Surviving to Thriving
What an Event Planner Can Learn from the Olympics
Introduction
As challenging as preparing for the Olympics, event planning is a sport unto itself. Just as the victory of an athlete depends upon unwavering discipline, the right mindset, and a solid platform of preparation and support, so too does the success of every planner.
Inspired by the spirit of the XXXIII Olympiad, this eBook puts forward six practical tips that will help you to not simply survive the marathon that is event planning, but offers transferable strategies to see you through to victory on every occasion.
Six practical tips that will help you not to simply survive the marathon that is event planning, but see you through to victory.
Planning your Road to Gold
Treat your body like the Athlete you are
Create a Team Spirit
Technology: A tool to keep your eyes on the prize
Flexibility: A Champion’s Mindset
Celebrating your Wins
Planning your Road to Gold
Top tip no 1 - Start with a comprehensive plan to cover every aspect of your event. Consider:
Setting Clear Objectives: Define the purpose of your event and what you aim to achieve. What do you really want to do with your event? What’s its ultimate purpose? Whether you want to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or foster networking opportunities, keeping your specific objectives front of mind will help to guide your planning process and ease you along the road to success.
Tackling (Micro)Tasks: Break down your planning process into manageable microtasks with specific deadlines.
For example, don’t just set a task that reads, ‘Choose a venue’; rather, you may want to begin by setting yourself a task more along the lines of, ‘By XXX date, I will draw up a short-list of 5 suitable venues for my event.’ This tactic can help you to avoid feeling overwhelmed while allowing you to easily track your progress.
Utilising Planning Tools: Whether you’re looking to organise tasks, assign responsibilities, or monitor planning progress, project management tools like Trello, Asana, or the Eventsforce platform can be invaluable in keeping your planning process running smoothly.
Treat Your Body Like The Athlete You Are
Top tip no 2 - Maintaining physical wellbeing is crucial during the hectic event planning process.
Here are some tips to keep you fresh:
Hydrate: Dehydration is a surefire way to poor concentration and fatigue. Carry a water bottle with you and sip from it throughout the day to ensure that you stay refreshed and focussed.
Take Breaks: It sounds counterintuitive, but stepping away for a moment — to stretch, to walk, or even just give your eyes and mind a screen break — can work wonders for your productivity, focus, and mood.
Enjoy Healthy Snacks: Likewise, fuel your body with nutritious snacks like fruits, nuts, and yoghurt. Avoid sugary snacks; these can lead to energy crashes and poor focus.
Create a Team Spirit
Top tip no 3 - Building a strong, cohesive team is essential for event success.
Try incorporating these tactics into interactions with colleagues and peers: Conduct Regular Check-Ins: Schedule consistent meetings — both collective and individual — to review progress, to address any concerns, and to ensure everyone is working together towards a common goal.
Maintain Clear Communication: Foster an environment where communication is welcomed and encouraged. While collaborative tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Google Chat are great for quick communication, stay open to the idea of meeting face-to-face, as needed.
Celebrate Milestones: No matter how small, take the time to celebrate team achievements.
Small acts like team lunches can boost morale and motivation, all while offering a more informal avenue for communication.
Technology, A Tool to Help Keep Your Eyes on the Prize
Top tip no 4 - When you’re pushed for time and resources, lean into technology to streamline routine, repetitive tasks.
Consider the benefits of:
Event Management Software: Platforms like Eventsforce enable you to quickly and efficiently manage registrations, handle attendee communications, and gather feedback.
With Eventsforce, you also can automate your registration, payment processing, and data management with the click of a button.
Automation Tools: By automating your most routine and repetitive tasks — things like email communication, schedule management, and attendance tracking — you can focus on the most critical aspects of your event.
Data Analytics: Use analytics to track the performance of your event in realtime. By allowing for easy tracking of ROI, attendee behaviour, and overall event performance, the Eventsforce platform enables you to make informed decisions concerning the next steps of your planning process.
Flexibility - A Champion’s Mindset
Top tip no 5 - In event planning, changes and challenges are the norm; adopting a flexible and agile mindset can help you to prepare for anything that may come your way.
Real-Time Adjustments:
Use event management tools to make real-time adjustments, as needed. Being able to adapt quickly — and, likewise, the ability to communicate any changes to your attendees swiftly — can prevent minor issues from becoming major problems. For example, with the Eventsforce platform, you can update your agenda while using the Eventsforce app to communicate any changes to your delegates in real-time.
Celebrating Your Wins: Preparing for Your Next Event
Top tip no 6 - Reframe the closing phases of your event as an opportunity to cultivate a positive and forward-looking planning mindset. Here’s how:
Do a Post-Event Review: Conduct a thorough and honest review of your event to identify both what went well as well as any areas for improvement. Be prepared to share these with your team and wider stakeholders.
It’s a small gesture, but by acknowledging their participation and support, you can build the kind of lasting relationships that will serve you well into the future.
Practice Gratitude: Make the time to send personalised thank you notes to attendees, sponsors, and partners.
Celebrate: What’s a win without a party? By organising a celebration to recognise the hard work of your team, you not only boost morale, but create a tighter, more cohesive unit, one that is ready to tackle the next event in unison.
Conclusion
Requiring intense preparation, teamwork, and incredible flexibility, event planning is as demanding and rewarding as any Olympic journey. But by leveraging the power of these simple tips, you can enhance your chance of event success.
At Eventsforce, we're here to support you every step of the way, providing the tools and expertise you need to turn every event into victory.
Ready to elevate your event planning game?
Request your free trial with Eventsforce today and experience how our platform can help you manage your events with ease.
Good luck, and remember— we’re supporting you!
