You’ve decided to throw your huge event. You know it’s going to be a great time, but you want the planning process as well as the outcome itself to go smoothly. For that to happen, you need a concrete event plan that will serve as a guide throughout the entire planning period and even during set-up at the actual function. To create such a plan, there are several steps you’ll need to follow. In this article, we will cover some of the most important ones.
What Kind Of Atmosphere Do You Want To Create?
Before anything else can take place, you first need to figure out how you want the guests to feel during the event and how will they react once they leave? A good way of creating such an atmosphere is by picking the right type of music and lighting. Getting in touch with a reputable light and sound hire company will be a good idea, especially if you want the sound system and effects to match and reinforce each other. When it comes to lighting choice, you should consider different factors including the time of the day, the location of the event, as well as the preferred ambiance. Also, keep in mind that sound and lighting systems work best if they’re complimentary, so if you are not sure which one to choose, ask the professional sound and light company for advice.
Determine The Purpose Of Your Event
You want to throw an awesome event, but for what reason? Is it a fundraiser? A company party? A social gathering? Once you’ve decided on what your purpose is, the entire plan is based on that goal. For instance, if you’re organizing a fundraising party, then your plan will include ways to get potential donors involved and how to publicize the event. If it’s a social gathering, then the focus is more on entertainment for all guests present. Whatever you choose for your goal, have a specific purpose in mind so that all of your planning will be going towards achieving one main objective.
Determine The Type Of Event
You also need to decide what type of event you’re hosting. Is it a wedding, a formal dance party, or maybe just a small family affair? Whatever you choose, keep in mind the purpose and the target audience. To put it simply — if your goal is to meet new people and have fun with them afterward, then don’t invite everyone from your telephone book and expect them to mingle during the party itself! If on the other hand, you are celebrating an anniversary together with 40-year old friends who are already familiar with each other’s company, don’t worry about creating a casual space for mingling at all.
Make a Guest List
Starting from this point, you can finally start creating a guest list. The number of guests has a huge impact on the overall atmosphere and environment in which they’ll be mingling with each other. If the place is too small, it will become overcrowded very quickly. Also, keep in mind that since allowances have to be made for attendants’ comfort, you might want to choose a venue that’s a bit larger than you need, so you can avoid overcrowding and still have room to move around. When organizing a guest list, stay far away from clashing personalities or groups of friends who don’t get along well. Therefore, it might be a good idea to divide the list into smaller groups that have something in common with each other.
Decide On The Food Menu And Drinks
This is one of the most important, yet trickiest parts of planning a function. You have several options. If you want to impress your guests with a wide variety of choices, consider hiring a catering service that will provide necessary dishes and drinks. Otherwise, you can choose to prepare everything at home, but do not forget that this will be a very time-consuming task. When it comes to drinks, you should always offer something non-alcoholic for those who don’t drink and a few types of quality alcohol for drinkers. Whether you choose a catering service or prepare everything on your own, doing research is always a good idea. Just be sure to take into account the dietary needs of your guests whenever possible.
Considering all of these points will help you create the perfect event plan. Remember that if you neglect one detail, it can result in a complete disaster, so make sure you double-check every single part before the day of your event. So if you want your event to be a success from start to finish, make sure you follow all of the abovementioned steps. You will be amazed at the result.
