Event Planning: 5 Things You are Doing Wrong

Event planning can be extremely stressful and demanding especially when it is not your field and you have been giving the task to plan the next get together at work or a friend’s bridal shower. Certain positions or responsibilities require certain skills, event planning is one responsibility that requires numerous skills and if possible, someone with experience. Here are five things you are already doing wrong while planning that event and also how to fix them before they cause a planning disaster.

1. Having an undocumented plan: Have a clear, defined, documented plan on what exactly you are planning. The event date, the event theme, the total number of expected guests, the event type and if you have a team, each member of the team’s role and the deadline for each task.

2· Using an undefined budget: It is not enough to say you plan to spend just 100,000 Naira. You need to breakdown how much each item would cost e.g. how much would the venue cost? How much is catering going to cost? The easiest way to plan a budget is to plan per head i.e. cost the event per person, then add the total to the price of the venue and also decoration.

3· Using unverified vendors: It is always wiser to use vendors who have been known to deliver and not new vendors just to avoid being disappointed. If you must use a vendor online, read the reviews, the ratings and you could also use a booking site like Spacebook which verifies it vendors.

4· Having a large team with no roles or results: The smaller the team the easier it is to control the team, ensure everyone has a task and a deadline, also use every platform i.e. mails, phone calls and text messages to remind your team members of their roles and tasks. Always give deadlines that are 48 hours earlier than the actual deadline so as to avoid last minute planning.

5· Having no risk assessment: When it comes to event planning, anything can go wrong at anytime even a minute before the event, the venue can call you and say there was an error with the booking or the cocktail vendor can come late due to traffic. As an event planner, your goal is to plan for the worst and hope for the best, have a plan B just in case you have to make a last-minute change or you have to call an extra vendor. You can always count on Spacebook to have your back in emergencies. You can book for any type of space or event service via our booking platform.