Are you planning an upcoming event?
It’s a no brainer that everyone loves a party, but the truth is that it’s not as simple as some people might think. You want to give your guests a sweet experience that has them leaving with huge smiles on their faces.
If you’re new at planning events or want to plan a party like a pro, our team of fungineers here at Candy Funhouse have put together the perfect list of sweet tips for event planners. Whether you are planning a party for 20 or 200 people, use these tips and tricks to plan your most epic party ever! (You can thank us later.)
1. Set the When and Where
One of the most important aspects in planning a great event is deciding on the when and where early. The best venues are booked many months in advance so you’ll want to get a head start on securing a date and location. Then you’ll want to let the masses know. No matter if you’re planning a backyard shindig or a corporate gala for your partners, your guests have busy lives. Get your Save the Date out to them early and they will be better able to pencil it into their schedule.
2. Assemble your A Team
No successful party is planned by just one person—unless you’re a superhero event planner and we applaud you! More often than not, even the best event planners need help so as soon as you secure your date and venue, start assembling your A Team. Depending on the size and scope of your event, you may need to consider bringing on extra staff to handle specific aspects. Your event is only as good as your team, so make sure you have the people you need to put on a spectacular party.
If you’re planning a large gala or fundraising event, you might need team members to fill roles including Fundraising Lead, Sponsorship Lead, or Treasurer. If you’re planning a multi-day festival that includes live performers or stage shows, you might need a Stage Manager, a Registration and Tickets Coordinator, or a Security Lead. Almost any event can use some marketing efforts so a Promotions Lead might be in order. No matter what type of event you are planning, if you organize your team with the best people possible, your event will rock!
3. Get Organized
Once you have a team put together, you need to get organized. Discuss with your party planning crew what your to do list and timeline looks like. When you know exactly what your task list looks like, you can divvy up the duties to each person and assign deadlines. Every project, no matter how small or big, works better when you’re working with concrete deadlines.
One of the best ways to get organized is to keep a central organizational system. That’s just fancy talk for a shared document or folder where you keep all your event information in one place. Google Drive is a great tool to use.
Team meetings are also a great way to stay organized as you move closer and closer to your event. Set your agenda, discuss any issues or obstacles that may have popped up, make decisions on last minute details, and keep track of your budget. These are all topics to focus on at your meetings.
Our best advice is to keep your team meetings upbeat and fun so your team stays motivated and happy! And there’s no better way to do that than with some sweet treats. Imagine the smiles on their faces when you start handing out Wunderbars or Butterfinger candy bars for ideas that rock! You could get a mix of the most popular candies to pass out such as Nerds, Hershey’s Kisses, or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups; or surprise them with a rare sweet that they haven’t seen since their childhood like Razzles or Pop Rocks (the Blue Razz was our favourite flavour – how about you?!). Pick any kind of candy and you’re guaranteed to keep their attention and excitement levels up throughout your entire meeting.
4. Logistics, Logistics, Logistics
We’ve all heard the old saying that “location, location, location” is key, but we’re changing it to: “logistics, logistics, logistics.” When planning any event, going through all of the details and logistics will be the key to your success. Talk with your team and decide on items such as:
- The flow of your event. What is happening when? What’s the sequence of events? What will keep your guests happy during every step of your event? (Hint: A variety of candy is always a good idea!)
- The timing. Be realistic about how much time each segment of your event will take. It’s best to add in some buffer time as well just in case anything goes over your time estimate.
- The technical and equipment needs. Do you need to rent any equipment? Have you talked to your venue about hooking up audio or video? Now is the time to start looking into those details and nailing down a plan that will work the day of the event.
- Refreshments. What beverages and snacks will be available at the event? A candy buffet is a fun, attractive, and incredibly popular refreshment idea that event attendees will love!
- The staff needs. How many people do you need to handle registration and tickets? Do you need specific people on stage to help manage the live events? Determining where and when your team members need to be will help you flesh out your game plan on the day of the event.
5. Don’t Forget the Details!
It’s easy to get caught up in all the event planning details and forget why you’re putting this party together in the first place; to create an excellent experience for your guests. Try to keep in mind the point of view of your guests at all times: How will they experience the event? Can you add anything special to enhance their experience without stretching your budget?
Think about what you would want out of an event. Event favours are a detail that some party planners overlook, but they’re one of the best ways to thank your guests for attending your event. In our humble opinions, the best party favours out there are candy loot bags. (Yep, we’re biased, but who doesn’t love candy?!) Candy loot bags are an awesome way to remember your event and send your guests home with a smile and a sweet treat!
Are you ready to start planning your next epic event now? We hope these tips and techniques helped! If you have any questions for our fungineers about how to take your party to the next level, post your question in the comments below. We can’t wait to hear about your upcoming event!