In every function, from fun to fashion, celebrations to corporate, planning always plays a vital role. Whenever we plan any event, there are a lot of aspects to be covered. Booking the right venue, decorations, guest lists, music arrangement, arranging for the caterer, the preferred seating arrangement, the plan of action, time mapping, and what not.

Another very important component of any event is the human resource. Bigger the event, larger is the requirement for human resource. But who are these human resources?

Every event needs a team, a manager, an audience and various agencies to participate in the planning and execution of the event. Well-trained and experienced people are needed to lead specific teams while volunteers take on the small but equally important jobs. Each person, each team, each action and every small output are vital to the success of the particular program. Another very important thing is time management. The whole planning has to be such that the event starts as well as ends on time. It is a must, to respect each other’s time, in any particular event. The guests always appreciate a punctual organization. Just remember – only VIP’s come late, not the organizers themselves…

For making the event a grand success, here are some pointers to remember and apply to avoid any drawbacks in the presentation of the event.

1. Divided you win!

Though an event is a task to be performed by a determined team, there’s nothing worse than the confusion of “whose work is this?” Delegating different tasks according to categories like lights, guest welcome, seating arrangement, food & catering, photography, venue decoration, etc. makes the huge task of organizing the event seem little! Dividing the jobs appropriately according to the competencies of the team members is the golden rule to success for any program.

Let’s take a simple example. It is an office party organized in the suburbs of Mumbai. The venue is perfect, every one of the organizing team has arrived 1 hour before the event starts, another plus point. Now, comes the disaster. No one has been informed, what their particular job is! They decide to freelance, and down goes the ship. There are 3 people calling the caterer, 10 of them looking for decorations, and the remainder 2 are still wondering what to do. If the whole team had been divided into smaller teams and if they had been informed about their duties, all this hassle would have been avoided.

Teamwork is the key to success

2. Guests score more

“Be wise, prioritize” is the motto of a good manager. While preparing a priority list of things that need to be taken care of for any kind of event, there’s just one rule to follow. – Guests score more – Always put the guests as first on your priority list. They are the ones who have come actually to participate and enjoy the event that you have so meticulously organized. It does not matter if a pillar is left under-decorated, but an unimpressed guest is a crime in the world of events!

First priority - guests

3. Money matters

Payments are something which are very crucial part of every event. A good event manager always has cheques ready in labeled envelopes to be given to various agencies. Depending on the size of your event, the payment amount as well as the number of people that need to be paid increases. Here, you need to be cautious. Do not confuse the envelopes with each other, and ensure twice before writing on the cheque – who is this for, and how much should I pay. These small things taken care of keep the agencies happy and contended and amplify their performance and dedication.

On time payments

4. Conflict! Conflict!

At huge events such as conferences and conclaves of international companies and groups, small conflicts are but natural to happen. These may be within the team members, or within two different teams/groups. At such events, to avoid such unnecessary conflicts, some precautions are necessary to consider. First, make sure that the venue you have chosen gives you enough space to plan everything properly. Proper space ensures proper conduct of all activities and avoids 50% of the possible conflicts!

Still not clear? Let’s take a simple example. There are two teams at an event organized in a small hotel in South Mumbai. 200 guests are expected for the event. One of the team notices that there are only 150 chairs! Now, starts the blame game. Team A blames the lunacy on team B and off starts the fight. Arguing, shouting, convincing, defending, and what not. This whole issue would have been solved if they had consulted first with the venue owners on the capacity of the place, and the availability of chairs. Be sure that nothing like this happens at your event. Click here to know more. 

Simle ways to resolve conflicts

5. Backup - for almost everything

At all events, backup is a crucial activity. Not only battery or power backup is essential, but human resource backup teams are also equally important. Having a ‘Plan B’ never goes waste. Considering reserve systems and setup for all possible emergencies is a must while planning any function. Starting the event late due to technical difficulties leaves a negative impression on the audience and the special guests. Backup ensures punctuality, efficiency and is the way to go for a tension free and flawless event.

Backup - the safe route to event management

We firmly believe that anyone can become an event manager if he or she have checked their C’s.

You need to note down a very important point if you are planning to organize and manage an event yourself. Every event manager is bound in two dreaded “Cs” – Cheques and Checklists. While planning your event, you need to ensure if you have covered the ground regarding these two C’s. Because these are the golden points up for credit if executed well, and these are also troublemakers, if not handled properly.

A good event manager always has a hands-on checklist for everybody in her/his team. Each and every person on your team should know their jobs for the day and see to it, and they are carried out without any problems. The second is “C” is also equally important. As we already discussed, that there are many agencies involved in executing a great event. All these agencies need to be paid in time. Thus, keeping the team happy and the event in control are the main jobs, which the manager in you, needs to nail.

We hope that these pointers will help you in organizing the perfect wedding, an immaculate conference, and a cheerful birthday party and free you from the pressures of these “Cs”.