subject: Event Planning Disasters! And The Mistakes That Cause Them. [print this page] Planning any major event has involves alot of steps, and as with anything complex, each step is just another thing that can go wrong. Fortunately you have a seasoned pro willing to share from over 20 years of learning to save you from the most common mistakes.
The most common things to realize, failure to plan is planning to fail, budgets are not optional and only work when clearly defined, and food and drink are the key to your success.
To fail to plan is to plan to fail, so to plan to plan is to plan to succeed. What this actually means is that you have to organize your plans carefully, and actually make plans for your plans. Identify which pieces need to be in place before the rest can happen. After all, there's no sense placing that giant food order before you have tables to put it on.
Maybe you have alot to spend, but everyone has a limit. Know this from the beginning, and eat sleep and breathe according to it. Set your watch to it. You need to watch every dollar you spend because nothing shuts down an operation faster than running out of cash. The later in the game the worse, too, because one essential piece that is totally unaffordable can negate so much of your previous efforts, not to mention dollars spent.
Lastly, the easiest way to flush all your efforts down the drain and leave a bad taste in your guests mouths (pun very much intended) is to skimp on the food and drink. No matter where you go, and what entertainment you provide, taste is always the most intimate sense to appeal to. Think about it, your guests are putting this inside their body. So if anything, focus extra attention on the food and drink, even if it means stealing from other places.
Watch out for that last step, it's a doozy! You now know the three deadliest traps you can fall into when planning an event, and by planning to plan, budgeting like a banker, and treating your menu like a master chef, you know you've got the most important bases covered. If you still feel overwhelmed, there's plenty of pros out there who can help out. Take a look in the resource box and you may find yourself with a free consultation!
