Hey guys, I know it’s been a while since I last sent out a
blog but things have really been crazy on my side of the world. I do apologise
for being so quiet. Anyway guys, I have been doing events for some time now. My
first experience at running events on my own came in 2008 when I started
hosting the Blaq Soul Sessions at the Capitol Music Café in Rosebank. I have to
say, that was a huge learning experience for me. A lot of people think that it’s
easy doing events. They think all it takes is waking up in the morning, decide
to do an event, hire dj’s and the place will be packed with people. It’s not as
easy as it sounds guys. There’s a lot that goes into running an event. From
inception of the idea, to the day that the last person leaves the venue. A lot
of hard work goes into the process.
With everyone thinking that they can do events, most people
have “cut corners” upon realizing that things are not going accordingly. People
copy each other’s concepts. Creativity has literally been thrown out the
window. This has made all events look and sound the same. Event management has
now been viewed as the quickest means of making money by many people. The end
result of all of this has seen many venues close down before their due time.
People attending these functions have felt “cheated”. The concept has become a
gimmick. I was recently reminded by a company that booked me for an event on
how things need to be done. Not only was I impressed by the fact that these
guys kept their promises, they actually made me feel like this was my event.
Everyone attending the event felt like they were a part of a “bigger family”. I
was impressed. I jotted down a few things, which to many may seem tedious,
however, as a “client”, these tedious tasks are the ones that add value to the
whole experience. Everyone left the venue feeling very happy. The long drive to
the venue was certainly worth it.
Everyone has their own way of working that makes it easier
to run an event guys but here are a few things I’ve learnt from my own
experiences and those I’ve admired on how to ensure that one has a successful event:
·
Know your clientele. Understand what your clientele’s
“likes” and “dislikes” are. If you know that your clientele likes the “finer”
things in life, why would you want to host your function at a venue that makes
them feel unappreciated?
·
Plan in advance. You can’t just wake up today
and decide that you are going to host an event in two days. A lot of planning
goes into doing an event. Planning in
advance also ensures that you eliminate any “hurdles” in time.
·
If you are going to host an event at a venue
that is owned by someone else, make sure that you discuss all the important
issues well in advance. So often I’ve seen people embarrass themselves on the
day of the event because certain aspects were not discussed prior to the event
with the owner of the venue. Don’t assume that the venue owner knows everything
about your event. Highlight the important aspects of your event. If you are
going to bring your own dj’s, find out if there are resident dj’s on the venue.
Discuss the issue with the owner and resolve it in time.
·
Event organisers, if you have booked an artist
to perform, please have the decency of keeping them “in the loop” with what is
happening with your event. Have the decency of informing your artist well in
advance on the time that you would like for them to perform. There is nothing
more irritating than being told on the day of the event that you’ll be
performing “in two hours’ time”. Artists make plans as well. You are not the
only one doing an event. Please bear in mind that artists will give priority to
whoever gives sufficient information in advance.
·
Be honest. If you can afford to pay an artist,
say so in time. If you are being sponsored for the event, be decent enough to
inform your artist about this. Inform the artist what the sponsorship entails.
·
Don’t be greedy. Surely the aim of you doing an
event is to be able to host more in the near future. Remember that you are
building a reputation for yourself. If you are going to be greedy and not pay
your suppliers and artists, how do you expect them to help you out in the
future?
·
Stick to your promises. If you’ve promised to
pay your suppliers by a certain date, please stick to that date. If you can’t
pay as per your promise, have the decency to pick up the phone and let the
supplier know of the delays. Again, remember that you are building
relationships. Don’t burn your bridges.
·
Be professional. This goes both ways guys. If an
event organizer books you for an event, send them an invoice. Remember that
this is important for their reconciliation at the end of each week, month or
financial year. Event organisers, you also need to maintain the
professionalism.
·
Be present. I had to learn this lesson the hard
way guys. This is YOUR event. No one else will run this event the way it should
run except for you. Remember as well, the people that come to the event, came
to see YOU. If you are not present, people feel like you don’t appreciate them.
Remember, they could’ve been anywhere else in the world, but they chose to be
at YOUR event.
·
While on the same point, be courteous. Walk
around, greet your customers. Again, these people have come to see YOU.
·
Be hospitable. You’ve booked an artist to
perform at your event but you can’t even offer them a glass of water? What kind
of host are you?
·
Be transparent. If for any reason the schedule
has been interrupted, please be decent enough to inform your artists. Most
artists take their craft very seriously. They come to an event an hour or two before
their performance. If your scheduled time of performance suddenly runs “over”,
let the artist know. Don’t just let them stand there and not know what is going
on. Remember, some artists will invite potential sponsors, friends and family to
watch them perform at YOUR event. They tell their patrons what time they will
perform. If your event runs into problems suddenly, and they can perform as
scheduled, they also look like they don’t know what they are doing. This is a
two way street guys.
·
Thank your customer. Your event was a success. You
made an impression. You’ve made your money. Thank the guy that spent their R100.00.
Thank the artist that entertained your customer. A simple sms or a “thank you”
goes a long way. You don’t have to buy a gift to show your token of your appreciation.
Guys, there are no rules that have been cast on stone when
it comes to event organizing. It all boils down to being professional and being
“human”. Understand that this is a business at the end of the day, and until
such time that you decide to be organized, your events will always be a joke.
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