With so many options out there, it can be difficult to know how to organize your special event from start to finish. No matter what kind of occasion you’re planning whether it’s a wedding, anniversary party, brand activation or pop up store with the right tools and resources such as Crowd Culture, you can make sure that your event turns out exactly as you want it to.
Here are eight lists with tips and advice about how to make your dream event happen no matter what!
Set a Goal
To organize, create and produce your event in time you’ll need goals and a plan. Before you start planning, think about what you want from your event:
- What is it you want?
- Is it having fun?
- Meeting new people?
- Learning something new?
- Spreading awareness about an issue or product?
Write down everything that comes to mind; as long as it’s realistic then write it down. Don’t censor yourself; sometimes setting huge impossible goals is just as helpful as breaking things down into manageable chunks.
Start Planning Early
The first step in creating your dream event is time. You have to have time – months or even years – to make sure that your idea isn’t just a whim, but something you can Luckily, there are plenty of things you can do now that will make an extravagant future event more manageable.
One example is renting equipment and venue space ahead of time for much cheaper than you will find it later. Crowd culture helps everyone be able to enjoy events with one another! In terms of location and venue, start thinking about what kind of decor will make your guests feel at home and happy. Start getting these things early so you don’t end up paying way too much money at the last minute!
Use Online Resources and Tools
Crowd culture makes it easier than ever for individuals and groups to put together massive events with little overhead. With a little smartness and some elbow grease, you’ll be able to make your next party or event as successful as you want it to be. An Internet search away is countless crowdsourcing sites that can help with everything from event planning and music selection to guest interaction and decor.
Negotiate With Vendors
If you’re putting together an event, negotiate with all of your vendors. You might be surprised at what a little negotiation can save you—it may even give you more money to put toward making your dream event come true. When preparing for an event, negotiating with vendors is one of the easiest ways to save some extra cash and put it toward making your dreams come true. It won’t cost you anything upfront and will likely save you hundreds or thousands.
Some events are particularly good opportunities for negotiating; if others charge $500 for signage but yours costs $200, find out why before you sign on. In many cases, vendors will be able to lower their prices if they think someone else can do better—you just have to prove it!
Get Creative with Decorations and Props
After you’ve chosen your location, use it to its full potential. If you are having an outdoor party in your garden, deck out all of your plants with flowers and ribbons or have them painted in bright colours for an extra special touch. If you’re holding a holiday party at home, cover your ceilings with lights that twinkle and be sure to get lots of coloured streamers and balloons up too.
When planning a themed event like carnival or western, make sure you design your invitations so that they reflect the theme by using words such as dance instead of the party and carouse instead of celebrating.
Add Friends and Family Into the Planning Process
If you’re planning a wedding, start by making your plans with other people in mind. Share your vision and your estimated timeline with everyone involved. Having friends and family members on board will make it easier for them to support you during busy times, like before the big day or right after if you plan an exotic honeymoon.
Plus, having others involved can keep costs down; instead of hiring out-of-town help like caterers and DJs, get people from your network (like neighbours) to help out as much as possible.
Create an Amazing Playlist
One of your first steps in creating an amazing event is to curate an awesome playlist. Not only will you be giving people something fun and tangible to do, but you’ll also be providing them with ways for them to customize their experience and become part of what makes your event so special.
If you have strong musical talent within your group, go ahead and add that as well; however, don’t neglect to also create other avenues for people who might not know how amazing they can sound! If music isn’t one of your strengths, think about getting some help from someone who knows how events work. You may want to consider hiring an experienced DJ or band if you want music at your event but don’t know where else to start.
Stay Patient
One of the most favourited quotes from Steve Jobs is, that you can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new. This is something I feel strongly about for planning events. Events take time and there are many steps involved.
You have to start by getting everyone on board with your vision. Then you have organized people and work with vendors until every detail has been covered. Don’t get discouraged if things don’t go as planned; keep going until it’s done right. If your event happens too quickly or lacks substance, then it might not be worth hosting at all.
Conclusion
First and foremost, you need to have fun. The best possible way you can make your dream event come true is if you’re having a good time making it happen through Crowd Culture. If there’s no joy in planning, what’s the point? If there are aspects of your idea that aren’t for you, find ways to work around them or hire someone else who loves that aspect. It might cost a little more initially but it will be worth it later when your event doesn’t feel like an obligation.
