There’s a big event coming up and you’re the head of the organizing team. Do you feel pressured? It’s like you haven’t done this before despite the fact that you’ve probably done it in the past. Yeah, it’s common to feel this way.
Sometimes, all you need is a little memory refresher. Or some new tricks that you might not have thought about before. We’re here to help you out with that. Let’s not waste any more time and see all the things you can do to organize your event more seamlessly.
Get an Egg Timer
Yes, it sounds stupid. But it isn’t. Think about all the menial tasks that you’re not so willing to do, like answering emails or making phone calls. An egg timer will help you out a lot because it will make you realize just how much time you were wasting before. It basically helps you fix your bad time-wasting habits.
Create a “Not Today” List
When tasks come fast at you, it’s hard to stay organized without setting clear boundaries between every little thing that needs to be done ASAP and all the other things that can wait a while longer.
With that in mind, creating a special list for tasks that you can complete tomorrow or even later down the line really helps out a lot. Just make sure to categorize that list in sections like “tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, a week later, etc.”
Create a Master Sheet for the Event
It’s not just you that’s part of the organization team, and it’s not just you that needs to have the contact details of partners stored somewhere convenient. A master sheet is useful for the entire team, and it should include all the contact details of vendors, teammates, collaborators, and just about anyone involved.
Have a Joint Event Calendar for Your Team
Just like having a master sheet is essential, creating a master calendar is just as important. Everyone needs to be on the same page, and having a common calendar helps out a lot.
Encourage Your Vendors to Get Insurance
Insurance is one thing that can make or break your event. Unforeseen things can happen at any time, so it’s always a good idea to have a backup plan, especially from a financial standpoint.
Providers like Eventsured and others are specialized in numerous types of insurance, including those for event vendors, organizers, participants, and much more. Yes, it might be an extra investment, but it’s one that can save you a lot of trouble, especially in these uncertain pandemic-ridden times.
Have You Heard of Agile?
There are tons of corporations that use the Agile Project Management Algorithm to get things done on time. At a basic level, it allows your entire team to solve problems as they see fit with the condition of completing their tasks in the allocated time frame.
Using this algorithm in combination with a shared calendar and a master sheet will allow you to organize yourself much more efficiently. And it can also be used to foresee possible problems in the future so that you can avoid them better.
The Pareto Principle Is Your Friend
In the simplest words possible, 20% of your work brings 80% of the results. It’s the law of the vital few. This principle forces you to think about what’s truly important when it comes to your tasks.
To give you more context, think about software development. Around 80% of bugs come from 20% of program modules. Basically, half of all other modules contain no bugs whatsoever, so you don’t need to worry about them nearly as much. What matters are the 20% that do have bugs and need fixing.
Create Templates for Emails and Contracts
Having templates handy will save you a lot of time. Leave spaces for names, contact info, and other essential stuff you’d see in an email or a contract. Otherwise, formulate everything those types of documents may contain. If you’re organizing a major event and you need to sign tens or hundreds of contracts, you’ll quickly realize why these templates matter.
As for emails, we recommend creating templates for multiple types of messages. Make sure to have handy emails for contract-signing purposes, ones for confirmations, for cancellations, for schedule modifications, and so forth. Think about every possible thing that might happen when organizing an event and try to predict it as best as you can. Then create that email template. Yes, the concept itself is that simple.
Talk to Your Sponsors More Clearly
Many possible sponsors often refuse to take an organizer’s offer because they don’t truly understand it. It’s the sad truth. What matters most is communication. They’re probably thinking that all you’re offering them is a mere logo placement. Far from it. Instead of creating an elongated message, take your time and write a short but sweet one.
Use bullet points to emphasize all the benefits that your sponsors will receive. Create certain tiered packages. Tell them exactly what they’ll be getting for their money. Think of it the same way a content creator entices their audience with Patreon tiers. It’s the exact same philosophy here. “Donate $10 and you’ll receive X & Y. Donate $15 and you’ll receive X, Y, and Z. Donate $20 and you’ll receive everything mentioned before plus some enticing bonuses.” You get the point, now do it!
Bring Passion
Our final advice is to be passionate about what you’re doing. That’s it. As long as you love your work, you won’t need to actually work. This simple mindset can save you a lot of stress. And, of course, your team must also share this seemingly simple core value.
The Bottom Line
We hope that the advice above has helped you get a better understanding of what you’ll need to organize your event successfully. Please feel free to leave us a comment down below with your thoughts and other suggestions you might have. Also, please consider sharing this article with others if you’ve found it useful. It helps us a lot. Thank you!