of 15 year olds and their parents?&nbsp; Understanding the goal of the event will help you to decide on the theme, where to best spend your budget, what to put in the invitations \u2013 the list goes on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you have a clear understanding of the purpose\/goals of the event \u2013 put them in writing and be sure that everyone involved in planning the event has a copy.&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Set_a_Realistic_Budget_When_Planning_an_Event\"><\/span><strong>Set a Realistic Budget When Planning an Event<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A great event does not have to cost an arm and a leg but you do need to have a clear understanding of your limits before you move forward.&nbsp; Can you really do a \u201ctropical nights\u201d theme with a decorating budget of $75.00?&nbsp; Will it really be possible to provide four different entr\u00e9e selections when you\u2019re budgeting $20\/person?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you know your spending limits picking a theme, menu selection, entertainment and d\u00e9cor is not necessarily that difficult.&nbsp; The key is to communicate just how extravagant or \u201crestrained\u201d the event will be to the people expected to attend before the day of the event.&nbsp; If you\u2019re going with a basic \u201cone meat\/one vegetarian\u201d menu be sure that people understand this prior to their arrival.&nbsp; Indicating that the event will be \u201ca casual get-together\u201d on the invitation should give attendees an idea that there will most likely&nbsp;<em>not<\/em>&nbsp;be a Champagne fountain at the entrance to the dining room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Less_Can_be_More_When_Planning_an_Event\"><\/span><strong>Less Can be More When Planning an Event<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When planning an event on a very limited budget you may want to choose to spend the bulk of your budget to ensure one or two aspects of the event are&nbsp;<em>really amazing<\/em>.&nbsp; Cutting down on the d\u00e9cor may ensure that your menu is a lot more memorable.&nbsp; Rather than hiring an expensive band, consider a local DJ (caveat\u2026always a good idea to do your research, ask the DJ if you can just pop into one of his\/her upcoming events, get references).&nbsp; Can\u2019t afford to bring in live palm trees for your Caribbean Nights event?&nbsp; Maybe just create colorful centerpieces and forget the foliage!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Remember_When_Planning_an_Event_%E2%80%93_This_is_THEIR_Event_%E2%80%93_Not_Yours\"><\/span><strong>Remember When Planning an Event \u2013 This is THEIR Event \u2013 Not Yours<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Even though you can\u2019t possibly make 100% of the people 100% happy 100% of the time you can take some steps to ensure that you are meeting the expectations of the bulk of your event attendees.&nbsp; Do ask for input and whenever possible use that input.&nbsp; The key here is to narrow down the choices from which your colleagues, other committee members, the parents of the kids on the team can choose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example.&nbsp; Putting out a call for \u201cmenu ideas\u201d could be your worst mistake when planning an event.&nbsp; If you ask 200 people for their menu ideas you could get 200 different ideas.&nbsp; Narrowing down the selection allows input from people who have a vested interest in the event but keeps the process and the costs under control.&nbsp; So rather than asking for \u201cmenu ideas\u201d give them a sample of 5 or 10 menu items that you know your budget can handle and that would be appropriate for your target audience.&nbsp; Ask them to vote for their top 3 choices and voila \u2013 decision made in a democratic fashion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are a multitude of things to consider when you\u2019ve been tasked with planning an event.&nbsp; Set your budget immediately, get as much input as is practical from your committee and\/or potential event attendees and keep the lines of communication open to minimize the occurrence of unwelcome surprises.&nbsp; And then, of course, sit back and enjoy the event\u2026.and then welcome the inevitable follow up feedback.&nbsp; You\u2019ll feel really gratified to hear how happy most people are with the event\u2026and of course, you\u2019ll be grateful for any \u201cconstructive feedback\u201d because you can share that with the person who plans next year\u2019s event.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Coming up with new and creative ideas to wow a client on a budget is a challenge even for professional meeting and event planners.&nbsp; So if you\u2019ve been \u2018elected\u2019 head<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/925"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=925"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/925\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":926,"href":"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/925\/revisions\/926"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=925"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=925"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mastertheevent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=925"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}