The Art of Juggling
Event producer Venetia Harpin gives some expert tips on keeping organised
When I’ve worked as a freelance event producer, I've often found myself bouncing between several projects, and sometimes several companies, within a matter of weeks. This last month has been no exception. I found myself juggling clients, suppliers and to-do lists across four separate email addresses and my brain started to feel a little frazzled!
As any party planner worth his or her salt knows, ORGANISATION IS EVERYTHING. Whilst friends assume my job involves swanning around swanky venues and menu-testing canapés (OK, yes, these do happen!), the vast majority is spent on emails and creating mammoth excel spreadsheets. Hardly glamorous but very handy.
We all use different tools, but if you're embarking on a big project and are worried about staying super organised, here's a few pointers.
Budget
Before you pay for as much as a paper plate, get all your estimated costs down in a budget spreadsheet. As your event progresses, you can replace your estimates with actual purchases. This helps keep spending in check and you can balance out costs that go over/under. I usually add a 5% contingency to my estimate budget to cover any last minute additions.
Pro Tip: If you're managing a large and complex budget, and a simple Excel spreadsheet isn't cutting it, try using online budgeting software instead, such as Cost Up
Planning
If it's a small event, a simple to-do list might suffice. But a great way to stay on track is to work back from your event date with a timeline of when each task needs to be done by. If you know your caterer needs menu selections a fortnight before, or that the venue needs full payment a month before, put it all down in your event tracker!
Pro Tip: If you have a team of collaborators organising an event, try an online planning tool like Trello that allows you to assign tasks, view their status, and keeps multiple contributors up to date. Particularly useful if you are all working remotely.
Timings
Not just for your guests. Think about when suppliers or staff need to arrive to set up, if deliveries can be the day before, or how much time they need to clear up at the end. If you are hiring a venue, check what time you have access from and until. As you plan your event, get all these times down into a schedule, along with key contact details, to circulate to your team or suppliers - it helps avoid confusion on the day.
Pro Tip: Don't forget to format your production schedule into a printable format - ideally one A4 sheet for timings, and a second one with contact info. Then print out multiple copies before you go on site. It's a lot easier to have them available at-a-glance on a clipboard than trying to open your phone or laptop every time you need to check something whilst on your feet!
Guest Post by Venetia Harpin
London-based Event Producer
Venetia Harpin is our Event Professional-In-Residence. Her work has ranged from luxury drinks receptions, to running around at muddy festivals, with everything from fashion shows, wedding receptions and brand launches in between. With over 10 years of producing events under her belt, she now specialises in creating bespoke and immersive experiences.