People are back in event mode and it’s highly likely we’ll all find ourselves planning back-to-back events for a while. Hurray! But also kinda stressful, right?
So how do we keep everything organized and on track when planning a full event schedule? And what can event technology do to streamline the whole process? We’ll give you a hint – it’s all about thinking ahead and finding ways to save time down the road. For more, here are our top tips for staying organized when planning multiple events.
Set realistic goals.
The first thing to do when planning is to set all the goals that you can realistically accomplish for all of your events.
We can’t be everywhere all the time, and believe it or not, there is a limit to the number of projects we can take on. (Even if we don’t always think so.)
Start by setting deadlines that you know you can hit. Then move on to attendance goals, marketing deliverables, speakers you want to book, etc. Setting achievable goals here will ensure that you are always on course and constantly crossing items off your list. Which is always a good feeling! ✔️
We’ll add that realistic goals are essential for managing expectations with clients/customers. Late requests happen, everyone understands that. It’s important to set parameters for what’s really possible in the end. Especially so those goals get done to their fullest.
Get the big tasks done early.
When it comes to the big tasks, like venues, hotels, AV, arranging event tech, food, etc, it’s best to get those things done early (no matter how far away the event is).
No one likes to hear that their favorite venue is booked. Or that a caterer can’t fit you in. Not to mention the time it takes to go find replacements for all that. You may feel like it’s not urgent since your events are spaced out, but in reality, events are back in a big way this year, and you’ll want to get ahead of the competition.
It’s also a good idea to get a head start on drafting marketing emails, social media posts, and all the writing and creative work that has a tendency to get procrastinated. Start to make little notes along the way as you think of marketing ideas in your head. Then piece all those notes together and create your plan!
Basically, It’s all about getting ahead of the things that take up more time if we put them off.
Work with the same vendors.
Working with the same people for each event just makes things easier.
You can accomplish twice as many tasks or more on a single call. You can skip the introductions and get straight to work. It’s also possible to keep refining your process together from event to event – plus you can usually save money on your event budget with bundling.
Using the same vendor leads to building solid work relationships. It’s easier to work with people that you trust and have a history with. It also makes the work more fun. Work friends can be real friends, and we firmly believe that.
That said, if it’s not working out, and you feel you need to switch vendors, it’s best to make that move before going too far down the road on another event. Not everyone has the same vision, and this is OK. The best thing to do is to keep looking for people you mesh with and then build those lasting bonds.
Open up that registration!
Opening up your event registration can help you track much, much more than how many people have registered.
At Expo, our registration platform can let you know what topics attendees are most interested in, and even their shirt size (for some nifty swag), with custom questions you create. You can then refer to all of this information when refining your marketing and crafting promos for individual groups of attendees.
The registration platform is also a secure way for you to handle transactions (no popout windows or separate financial institutions to get bogged down with). It all gets handled safely and securely through your event platform.
In a lot of ways, your registration is your hub. It’s where financial, marketing, and attendee data all come together to help make planning easy, and much more organized.
For more, check out our article: Event Analytics. Explained.
Use name badges and on-site printing.
The combination of name badges and onsite will keep you more organized before, during, and even after your events.
The ability to create name badges onsite means no more printing, organizing, or alphabetizing before the event. This saves hours of time for your staff and allows everyone to focus on more important tasks.
Event badges are also integral to tracking attendees during and after the event. Want to know where attendees are or what session they are in? All of this information is tracked through the badges.
After the event, you can use this data to craft personalized marketing emails, suggest more event content, or even just check in about their event experience.
For more, check out our article: Name badges and on-site printing: A winning duo.
Staying organized is all about thinking ahead.
It sounds obvious, but staying organized when planning multiple events is all about thinking ahead and finding new ways to save time down the road.
Setting realistic goals before you plan will help you commit entirely to the things you know you can get done. Sticking with the same vendors will streamline everything and help you complete work faster and more efficiently. Using name badges and onsite printing will keep everything on track throughout your event. While planning multiple events is never easy, there are ways to keep that daily planner in check along the way.
