When it comes to general event planning, most organisers will tell you that stress is a part of the whole package. It can be quite easy to feel pressured and let the stress get to you when planning an event, though there is little to worry about if you make the necessary preparations. Event planning comes on the list of top 10 stressful jobs in the world. People working as event coordinators tend to have stress score of around 51.15%.
While it is by no means easy to guarantee the success of any event, you can make the process easier on yourself by lifting the burden and taking active measures to alleviate the stress. Here are a few surprisingly easy ways to keep the stress out of event planning/management!
First off, take a deep breath, and consider the amount of time you’ll need
How much time you’ll need to set a great event depends on the amount of experience you have, and your contacts. Those who already have experience in event planning can make use of the same professionals to deal with specific aspects. No matter the case, it would be a good idea to have at least four to five months to plan the event in its entirety. There is no need to rush, as it increases the risk and makes it much easier to make mistakes — not to mention it leaves your party vulnerable to unexpected developments.
Make technology your friend
In most of the cases, event coordinators use lot of technology and the best of which is event management software. Event management software helps in every stage of event planning. It helps in building event website, track sales, set up registrations as well as automate tasks. Complementing it with CRM software helps in measuring the ROI also.
Using the available technology, coordinators get the much-needed space to focus on the tasks that need human intervention. With constant evaluation of which tasks are taking most of the time and whether technology is helping you, you can distribute the workload also.
Create a Plan of Action or Timeline
Creating a plan of action ensure that everything will work out just fine without any hassle. Stress at times comes from unknown or unmanageability of the event. But breaking all the chores into bite size chunks and then sticking it will certainly help in reducing lot of worries.
At times, people look too far and think how to get through the work load. Now this can create serious issues back in mind and can also demoralise to execute the task that was possible. Thus, it is better to slice everything into smaller actions and reduce the fears as well as negative thoughts that might arise. This also stops from having too much of work hanging over the head. Following a specific schedule also increases the success rate of an event and the end results are always satisfactory.
Why choosing a theme is so important
The reason why event organisers tend to go for a theme is the fact that it makes the whole process easier to handle. When you know the overall theme of the party, it can be easy to think not just of the venue, but the decorations and food as well.
Everything comes together, and you can even go for fairground stall hire if you want to add an extra layer of fun. After all, nothing spells fun quite like a fair, and adding a bit of the funfair experience to any event can put a smile on the faces of your guests.
Have a backup plan
At times, things go wrong and we don’t have any control over it. Public speakers can drop out their ways! People can change their mind! Venues can get cancelled at the last moment! Thus, you cannot just go with a single plan and need to have a backup.
Marketing at times also turn out to be very stressful. The advertising option or the strategy might fail to work as expected. Thus, also create another marketing plan in case the sales or initiations are coming in the expected number. It is always good to be prepared for the worst situations. This will certainly help in lowering down the stress levels and things can execute in a better way.
Get reliable people in the team
It takes an army and then someone to make the event grand success. Have people whom you can trust and rely on. Collaborate with the vendors who are dependable and speakers who are professional. Add supportive sponsors, staff who can carry themselves and volunteers who can complement rest of the team. All these people together will make the event successful and will keep all the problems at bay.
Do a background check of all the people you are working with to avoid unwanted hassles during the event. Get to know each of them personally and create a long lasting association. This ensures that they remain with you even after the event and you don’t have to look for new people.
Take care of the team
Believe it or not, stress is contagious. The moment you get it, your team also catch it from you. Thus, it is necessary to take care of the staff and make the work culture pleasant. This can done through many ways like
- Avoiding micromanagement
- Let them to their strengths
- Recognising and rewarding their hard work
- Making team activities priority
- Getting regular feedback and be kind to it
- Encouraging wellness programs at the workplace
- Ensuring job security as well as other incentives such as free gym membership, medical insurance, free travel passes, etc.
All these will take best care of the team and the results will always reflect while hoisting an event. A satisfied team will also make efforts to make the event successful. By taking care of the team, you also boost their efficiency. Talk with them and hold small meetings to discuss better ways to execute plan of action.
Make sure to take your free time seriously!
It sounds rather amusing to take free time seriously, but plenty of people tend not to realise just how useful it is to enjoy your breaks. If all you are thinking about during your free time are the various aspects of your event, you are not giving your body and mind enough time to rest. Eventually, you will start feeling burned out, which in turn affects your decision-making and could lead to plenty of problems.
To help ensure that you take your free time seriously, it would be a good idea to focus on treating yourself and getting plenty of rest. Wellness products can undoubtedly help, as your favourite beverage can help alleviate much of the stress and promote relaxation. The same thing goes with essential oils that can help you sleep.
Your physical and mental state is at the top of the priority list when it comes to event planning, even if many people might not realise it. Taking the time to take care of yourself will help ensure that your event is successful. The pointers above will certainly help to make things better and eliminate the stress before & during the event. It is also better to have realistic expectations because things can go wrong any time and one has to prepare for it.