No one starts out at the top. You get there by hard work, learning through hands-on experience, and from others who have traveled the road before you. And what top event organizers know is that some of the best tricks of the trade are the ones that make the most sense, but often get overlooked for something newer or shiner. So while you may still be finding your footing when it comes to organizing top-notch events, we’ve come up with three mistakes to avoid that will help you leave your rookie status behind.
- Inviting Everyone – Quality will always trump quantity. A well-attended event is always the goal, but having a large amount of random people at an event for the sake of hitting a “magic number” should never be considered a success. Instead, a discerning organizer will think about who the target audience is and cultivate a strategy and guest list from there. Save inviting your brother’s-best friend’s-girlfriend for the next backyard barbecue you throw with your money. This is your client’s money. Spend it wisely.
- Insulting Speakers – Professional courtesy. Yes, it still matters. The message the speakers are delivering isn’t the only one that matters. How you, the event organizer interacts with them speaks volumes about your professionalism and trust in what their message is. As Julius Solaris, editor of Event Management Blog reminds us, you picked the speaker for a reason. He or she has the sought-after knowledge you wanted to attract that specific audience we just talked about in the first point. Show them you respect their time and acumen, because if you don’t, another event organizer will.
- Inbox RSVP – Avoid awkward exchanges at the check-in table. Even if you have a professional email address set up for your event, there’s still the chance that an RSVP will get lost. Use an online registration system, which creates a mobile-friendly registration page that stores all your attendee information in one convenient place. From there you can quickly view and modify a full guest list at any time, from anywhere, which is perfect for the people who like to wait until the last possible minute to reply.
Avoid these event organizer mistakes and make your life easier by creating your event on Events.com.