5 Unique Event Planning Tips and Tricks
Event Planning isn’t for the faint of heart. You need to be fearless and passionate about your project and willing to put in the effort and the hours to make it happen! My name is Kelsey Stewart and I’m the lead event planner with Hope’s Home and have brought you events like Swinging with the Stars and the Speakeasy Soiree! As a non-profit, our events and fundraisers are integral to the operations of our organization; and therefore each event is planned with attention to detail and a ton of heart.
From large scale galas, to golf tournaments, to more intimate events, I have a bit of experience in everything! Throughout the years, I have learned many ideas and secrets of what can bring your event to the next level! Whether you are planning a fundraiser or a corporate event, I can guarantee that these 5 unique event planning tips and tricks will help your event surpass everyone’s expectations.
1. Give Early Bird Incentives.
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- Making special pricing for early bird tickets is a great way to get tickets sold fast! You can get a good idea of the “hype” behind your event if people want to buy tickets early. Ensure that the incentives you are providing are significant enough to convince your audience that it is worth it. And make sure that you are prepared to sell-out at that lowered price. You don’t want to undervalue your event at the early bird price and then end up selling-out and not hitting your targeted revenues for ticket sales! Balance is key.
2. Sell, Sell, Sell!
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- Sell your target audience on why they should show up! You need to define what you are doing at the event that sets you apart and sells your tickets. Make sure in your promotional posts that you sell all that your event has to offer. Include information about unique features, added benefits to sponsorship levels, what comes with the ticket, etc.
3. Get Creative.
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- You have to put time and effort into every little piece of your event. Experience matters!! Do some research in the sector and find out what is up and coming in the industry. Make it happen! Get away from the same old, same old. Find things that set your event apart from the rest! It could be in the food you serve, in the entertainment you book, or in the theme you choose for your event. There are so many opportunities for you to challenge your creativity – so get to it!
4. Pics, or it Didn’t Happen.
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- One of the best ways to measure the success of your event is if people want to share it! Make an event hashtag and use it to promote your event. Make sure that you repost any shares that use the hashtag to encourage more people to share their event photos!
- Design your event so that it encourages interaction on social media. This could be by using a photo-booth, putting the hashtag on the event program, or a live twitter feed on a TV or screen!
- Make sure your event is beautiful and unique. You need to create visual eye candy for your attendees. Little pieces of the event that are “shareable” will make your audience want to share it with their following!
5. Trust Your Vendors and Let Them do Their Thing!
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- These are the experts in the field! So lean on them. I love to meet with my vendors, tell them my vision for the event and then ask what crazy ideas they may have! They may be more up to date on industry trends, up and coming technology or maybe they just have a unique idea! This could be your decor rentals, entertainment or chef. It doesn’t matter what vendor it is – make sure you ask what they think and what ideas they have! It could take your event to the next level.
- For my Regina readers, here are a couple vendors that I would trust with my life!
And there you have it! 5 event planning tips and tricks that are sure to elevate your fundraising or corporate event planning game. At the end of the day, it really comes down to having trust in the people you’re working with, letting your ideas run wild, and understanding that every detail is important. It’s been a weird time for event planners with COVID-19 cancelling everything. But I am so excited for life to open up again so I can go all out on my next event for Hope’s Home.
Do you have any other tips you have found helpful in your event planning? Have any questions for me? I would love to hear it! Leave a comment down below or send us a message on Instagram!
I like the idea of selling tickets early to generate hype. My brother is considering setting up a concert for his band. I’ll have to recommend that they get an event planner to help set things like early bird tickets.
I liked how you mentioned that you should have special pricing for people that buy early bird tickets. My brother is wondering how he could generate more sales for the event he’s in charge of. I’ll let him know that he should have special pricing for early bird tickets.
I never considered how important it is to not micromanage your vendors. I need to get an event planner to handle a corporate event for my work. We need to have a venue and food for at least 90 people.
Yes!! That’s why it’s so important to do your research on your vendors before you book them – so you can have full faith in them and trust them to do your job. 🙂
I’m glad that you mention that it’s best to book creative entertainment. My sister needs to plan her wedding for this fall. She was thinking that maybe they could hire an event painting professional as entertainment for her guests and to also help them have something they can bring home with them.
What a fantastic idea! And a great bonus that it acts as a keepsake from the special day and saves you from spending on money on a separate keepsake. Definitely unique and creative for sure!
Thanks for sharing such a great helpful article. As a wedding planner, I like your tips and tricks. I agree with this that in this field only those planners are successful who are creative because this field needs creativity and most clients need a unique thing in their event.
This is by far, one of the most comprehensive, organised and relevant event planning tips i’ve come across.
Thanks
Thanks for sahring such an amazing and informative article. These tips and tricks are really great and helpful in managing and maintaining unique events. Keep up sharing such kind of great blog.
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The NGO I’m a part of is holding a charity fundraiser concert this December, and we’re currently looking for places we can consider for the venue of the event. I appreciate your advice where you said that it’s best to research in the sector to ensure you set your event apart from the rest by being more creative about it. I’ll be sure to take note of this while I look for lake areas we can book for the outdoor concert.
Thank you for explaining that every event must be prepared with time and effort. My friend wants their event to be successful. I should advise her to hire an event planner to handle every aspect of the event.
I like how you said to make your event stand out from the rest! My cousin was at my house last night for dinner, and he talked about how he wants to throw a party for his employees at his company in a couple of weeks, so he wanted to know what activities he should plan for them to do. I’ll pass this information along to him so he can know more tips on planning an event.
It was really helpful when you highlighted the importance of speaking with the vendors and asking them for ideas about how to make the event successful. In the case of my company, I’m sure we’ll have a lot of vendors, and we’ll need to talk to all of them. We’ll even speak with the company that we will rent porta potties from so we’d know where to put them best.
It really helped when you described the importance of working with quality and trustworthy event vendors. My sister wants to help my parents plan their anniversary party, so she’s already booked the venue for next month, and I think she’d love to read your article. Thank you for the information on how to make your vision come alive when planning an event.
I loved what you said about finding unique aspects to promote for your corporate event. I’m in the midst of planning a corporate event for our Spring hiring season. I think that it would be great to find the right venue that offers unique amenities. https://www.tothevents.com/symposium-center/
Great tip about adding a photo booth. I’m sure that would be a lot of fun for the guests. I’ll have to hire someone to plan out our corporate party. https://www.royalaffairs.com/
This article reminds me of my local neighborhood committee which plans to organize a charity concert next month. To make sure the occasion can be executed properly, I feel like they should consult a production company first. After all, you were the one who told us that we must be active in promoting our event through social media to attract potential visitors. https://audienceengagementgroup.com/event-production
I like how you mentioned that it is a good idea to lean on experts when you are planning a special event. If you are planning an event that will have a large number of people in attendance, it could be a good idea to work with experts that have experience managing a high number of people. For example, you could hire some hosts or hostesses, or even security guards for your event.