SOLUTIONS
ESSENTIAL TIPS AND TRICKS OF EVENT PLANNING By Wendy Harms, manager, Helmsbriscoe
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ver the last 28 years, I have worked with two associations planning everything from budgets, administrative processes, membership and financial aspects, which are all basic processes for event planning. In order to be a good event planner, use these basic principles and put them into action. One must have financial awareness, good organizational skills, great communication, customer service skills and a willingness to get the job done. Oh, and did I mention attention to detail? That is a big one. Over the course of my event planning years, I’ve planned golf tournaments, fundraisers, social gatherings, board meetings, retreats, conventions, tradeshows and, of course, educational seminars. I am a proud, efficient and self-made event planner that has learned through trial and error and expertise from other individuals in the event industry. KSAE is a great resource for networking, and much of my knowledge has come from connections within KSAE and ASAE resources.
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When first asked to plan an event, it conjures up all kinds of impressions – excitement, creativity, expressions, expectations, opportunities and, of course, anxiety. Event planning can seem daunting and stressful if you don’t know where to begin. Each event has special requests and challenges; they can be complex and elaborate or straightforward and simple, depending on the needs and purpose of the event. Planning is multifaceted and has many moving parts. Often, it is more effective and efficient to outsource some of these responsibilities. Has every event planned gone smoothly? I would love to say that they did, however that is not realistic nor honest. I can say something valuable has been learned from every event and has been applied to future events. This article will provide some important processes to incorporate into event planning. My token tips for every event are the Four P’s – no successful event happens without them! www.ksaenet.org
