Event planning requires meticulous planning and attention to every detail. Unfortunately, even when you do everything right, meaning you plan out an event to perfection, leaving out nothing, Murphy’s Law will most likely come into play at some point. Therefore, professional event plannersunderstand that things can and will go wrong if you are planning a corporate event, a wedding, a huge birthday bash, or other event types.
The only thing that can be guaranteed is that something unexpected will likely happen. Thankfully, professional event planners know how to handle common event planning challenges like the pros they are and adjust to even the unforeseen.
Common Event Planning Challenges
While the potential unexpected challenges you might face when planning an event vary as much as the events themselves, some common problem areas tend to pop up during planning and hosting substantial events. The following are some of the most common event-planning challenges you might encounter:
Attendee Engagement Challenges
Promoting services and brands through directly speaking with potential customers at events has become an effective marketing method. However, event engagement once these attendees are present can be a challenge. After all, you want attendees to be present and engage and take part in the event, leaving a positive impression that persuades action.
Attendee engagement starts before the event begins with social media posts, event hashtags, email marketing, and more to ensure that attendees are paying attention to the upcoming event and looking forward to attending. Engagement at events can include a digital event brochure that guides attendees to all events, featured speakers, and a concise event schedule. Challenges often involve improper engagement strategies for the attendees.
Event Promotion Challenges
Another common challenge you might experience when planning a big event is problems with event promotion. This can be part of event marketing and consists of an ineffective approach to interest the right target audience and ensure they attend the event. Effective event promotion includes setting the right goals and strategies for a successful event that can be measured and achieved.
As mentioned above, the most successful promotional efforts include social media posts and ensuring that your event has a great website with all the correct information in easy-to-find locations. The website should contain information about speakers and registration, share any early bird offers, and more. Not having a well-constructed marketing strategy will make planning a successful event nearly impossible, as you won’t entice the attendees you want or ensure that you are featuring the right workshops or speakers for your target audience.
Venue Selection Difficulties
Next up on things that can go wrong when planning an event is navigating the challenges of venue selection or availability. Last-minute venue changes can throw a wrench in the works. However, natural disasters, renovations, construction, and more can all be reasons why the venue you wanted for your event doesn’t strictly come through. This presents a challenge, to be sure.
One way to endure the challenge of an event selection issue is to be flexible and willing to adapt to what venues are available. In addition, it’s a good idea to know what venues your vendors have used before. Sometimes, you must go to your second or third venue preference when planning, but you can still make the event magical.
Event Logistics Challenges
When planning a successful event, logistics, and its proper implementation are at the heart of the matter. Logistics means getting goods from one location to another, storing said items or goods, and then having them set up correctly. It can also encompass aspects of your event, including staff, catering, vendors, security, and other support services or issues.
Challenges in these areas are not necessarily unexpected, as they’re likely keeping many plates spinning in the air without letting any fall due to negligence. They can include challenges ranging from corporate event coordination to event planning time management, managing event budgets, and more.
Overcoming Event Planning Obstacles
Now that we have considered some of the potential unexpected challenges that could come up with planning and then hosting an event, let’s look at how to overcome or handle some of these unforeseen challenges:
Expect The Unexpected
Again, if something can go wrong in some way, chances are it will. Therefore, one way to handle challenges is to have a plan of action to guide you when something goes wrong. Have a plan B, C, and even D in place of potential venues, equipment, vendors, caterers, and more at the ready in case something does fall through at the last minute or something unforeseen happens, like a natural disaster.
Prioritize Challenges
Not all unexpected challenges are as significant as others. Consider what challenges the event’s success the most and address those first. Once those are handled, you can tackle additional challenges if you have time. Trying to address all challenges simultaneously will be too overwhelming and make you ineffective at fixing the issues you should be addressing.
Get a Professional On-Board
The bottom line is that if you want to host a successful event for personal reasons or to garner business, such as conferences or corporate events, partnering with a professional event planner will help you host the best event possible and get the returns you hope to achieve. We do this by paying attention to all the details, believing that the success of any event is all in the details, and yes, that means understanding and preparing for even the unexpected challenges that will come up.
The best way to handle unexpected challenges during event planning is to have a professional guide you the entire way, and MTI Events is here to help. Our first-class service will help you build a successful event and handle everything unexpected that comes your way.
