Positive Publicity by Camille Mola

Last week, I attended my first “Convening the Conveners” meeting in Philadelphia. The meeting brought together leaders from various industries located in Philly, from tech to non-profit, to entertainment and education. We discussed different struggles and issues, as well as ideas and helpful tips, when it comes to planning a successful event. It was interesting to hear how people from all types of industries and backgrounds plan their events, and learn about what works and what doesn’t work for them. Below are some of the best event-planning practices we talked about:

Weeks Before Event:

• Some obvious, initial first tips: Set a date, create a budget, reserve a venue, contact speakers, book caterer.
• Once all of the above is set, send out invitations.
• My favorite part: PROMOTE! In this day and age, social media is your best friend. Ask yourself if you’ll measure your promotions using any metrics or numbers.
• Finalize all details and meet with both internal and external staff

Week of Event:

• Send out event reminder
• Final promo push via social media
• Brief staff meeting to clear up any final details and delegate all responsibilities
• Prepare for venue set-up

Day Of Event:

• Check-in with people working the event: caterer, photographer, speakers, AV person
• Enjoy the event (once your done stressing)!

After the Event:

• Post photos from the event your website and on your social media accounts
• Send a follow-up/thank you email. Show your appreciation for your guests who attended, and consider creating a survey to gauge their experience.
• Reconvene with your staff to re-cap the event. See how their experience was and listen to suggestions for future events.

Other Tips:

•  Encourage guests to network with each other during the event. Introduce yourselves to others, and in turn introduce people to each other.
• Ticket price is an good indicator of people will attend. People are more likely to commit to going to an event if they spend money on a ticket, as opposed to if it’s free.
• Send a detailed email day before event. Include info on directions, parking, itinerary, etc. Make it as east as possible for your attendees to actually attend.

I hope these tips help for your next event! Leave a comment below if you have any other suggestions or tips of your own.