How to make your event run smoothly

Planning Hints & Tips

As anyone who has organised an event will know - there is far more to it than you expected when

came up with this amazing idea.

It doesn't matter if it's a small party for a dozen 5 year olds, a new product launch or huge company bash, planning and organisation is the key to a stress free, fun for all time.

This is where to find some useful ideas and information to make your event memorable for the right reasons!

First things

It might sound obvious but you need to firm up some basics before you can get to the fun stuff

Why? Is it a kids party, wedding, 40th, Christmas, awards evening, promotional event? This will obviously affect the timing and venue.
When? decide a date and time
Where? sort your venue - you may need to be flexible with dates or times if you have a specific venue in mind but it's always good to have a rough idea of when to start off. Think about if access to public transport is important or if easy car parking is a priority. Most venues have reasonable access for disabilities but some older or historic buildings might struggle. If its a party with a high number of senior guest you might prefer to think about a ground floor function room.
How many people? You obviously don't need exact numbers but a rough idea will really help not just when booking your venue but also when contacting suppliers.

Entertainment

So what's going to be happening at your event? Is it a quiet tea party, full on rave party, small kids event or glamourous gala?

Think about what your guests are going to enjoy and what will have them talking about your party for the next week. When booking an entertainer some info to have ready which will help with your enquiry will be:

date, time and location of your event - there is no point going any further if they aren't available
try to be specific with what you are looking for rather than asking "how much do you charge?" as most entertainers have a variety of packages and are often able to tailor something to your event or even theme.
ask them questions - how long will the show last? will you be able to paint xx amount of children in the 2hr party? will all the children get a balloon/ have time to pet the rabbit? Any reputable entertainer will be more than happy to honestly answer your questions - after all everyone wants a good outcome and fab event as it's how we get our recommendations and next event!
obviously budget is usually a key factor for all of us. If the entertainer is out of your budget then do let them know that you won't be booking on this occasion - they won't take it personally and it may be that they could offer you a smaller show or less time within your budget, but at least everyone knows the score.