All event planners make mistakes, but with the proper knowledge, planning, and execution you could save your next function by avoiding these 5 things:

Avoid These Mistakes When Event Planning

1. Failure to identify your event objective. This is the number one piece to planning any event and the reason why events fail. Don’t plan any event without creating your event objective first.
2. Failure to budget properly. I can’t stress this enough- KNOW YOUR BUDGET. Budgets aren’t about putting a list of the main expenditures on a spreadsheet, it’s all about the little details that will break the bank. Don’t forget to add speaker travel, audio visual expenses including Internet, shipping charges, and security, to name a few.
3. Failure to select the right facility. This mistake can destroy the best event so, before deciding on a location, be sure to have a checklist for choosing your event venue . Other things to consider when choosing your location are access to highways, traffic patterns and rush hour, parking locations and fees.
4. Failure to secure a prospect list in advance. Make sure your list has full name, titles, mailing address, telephone number, email address. If you can’t contact them, they can’t register.
5. Failure to hire the right speaker or entertainer. Use a reputable speaker or entertainer who you’ve personally seen and that is suitable for the event objective.

You don’t need a background in event planning to become an expert. If you have a knack for organizing and planning, you have the basic skills required to plan your own events (and get paid).