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Introduction
When everything is going well, event planning can be a really rewarding experience. The food is being gobbled up, the entertainment is going down a storm, and the packed venue is buzzing with enjoyment. So, how can you prepare for more challenging gatherings; those unfortunate days when the buffet lies neglected and the smattering of guests are more interested in their phones than getting involved?
Here, ConnectIn Events reveals the most common event management challenges that planners might need to address. With over 15 years spent perfecting great gatherings in England’s buzzing North West, there’s nothing they haven’t come across before. Their priceless advice will help you to deliver great times, every time.
Body
Four Event Management Challenges [and How to Handle Them]
Event planning challenges come thick and fast — often at the worst possible moment! However, most of the biggest issues can be addressed quite easily if you have an eye-for detail and comprehensive contingency plans. From overshooting your budget to empty seats, there are a few common missteps during live gatherings. Fortunately, there are practical solutions to all of them.
Here are ConnectIn Events’ four most common event planning challenges — and how you can tackle them:
Challenge: Running Out of Funds
The first of our event planning challenges is a big one. For most organisers, running out of money before everything’s paid for is the worst case scenario. It usually leads to corners being cut, which often makes for a shoddy experience for guests. So, why does this happen? More often than not, it comes down to too little foresight and too much ambition.
Solution: Budget Early On
Luckily, the solution is pretty straightforward. Keep on top of costs and list expenditures at the start of the process. Even a basic spreadsheet will suffice; just find a way to calculate your bottom line and track spending as you hire vendors. Finally, accept that things often go wrong and put some money aside in case you need extra breathing room later on.
Challenge: Disinterested Guests
Bored guests is one of the biggest event management challenges. It starts with fidgeting, progresses to yawns and eye rolls, and ends with people drifting away early. Once it starts, it can spread like wildfire, spelling the beginning of the end for any occasion.
Solution: Engage, Entertain, and Mix it Up
You can rise to this event management challenge by including shared pursuits and regular breaks. Resist the urge to talk at guests for long periods and plan interactive activities and games. A good event should have variety and a structure. Therefore, when relaying information, do it early and provide entertainment as a centrepiece. If practical, distribute surveys to understand what activities your teams enjoy and adapt to them.
Challenge: Low Numbers
Another nightmare scenario for planners — the dreaded empty room. When you’ve put your life and soul into an all-singing, all-dancing experience for the ages, you might wonder what more you could have done. The answer is surprisingly simple, and it all comes down to hype.
Solution: Generate a Buzz
Maybe you got so swept up in planning the event that you forgot to promote it. Perhaps you sent emails but weren’t clear enough about dates or just didn’t sell the experience well enough? You can nip this event management challenge in the bud early on by telling the world on every conceivable channel. You know it’s going to be amazing, so tell as many people as possible. If you build it (the buzz, that is) they will come.
Challenge: Tech Mishaps
The bigger an event, the more complex its technical requirements tend to be. But what can you do when an ambitious tech-stravaganza goes haywire? This could manifest itself in misfiring microphones, patchy projectors, wonky WiFi, or stuttering streams. Surely, this is just rank bad luck, and there isn’t much you could have done to fix it? Maybe not…
Solution: Remember the Three Ps (Preparation, Preparation, Preparation)
Most tech problems can be spotted through rigorous testing — for everything else, it pays to have contingency plans in place. These range from backup generators and batteries to secondary streaming platforms (such as Youtube) and locally-stored presentations that don’t depend on live internet access. Even better, if you work with an established event manager, like our guests from ConnectIn Events, they’ll only work with the best technicians, so you can harness the most reliable AV experience imaginable.
Conclusion
ConnectIn Events Can Rise to Any Challenge
As we’ve discovered, things can sometimes go wrong when you’re organising a live gathering. If you want to boost your chances of staging a flawless experience, it certainly helps to work with an expert. The best planners in the business, such as ConnectIn Events, have been there and bought the t-shirt. They know what it takes to bring a vision to life, and have the skills necessary to make any event a seamless showcase.
Founded in 2009, they’re now synonymous with event management excellence. They plan all types of live and virtual occasions, from product launches and conferences, to team parties and awards shows. Whatever you’ve got planned, you can expect a professional experience from a friendly team that prides itself on making dreams a reality.
To find out more about how they can help, contact them today!
