Making Event Day A Success

Special events require a lot of planning, which begins with creating a timeline listing all the things you need to accomplish leading up to event day. Once you reach that date, there’s no turning back from the fact that it’s time to have the event. But, are you ready for it?

Event day is the culmination of the weeks and months you have spent planning. All of that hard work will hopefully translate into a gorgeous, inspiring, and lucrative event. This can only happen, however, if the proper planning is done beforehand. In the book "Nonprofit Management 101," Marika Holmgren, founder of Organic Events, wrote that all event planners should follow five golden rules to ensure everything runs as smoothly as possible:

• No Assumptions: It’s critical that everyone involved be crystal clear on how event day will flow, what their role is, and what all the key players will do
• Start the Day with Nothing Left to Do: When you begin event day, there should be nothing on your list that could have been done the day, week, or month before.
• The Curtain Rule: When you are out in front of guests, at the registration table, staffing the silent auction cash-out, or backstage with the master of ceremonies, you are in front of the “curtain,” where you must remain professional, composed, and gracious.
• Remember That You Are Part of a Team: Remember that all team members need to be briefed, trained, and managed throughout the process.
• Don’t Expect Perfection, but Do Expect Perfect Troubleshooting: Because of the nature of live events, you should anticipate glitches. When this happens, your team must be ready and able to deal with the snafu in  the most professional and efficient way possible.