There are also lists of things you may want to remember to include on your list, remember to research or add to your agenda. 

Jessie Reeve – Meeting & Events Sales Manager

1. Set Objectives

However obvious this might be as a starting point, having objectives is crucial when planning and executing a successful event. Common objectives could be raising as much money for charity as possible, making sure guests have the best experience imaginable, sticking to the confirmed budget and so on.

Once you are fully immersed within the event planning itself, these objectives will keep you focused on the final goal and keep you on track to deliver what you initially set out to achieve.

2. Keep It Simple

If you are nervous as you have never planned an event before, or doubting that you would even be very good at it, stop, you are looking at it all wrong! All you need to do is create a concise list; now if you are not an Excel wiz, old fashioned pen and paper will do just the trick.

Jot down ‘Things you need to consider’ such as guest numbers, location, venue, room layout, food & drink options, equipment needed and so forth (how simple is that!)

3. A Solid Agenda

An agenda is pivotal in making sure the event runs smoothly. The confirmed agenda will be passed onto your team, colleagues, the venue, external suppliers and in some cases even the delegates attending too, so this document becomes your structural backbone.

The agenda could include timings for the following (depending on what event you are planning): Set up, arrival, comfort breaks, lunch/dinner, workshop, speeches, subject topics, and breakout sessions. 

4. Research & Compare

This can seem like an arduous task, however this will pay dividends when adding up final costs, trust me.

To have a successful event you need to know your audience, so make it your job to get to know what they would like, what they would love, and what they wouldn’t so much. If for instance, your manager has asked you to plan a ‘launch party’ ask them to explain their vision, again, ask for their likes and dislikes. Once you know your audience you’re half way there to creating the perfect event.

The next stage of researching is assessing different venues, food and drinks options, meeting requirements and so on, to compare all aspects by quality, quantity and price.

5. Delivering The Event

You have distributed the agenda to the venue, suppliers and your team, stating all of the requirements such as timings, rooms, food, drinks, AV, keynote speaker (whatever the event may be), therefore everyone knows exactly what they should be doing, and when they should be doing it.

But often events take an unexpected turn, due to illness, delay in delivery, maybe the equipment is not working (technical problems are the worst!), however this is one of the main roles of an event manager, a very important one too. It is essential that on the surface everything looks as if the event is running efficiently, even though behind the scenes, it feels like everything is falling apart.

First things first you need to stay calm and look unfazed, as everyone involved will look to you for direction and if you fall to pieces, the chances are, so will your event. Take a step back from the situation and take five minutes to think about the challenge with clarity; acting with haste may cause further problems.

There is always another solution, and at times there is more than one option. Take your time, keep your cool, process the situation and decide the best course of action. 

The Doubletree by Hilton Lincoln has 4 meeting rooms, the Cathedral Ballroom, and some fantastic views of the city. They have high quality facilities and spaces suitable for conferences, awards, meetings, parties and other events - accommodating up to 220 for a dinner in the Ballroom. Situated on the Brayford Waterfront it could be a great base as well as a great venue for all kinds of events.

If you are planning an event and looking for a venue in Lincoln or Lincolnshire, our free venue finding service could help.