3 Ways to Sabotage Your Next Event

by Kathy Seaton

I love going to a big corporate event to watch all of the “Chardonnay Sisters” get hammered and hit on their colleagues. It’s especially fun to watch the shenanigans when the keynote speaker sucks and has nothing remotely important to say. And award shows are the best! I get a huge kick out of acceptance speeches, like someone thinks they got an Oscar or something.

Hey listen, I’m not saying that I’ve never drank martinis straight out of the ice sculpture, but come on, if you’re doing to take the time, effort, and spend the coin to host an event, then dammit, do it right.

Ok, I’ve already digressed. So let’s give you some decent recommendations in this blog.

Here’s what you need to know when planning your next event.

Book an Event Space that Wows Your Crowd. This requires some event planning savvy. And if you’re not an event specialist, hire one. Even if you’re on a restricted budget, an event planner will bring in the special touches that you might not be able to do on your own. They think of everything, down to the smallest of details. Not only does a good event planner handle the bulk of the planning and execution, they get great bro deals from their contacts to save you money.

First impressions are everything. You want your attendees to walk up in awe…you know, the red carpet effect.

Importantly, don’t forget that you want the room to look full, maybe even packed. This will look impressive and it will also prove to your boss that you’re smart, prepared, and that your event marketing and PR worked.

Establish the Focus of Your Event and Brand it Well. I’m sure that you’ve attended an event that we like to call the “Swiss Army Knife” event. You know, it runs the gamete—keynote speaker, networking, workshops, vendor booths—the so-called retail vendor event of the year! These types of misguided events make your company simply look stupid.

Event planning is a huge part of marketing. The event needs to extend the brand. It has to provide value to its attendees and most importantly, it needs to engage people. A bitchin’ keynote speaker is a must. And then provide some value adds, like additional expert speakers. Don’t overthink it; remember your audience and deliver one single message.

Again, if you’re going to do it, then do it well.

Remember the Scout’s Motto. “Always be prepared.” Event planning is a monumental task and anything can happen. Plan for the unexpected so that you don’t fail before you even open the doors.

This is even more reason to hire an event planner, who can deal with mics that aren’t working, a sound system that sounds like someone is talking through water, table centerpieces with wilting flowers, or event invites that include the wrong date. Like I said, anything can happen. And the details are what will astound your crowd.

Hopefully I’ve given you some sound advice. I believe in you, you’ve got this. You’re next event will rock the house.

Check out our event planning video – it’s epic. And remember the one important take-away—don’t invite Uncle Joe to your event. Bahahaha.

And not to gratuitously promote our products, but if you’re interested in an event planning career check out this link to our specialized studies program.