Advice

Start with the golden rule of communication:

“Who says what to whom, how, when, where and with what purpose”.

Define your objectives by thinking briefly about each word in this statement.

• Define clearly the budget available. Keep a contingency reserve, because a few extras always come up, or someone has a brilliant last-minute idea.
• Events are a fantastic networking tool. Draw up your list of invited guests in a homogeneous way, and plan events for the chosen target group.
• Work to a plan, and treat it as a project. Have your agency produce a retroplanning schedule, and make a list of all the items to be included. Take enough time to prepare an event.
• Invite your guests in good time, and confirm that they will attend. Point out to them that “no shows” cost your organisation a lot of time and money.
• Get an organiser's liability insurance. Think about safety. Events often take place in venues that are not originally designed for such occasions.
• Evaluate the event: both internally (among your employees) and externally (among your guests, and with your event partner).