Experienced event planners worldwide would agree that the key to a successful event is to ensure that the guests share an experience that is fun, personal and memorable. That is why it is so important that the you focus your attention on providing a comfortable environment to get the guests relaxed, talking to each other and enjoying themselves as quickly as possible. It really doesn’t matter how elaborate or unique the venue is, how inventive the cuisine, or how much there is to drink. While these things can be important to spark the kind of spirited atmosphere guests need to have a great time, you want to ensure that they are quickly able to create lively conversations.
Here are some tips for planning successful holiday events. Always take the time to plan ahead.
- If you will be renting an outside venue you need to secure it as far in advance as possible. Some places can book up even a year in advance. Find your venue now and put down a deposit to ensure that you get the venue that you want.
- Set a very strict working budget but make sure that you have extra cash for the unexpected expenses. Every event will have some unexpected expenses; it’s simply part of planning.
- Contact the service providers (Caterer, Entertainment, DJ or Band) whose quotes you do not accept, to let them know that you are declining their services. They will often be more than happy to recommend another company that will meet your specific requirements. Don't leave them on the hook, waiting. It's the courteous thing to do.
- If you are creating a seating chart for your event, you can either set it up randomly or work with someone else in your company to come up with the best possible scenario. If you are having entertainment, proper seating is EXTREMELY important. Contact your entertainer to ask them how to best set up the room.
