‘KRRRR–‘ the mic screeches, and then, BOOM! The sound goes off. The performer taps the mic but to no avail. In a weird turn of events, the performance comes to a standstill. Silence falls upon the room.

What you just read was an event organizer’s nightmare. Any disturbance – minor or major will haunt you for days to come. They say mistakes are normal. We say, let us be so prepared that they never happen in the first place!

Organizing, planning, prepping and scheduling an event is no small feat, and you are going to need all the help you can. For anyone who organizes events, the chances are that you already know what to do. Here is what can make the process slightly simpler – What not to do! Check it out. 

• Doing It Yourself

Okay, team leader, this is the deal – Having good organization skills is the #1 secret that everyone knows – but only a few can manage well. Structures and a systemic work ethic will take you places. However, you need to set achievable goals for everyone to follow. Your productivity is not equal to everyone else’s productivity. Organizing skills also include delegating skills. Make sure that everyone on your team knows what they need to do so things are in place.

• Not Following Up

‘Sponsor plugin – Check! Vendor Contracts – Check! Sound – Check! Artistes – On his way. Wait, what? The performance is due in 15 minutes!’

At this point, paranoia might start to kick in, and really, there is not much you can do, except – REWIND – and follow up with the artist management committee beforehand! Having a checklist of all significant tasks to follow will be helpful in avoiding last-minute surprises!

• When Things Don’t Go To Plan, Don’t Panic!

Assuming that Murphy’s law has mysteriously worked, how much should you panic? The right answer is – not at all!

The good thing about working in live events is that everyone understands these are high pressure and high functioning spaces. The bigger issue here is that you are freaking out! Focus on the task at hand. Usually, addressing the issue and how it is going to impact the remainder of the event helps establish trust and motivate everyone to get back on their feet.

• Having Your Blinkers On

So, the caterer has a different dish than planned. The audio-video equipment is yet to be installed. The decor has lesser flowers than asked.

The first step is to find out if you can change something. But if you cannot, then it is time to adapt and work around what you have. Have an open mind!

• Not Enough Advertising

We are all living in a time when promotions are the need of the hour. Along with social media publicity for your event, one also needs to ensure that word of mouth marketing creates buzz for the event. Update yourself about the latest trends in social media and get started with making those Reels!

• Going Over Budget

A budget helps knowing how much you can spend on an event. However, unwritten expenses are not a well-hidden secret. The mark of an experienced event planner is when he/she can read the warning signals way before spending more than the number mentioned on the spreadsheet. Does it look like you may have to shell out extra on the AV arrangement? Plan beforehand so that you have sufficient time to search for an affordable

‘KRRRR–‘ the mic screeches, and then, BOOM! The sound goes off. The performer taps the mic but to no avail. In a weird turn of events, the performance comes to a standstill. Silence falls upon the room.

What you just read was an event organizer’s nightmare. Any disturbance – minor or major will haunt you for days to come. They say mistakes are normal. We say, let us be so prepared that they never happen in the first place!

Organizing, planning, prepping and scheduling an event is no small feat, and you are going to need all the help you can. For anyone who organizes events, the chances are that you already know what to do. Here is what can make the process slightly simpler – What not to do! Check it out. 

• Doing It Yourself

Okay, team leader, this is the deal – Having good organization skills is the #1 secret that everyone knows – but only a few can manage well. Structures and a systemic work ethic will take you places. However, you need to set achievable goals for everyone to follow. Your productivity is not equal to everyone else’s productivity. Organizing skills also include delegating skills. Make sure that everyone on your team knows what they need to do so things are in place.

• Not Following Up

‘Sponsor plugin – Check! Vendor Contracts – Check! Sound – Check! Artistes – On his way. Wait, what? The performance is due in 15 minutes!’

At this point, paranoia might start to kick in, and really, there is not much you can do, except – REWIND – and follow up with the artist management committee beforehand! Having a checklist of all significant tasks to follow will be helpful in avoiding last-minute surprises!

• When Things Don’t Go To Plan, Don’t Panic!

Assuming that Murphy’s law has mysteriously worked, how much should you panic? The right answer is – not at all!

The good thing about working in live events is that everyone understands these are high pressure and high functioning spaces. The bigger issue here is that you are freaking out! Focus on the task at hand. Usually, addressing the issue and how it is going to impact the remainder of the event helps establish trust and motivate everyone to get back on their feet.

• Having Your Blinkers On

So, the caterer has a different dish than planned. The audio video equipment is yet to be installed. The decor has lesser flowers than asked. 

The first step is to find out if you can change something. But if you cannot, then it is time to adapt and work around what you have. Have an open mind!

• Not Enough Advertising

We are all living in a time when promotions are the need of the hour. Along with social media publicity for your event, one also needs to ensure that word of mouth marketing creates buzz for the event. Update yourself about the latest trends in social media and get started with making those Reels!

• Going Over Budget

A budget helps knowing how much you can spend on an event. However, unwritten expenses are not a well-hidden secret. The mark of an experienced event planner is when he/she can read the warning signals way before spending more than the number mentioned on the spreadsheet. Does it look like you may have to shell out extra on the AV arrangement? Plan beforehand so that you have sufficient time to search for an affordable commercial audio video installation provider.

• The End. Or Is It?

So you have successfully prevented all possible disasters and stayed within budget, but are surprised to wake up to a negative tweet about the event. Boy, that sure looks like it is going to hurt! You could not be personally responsible for an incident or worse, an accident. The best way to tackle this beforehand is to have an insurance cover for anything that might come up later on. 

Phew, that was one hell of an event. Wasn’t it? Now you know! Organizing an event is a tough job – and only the tough ones survive. Address every little problem before it blows up. Once that is done, De-stress! Because along with critical thinking and mindfulness, every event organizer knows – It is all about enjoying the moment!