Whether you’re take care of it yourself or you hire a professional event planner to do so, a spotless event logistic is necessary in order to be successful. An event’s success rests on good preparation, which allows you to avoid mistakes or lacks on your big day.

Defining the event’s setting.

The first step in event planning logistics is to define the frame and structure of the event. You have to define why you’re organising your event in order to avoid making mistakes when you’re creating the event. These details will help you identify quickly your target audience, ”your who”, as well as the nature of the event, ”your what:” a seminar, an evening, a weekend, etc.

It’s also necessary to try to determine the budget allocated to the event, your “how much”. Then, in regard to the event’s needs and budget you’ll be able to pick a date, your “when” and a location, your “where”. In order to choose a date, be sure to choose a day that doesn’t interfere with an event that would be unmissable for your guests or holidays. For the location, you’ll save by reserving the earliest possible (sometimes, even up to a year in advance when you have a large group.)

The event’s preparation

The event’s composition, or preparation, is the longest step in creating the logistics for an event. It needs the presence of people with experience in event planning to avoid common mistakes that might ruin your special day. In order to avoid forgetting something, it’s necessary to have a team in place to dispatch tasks efficiently. The main tasks in order to have a successful event are:

• Contact the suppliers that will be in charge of music, animation, audio-visual and catering. If there is many animations in place, they have to be planned in detail with a briefing for the person in charge of them.
• List, buy and or rent the necessary material for the event , animations, reception and the guest’s catering. Create a checklist (either on a word or excel document or even a to do list platform like Trello, base camp,etc.)
• Find some participants. Whether you event is only for a night or a whole weekend, it’s always appreciated to makes people participates as much as possible. You have to reserve those participants quickly and give them information on your event for them to be prepared.
• Promote your event on social or traditional media if you want people to talk about it outside your organisation. You can even hire a communication agency or even an event planning agency for this service.
• Provide the necessary material to decorate the location in accordance to the thematic in place. Having a theme in place will allows you to have a guideline in place to take wise decisions for every detail in accordance with your theme.
• Create documentation if the organisation requires clarifications. It can be indications to guide your guests to the event per example.
• Plan a parking arrangement for your guests and book security personal or even a valet service. A red nose type of service in case of a late night where people drank alcohol is really appreciated by employees and is considered a very responsible decision from the event’s coordinators.
• Plan your guest’s arrival by give name tags (Badges) and or even have hostesses accrediting and welcoming them in.
• Hire a photographer to immortalize the event and to provide a memory to your colleagues. You can even have a video shoot in order to create a promotional video later on if it’s a recurring event.
• Create an event planning check list or time line in order to not forget anything and that every task is taken charge of on D day. We have to know who does what when and, above all, have a list of suppliers to be able to contact them when needed. This document will ensure that everything is ready in time on the day of the event.
• Create and send invitations at least 3 weeks prior to your event if you want to be sure that your colleagues will be able to attend. We even suggest that you send a save the date 2 months in advance and to send a few reminders before your event. Give out a maximum of information when your guests arrive at the location of the event.