Creating the Perfect Event this Christmas is Snow Joke

Judith Young, Managing Director of Potcakes, a full-service 
conference, events and video production company, shares her 
top ten tips yule need to organise your festive celebrations

If you’re planning on organising an event during this Christmas period then here are my top ten tips for making sure that it gets remembered for all of the right reasons.

Objectives - Think about what you want to achieve with your event and who your target audience is. What is the best way that you can convey your company’s message? How can you make the event enjoyable for your audience, along with everyone involved?

Think Outside the Box - Don’t always do what’s been tried and tested, be creative in your outlook and always be open minded. Sometimes the smallest changes can make the biggest difference.

Branding/Theming - Make sure that your theme runs smoothly and effortlessly throughout every aspect of the event; from speaker support, video and set, through to menus and stationary.

Venue - Pick a venue that suites your needs, both in destination, look and feel. Look for somewhere that is a little bit different and don’t forget to always check the ceiling height, you’d be surprised what impact this can have on your event.

Budget – Ensure you carefully plan out every aspect of your event so you do not incur any additional and unexpected outlays – this is a common mistake. Don’t accidentally forget about the cost of CAD plans, room drops or transport, for example. In this day and age it is impossible to conjure up money.

Sustainability - Try as much as possible to be environmentally friendly – can the carpet be turned into manure for rose bushes, for example? What can be recycled or re-used?

Back up – Never leave anything to chance; always back up documents and important pieces of equipment. You only have one opportunity to get it right.

Sight Lines – I’ve attended many events where organises have not thought this through correctly. Wherever possible produce CAD drawings of how it will look. You don’t want delegates stuck behind pillars or posts unable to see your speakers. Take in to consideration camera angles if you are recording or relaying to screen.

Check, Check and Check Again - Give yourself plenty of time for a technical rehearsal and make sure all of your crew know exactly what they are doing and when. It’s the age old piece of advice, but don’t assume anything.

And lastly – Amongst all of the chaos remember to have fun at your event. This has to be enjoyable for you and your colleagues, as well as your audience or delegates.

These are just some of the basic rules you need to know if you’re thinking of putting on an event. Just remember to be prepared for surprises or any last minute changes, and make sure you know where a good local technical hire company is that is close to the venue.