News and Articles

Ten Steps to Planning the Perfect Event

Follow the roadmap outlined below, and you should be fine.

1. Decide on a budget. Planning an event without a set budget is a recipe for disaster. The costs of food, renting out the venue, and entertainment can skyrocket quickly, and before you know it, you're refinancing your house to fund your daughter's wedding. Set a limit on spending, and make sure everything fits in your budget before signing any contracts.

2. Know your venue. How many square feet is the room in which your event will take place? Just because a hotel says their banquet facility can accomodate all your guests does not mean that it can do so comfortably. If hiring entertainment, will there still be room for a stage? Does the venue have a house speaker system in place? If you or a company CEO will be speaking, does the venue have a microphone you can use?

3. Know how many guests will arrive. Without knowing how many guests will arrive at your event, there is no way to determine how much food the caterer should bring, or how much to buy if you are supplying it yourself. Likewise, the number of guests directly determines the size of the venue needed.

4. Plan your event far enough in advance. Caterers, entertainers, and pretty much everybody important to the success of your event can be booked months in advance. By waiting until the last moment, you are risking having the best people unavailable. For large corporate events, booking a few months in advance is good practice, although some corporations choose to book entertainers up to a year in advance. For smaller private events, advance notice of a month or two is typicall sufficient. This rule is especially true around the holiday season. December is a busy month for performers, and you should try booking early to avoid inflated rates.

5. Have music. This shouldn't even need to be on this list, but I am shocked at the number of parties without music. During a cocktail hour, light atmospheric music is typically sufficient. For events where there will be any type of dance floor, a DJ is a necessity. And besides, parties without any music are just uncomfortable.

6. If using a bartender, don't take just anybody. More often than not, the amount you will pay for the alcohol by far exceeds the bartender's hourly rate. Why spend money on good alcohol if nobody wants to drink it? You might not hear people raving about the great bartender, but you will definately hear people complain about the bad one. Ask around to get good recommendations from others who have used bartenders, and make sure that the bartender carries his own bar kit.

7. Have good food. The food is one of the most important things at the event, right up there with the entertainment. In fact, many people come to events specifically for the food. Find a good caterer, and make sure to check their references. Most venues will have a preferred list of caterers that they have worked with and endorsed.

8. Have activities for everbody at your event. Think long and hard about all the guests that will be at your event. If you have two hundred adults and only ten children at a function, that doesn't mean the kids should be left with nothing to do To make it plain and simple: if you don't have anything for a guest to do at your event, then don't invite them!

9. Hire good entertainment. Nobody wants to go to a boring event, so good entertainment is definately a must. Click here to read more about hiring good entertainment. The important thing to remember is that good entertainment often comes at a price. Be creative in your budgeting. Sometimes offering a smaller variety in the bar or less choices on the catering menu can save you enough money to book the perfect entertainer.

10. If all else fails, hire somebody to do it for you. Entertainment agents can be a costly but effective solution if you cannot seem to hire entertainment yourself. You will pay 5 to 20 percent more, but can almost guarantee yourself a good event if you book with the right company. Beware cheap entertainment agencies, as they will hire anybody they can fit in their budget, choosing price over skill. Find a good entertainment planner who is willing to find specific entertainers who will work well for your particular event.