Meetings
Well-focused, well-organized meetings are essential. It is always good practice to have a clear agenda to follow and to email this out in advance so the invitees can prepare accordingly.
Try, however, not to address too many things in one go or allow the meeting to digress too far from the pre-determined topics. Lengthy meetings do not necessarily achieve more and unproductive meetings are annoying in that they are a total waste of time. While it is important to allow everyone to have their say, it is equally important not to allow the meeting to loose focus and cause those in attendance, to loose concentration. Always keep clear, concise minutes of your meetings, not only for follow-up purposes but having a record of what has been said, may prove useful at a later date.
Deadlines
Get into the habit of using a daily diary or calendar. There are even plenty of online options available and a myriad of mobile devices with which to access them, be it a laptop, iPod, iPad, android phone, blackberry or iPhone. Always factor in more time than you might need to complete a task and plan your day according to realistic time frames rather than cramming in too much, rushing to meet a deadline and failing to offer quality over quantity. Simply missing a deadline due to a severe lack of organization is inexcusable but whether you have a valid reason or not, no one likes a last minute panic and if you really can’t meet a deadline, politely inform all involved with as much notice as possible and give a very good reason.
Go Above Expectations
Don’t fall into the time old trap of believing that the little details are not important and can be left until later. They can be incredibly time consuming and it is surprising how often the small details make the difference between average and excellent.
Team Work
Being a successful Event Planner or Event Manager starts with how you channel your team’s combined expertise and boost their overall potential. Having a well-organized team with clearly defined roles of responsibility is therefore crucial. It is also important to set reachable goals and realistic deadlines, delegate tasks according to individual skill set yet spread the workload as evenly as possible and establish reasonable milestones. Hold regular meetings leading up to the event in order to monitor progress, discuss feedback and make any necessary changes. Be open to implementing new ideas where improvements can be made. Even though you have a fixed goal, it is important to be flexible on your approach, factor in possible variables such as unexpected changes in the weather and always have a back up plan at the ready. Last minute changes can happen but your preparedness and efficiency in responding to such changes lies in your planning.
Fiona
Latest posts by Fiona (see all)
- How to Dress for Your First Client Meeting - December 3, 2012
- A Crash-Course on How to Lighten Up the Party - November 15, 2012
- Required Event Facilities - License Savy - November 5, 2012
