Planning the Wedding

Many of times the question is asked how soon should a planner be hired before the big day? Simple Events always responds the sooner the better. Hiring a planner before plans go into a shamble is always better. A good planner once hired early may not be in constant contact with their client but sure does keep an eye or ear open for their client; letting them know when something interesting appears on radar. Below are some things Simple Events Planning helps their clients through when planning a wedding. 

 Reserve the Venue

As events planners, booking venues has become a norm under our company portfolio. We understand what are the process to book a venue; most times in writing and what contractual arrangements maybe needed. Deeper into this, we inquire from our clients what ambiance they desire and are able to advise what are the venues best suited to help them attain that goal.

Photographers and Videographer

A photographer is a person who stills pictures whereas the videographer takes videos of the moment. Dependent on our client’s budget, they may need only photographer or only a videographer. If however the both are needed, they can come from the same company or different persons/companies. Simple Events advices their clients accordingly to align their budget.

Florist

Does the client want fresh flowers or artificial flowers? This is the first question that must be asked when choosing flowers. This must be asked as some brides prefer natural flowers whereas others prefer artificial as it can last years after their wedding once taken care of.

Carterers

Getting a carter that offers both quality and price is very hard to find. Simple Events having planned hundreds of events before knows some of the best in the industry. Therefore we allow our clients to decide what menu they are comfortable serving on that day and then inform them of carters that offer services within their budget. They are also allowed time to do their own research and get feedback from their previous clients before choosing. After they have decided, our company then makes the bookings arrangements for the wedding day.

Bartenders

Many bar tendering services offer both drinks and servers to complement their services. Other offer only servers and the host provides the drinks. Allowing clients to voice what are their desires may paint a good enough picture to advise which bartenders to hire.   

Entertainment

The host may have their designated Dj that would play for the event or they may not have one either. If they so desire to have that arranged, Simple Events Planning can arrange to hire a dj on their behalf. Arranging live entertainment is also arrangements that can be done by our company. Whatever form of entertainment our clients’ desire, we are more than happy to deliver.

 Question: Do you think a beautiful wedding can be planned without a planner? 

Next Post: Planning the wedding cont'd 

Getting Corporate Sponsorship

As indicated in the previous post, there are ten steps that simple events follows to ensure their customers receive the desired corporate sponsorship to help make their event a success. The first part of the post only names five (5); below explains from six (6) to ten (10), the remaining five of the ten.

6.     Write a Proposal

To catch the company’s attention, writing a proposal is the best shot; highlighting the impressions.  In that proposal, indicate the type of people participating in the event, what are the marketing opportunities available and sponsorship opportunities. To ensure this is successful however, tailoring the proposal to the company increases the chances of receiving the sponsorship.

7.     Research Prospects

Companies with large local advertising budgets are likely the companies that would be interested in sponsoring an event. Therefore before sending out these proposals, research companies that sponsor events; they might be interested in sponsoring more than one. To narrow down the search, look at companies with generally large profits, spending, companies trying to increase their market share, maintain good community relations or new companies trying to establish their brand.  This research can be done through government directories, media or company websites.

8.     Seek Discovery Session

When the list of potential sponsors has been developed, call each company and inquire who are the person/persons responsible for purchasing sponsorships. After this information has been received, send the event proposal for their viewing.  Thereafter follow up to ensure it has been received, also requesting a meeting to discuss what are the benefits to the potential sponsor. Discuss in the meeting the likely media attention, what access there is to a certain group of people, where they can take their clients; sponsorship activation which is additional benefits from the sponsorship.

9.     Negotiate Agreement

After the sponsor determines the best package available for their company, put it in writing in a more detailed manner than the initial proposal. The details of this would include terms of payment, benefits to attendees, logo specifications, payment of logo signage and whatever else details that are necessary from the sponsoring company. For sponsorships where naming the sponsor at the event, their contract should be much more detailed than the other contacts. If both parties want to ensure they are not cheated out of anything, legal advice can be sort.

10.   Fulfillment and Follow-up

If your sponsorship attends your event, ensure they are given VIP treatment. After the event, ensure each sponsor is supplied with evidence that you fulfilled your commitment to the contract. This can be done through the media, photos, videos and sending it to the sponsorship in an electronic format for the sponsor to see the success and impressions generated as estimated in the proposal. To ensure renewal of sponsorship the following year if the event is an annual event, meet with sponsors to review fulfillment; not forgetting to also send thank you letters for their corporation. 

Question: Do you think it is necessary to go through all ten (10) steps to successfully acquire a sponsorship? 

Getting Corporate Sponsorship

There are many events that are extremely costly to be paid by one person or company but promises great financial rewards and success once well organized. As a result many companies are approached to help fund the venture to ease the financial burden off an individual’s or company’s pocket; this move is known as sponsorship. Simple Events Planning uses a ten (10) step plan that guides to achieve the desired sponsorship success for their customers.

1.      Plan the event with Sponsors in Mind

During the initial stage of planning, after first draft budget recognizing there is a need to ease the financial burden is important. With that in mind, understanding sponsorship is a form of brand advertising gives a clearer picture on what companies this event wants to be associated with. The association is very important as naming companies or displaying corporate logos are done by the media which advertises the event.

2.         Identifying Assets

Identifying the potential places a sponsor might be able to advertise their brand name or logo at the venue is the next step. Such advertising can be done in different forms, banners at the entrance, back of seats, booths on site or even t-shirts. Imagining all this should be done with the intension the sponsor can meet their marketing needs. To further help them achieve this, having intensions to issue exclusive back stage passes, allocating places where product sampling can take place or have product be displayed. After these has been identified, keeping track of such through documentation is important as it comes in handy.

3.     Count the Impressions

Corporate sponsorship is a form of advertising. Therefore advertising efficiently is important as there is value in the number of impressions received. There are companies that has such good reputations, consumers are willing to spend their money once that company is associated with anything.  Measuring ads for the event can help convince companies that their association with the event increases their marketing shares.

4      Evaluate Your Assets

Once statistics has been analyzed for each advertising medium, a price can then be attached. This can be done for example 10,000 people attend the event, each logo they see will be worth about $100. The price can however be adjusted however based on number of times each person sees the ad and prominence of the company’s logo.

5.     Package the Assets

Bundling assets into packages for sponsors at incremental amounts is a persuasive tactic. Bundles such as $5,000, $15,000 or $20,000. Bundling to help maximize sponsorship can be done according to location of venue, parts of program or other ways; to name sponsors can be special bundles.

Question: Should corporate sponsorship be used as strategy to eliminate financial burden for large events? 

Next Post: Getting Corporate Sponsorship Cont'd. 

Legal Requirements

Because simple events planning organizers a host of events, having knowledge on how to organize many events is critical. Planning and executing events such as fetes is no exception to that. These events however comes with legal requirements. These requirements are quite critical as a promoter can land themselves into a lot of trouble if these requirements are ignored.

Theatre and Dance Hall License

Promoters/ organizers of such large sale events must apply for a theatre and dance hall license. Some of these events draw as much as 15,000 persons therefore this is of paramount importance. Further to this, there is an act (21:03) which mandates promoters must apply for a license for places of entertainment.

Liquor License

This license falls under 84:10, section 44 which clearly states an occasional license must be applied for which includes the approval of the office in charge of the police division. These licenses must be applied for in the magistrate court; licensing committee. There are also fees attached for applying for a license.

 Noise Variation Certificate

The E.M.A which stands for the environmental management authority and noise pollution rules sets limits and permissible levels of noise for an event. An organizer therefore must apply for such a license and adhere to the rules of the E.M.A as they have the authority to stop an event because of the noise levels.

 Copyright Music License

If there is live entertainment (live bands and artiste), playing music by disc jockeys (dj’s) and or performances of music by any other means and pay the requisite license fees/royalties to the relevant licensing body/collective management organization, the organizers must apply for a copyright music license.

Public Health

Organizers must adhere to the requirements set out by the public health act. There are requirements which guides the occasional license for handling, storage, transportation and disposal of food to an event. To ensure these requirements are followed, applying for this license must be done by organizers.

Fire Service Act

This act which is 35:50, makes provision for the chief fire officer to make available the services of an officer upon prove of receipt of an application and payment of fees for the prevention of damage to property and life by fire or other hazards; fire related or not.

 Question: Do you think there are hazards at carnival fetes? 

Preparing the Events Budget Cont’d

All events carries its unique budget. The budget for a wedding maybe large however the budget for a concert maybe more costly as it caters to a larger audience. Below stated a few expenditures an event may incur. Not all the expenditures stated applies to every event.

Travel and Accommodation  

Some events are official events and requires the presence of dignitaries or guest speakers. This cost is borne by the event organizers. If such a cost has to be incurred, it must be included in the budget.

Trophies and Awards  

Trophies and awards are sometimes donated but not in all instances. If the organizer has to incur this cost, it must be accounted for in the early stage of budgeting. To make this most accurate there must be full knowledge of the number of competitors, categories and division of the competition.   

Salaries

The planner should ensure this cost is included in their overall professional service fee. This is very important as the planner and the staff’s time is very important and must be paid for it.

Telephone

Provisions must be made as some events requires lengthy telephone conservations with certain sponsorships and stakeholders.

  

Printing

Printing invitations, programs and tickets are critical but comes at a cost. Therefore the budget must having a printing cost to accommodate such.

Security

In events where alcohol is sold, there must be a police presence. In larger events there must be fire fighters as they are trained in first aid. These officers are paid individually for their services on that day, a cost that must also be included.

Venue

Unless the venue belongs to the host or someone willing to allow the event to be hosted at their premises for free, the venue must be paid for. This cost must be included very early as it is one of the most critical aspects. Therefore this cost must be obtained at its earliest convince.

Insurance  

Stage, light, camera, action are the norm for some events. To be able to host some of these events, insurance must be purchased. Insurance is also a cost that must be taken into consideration in the budget.

Promotion

Advertising is very expensive but without it some events are simply a failure. Clarifying what are the best marketing strategies to employ at the earliest time is important. After that decision has been made, being informed of the prices that goes with these strategies are important. At this point, this expenditure can be included in the expenditure side of the budget for that event.    

Equipment Hire

Equipments used by participants and or the events management staff including radios, computers and sound system.

Transport

Includes the cost of transporting equipments and other vehicles for passengers such as guest speakers. 

Question: Should events that sell alcohol have police officers? 

Preparing the Events Budget 

The budget preparation is an essential part of event management. This is where a projection/forecast of income and expenditure are listed for the event based upon plans made and information gathered. As an event planner is of great importance to make these projections with great accuracy whether or not the event will result in a profit, loss or break even. When planning an event, it is practically useless to set a date, make bookings or make any other plans if it has not been determined if the host has the financial resource to do so. Therefore a budget must be made in the early stage of planning.

Ensuring Financial Control of an Event

Once a budget has been developed, the event planner has an idea of what constraints are needed over the event finances. Therefore the budget enables the planner to make decisions about the venue and other expenditures. Many organisations while planning events without a budget or professional help has landed themselves into difficulties; sometimes even becoming bankrupt. The budgeting process enables the planner to tally how much revenue is needed is needed to plan the event in accordance with the planned level of expenditure.

Continuous Adjustments to the Budget   

The development of the event budget is one of the earliest task undertaken by the host and the events planner however throughout the entire planning process, it is expected to have adjustments to figures. These adjustments maybe additional expenditure or removed expenditure. This is a normal process as it is impossible to have exact figures as some exact costings are not from the start. Hence the reason budgets are altered, adjustments are made as better information comes on hand.

Events Budgeting Rules

Though a budget takes time to develop, there are some rules that should always be followed.

Budget to Avoid Making a loss

If an event looks like it is not to promising, as if there is going to be a lost, change plans so at least there can be a break even. This is once it is not too late so plans can be changed.

Be Realistic About Income  

Being overly optimistic does no good. Be realistic about sponsorships and how many persons are going to attend the event. Over optimism often times causes financial loss as a result of staging the event.

Have a Backup Plan

Many times while planning an event or even on the day of, things go wrong. Having a contingency plan helps individuals be prepared for the what if scenarios.

Question: Do you think it is necessary to have a back up plan when planning an event?

Next Post: Preparing the Events Budget Cont'd 

Logistics

Logistics can be explained as the management of the flow of things between the point of consumption and origin in order to meet requirements of the customer. Coordinating the logistics is very important simply because confusion can occur on the day in question, crashing, causing complete havoc for the entire event.  Therefore ironing out small glitches, informing all what are their duties are crucial for the complete success.

Order of Proceedings   

Order of proceedings can be explained as a sequence of events occurring at a particular place or occasion. This is very similar to a program however the difference is a program is writing on paper what should follow whereas the order of proceedings is the step before; planning who should speak first, enter the hall first or other details according to protocol. This should be drafted at least two weeks prior to the event and circulated to the stakeholders involved. At this point, there is sufficient time for minor changes if it is deemed necessary.

Event Briefing for Speakers

There should be an event briefing for speakers at least one week before the day of the event. In this briefing a few details must be touched on to ensure the speaker would be ready for the day. Firstly reconfirming attendance is important. There are many times where speakers have change of plans and forget to inform. Therefore ensuring they are going to be present before moving on is very important.

The next time should be to remind the speaker what topic they are asked to speak on and who are the audience they would be presenting same to. Sharing details on the program is also very important for a guest speaker. Many speakers are unable to attend an entire function but would show just in time for their speech. Sharing the program or even giving specifics on what time they are expected to speak helps as the speaker now has time details to work with.

Not knowing where the venue is causes many persons to be late or no show for events; a big cause for concern.  To avoid instances, giving a map or using technology to give directions makes a difference. This allows persons to be more assertive on where they are going so they can arrive on time. Within that direction should also be details on what parking space has been allocated to them. This is also very important as no parking is also a cause for concern.

The last point should be at least two (2) emergency numbers of team members/staff of the planner. Even though all details has been communicated to the speaker, emergencies do happen, the planner should be well informed at all times so they can arrange accordingly in such an instance. 

Question: Do you think briefing a guest speaker one week before is sufficient enough time?