Event Planning 101
The following is an event planning list that, if
followed, will take you 75 percent of the way toward creating a successful
event:
Seating
1] If a hundred people are going to attend your event, the room should
hold about seventy-five. If a thousand people are coming, the room should hold
nine hundred. You want the excitement of a standing-room-only, bumper-to-bumper
crowd.
2] Only set out the number of chairs for the minimum number of people you
expect.
3] If possible, have the chairs arranged in an “audience” format
(side-by-side, one immediately in front of the other) rather than placed behinds
tables or desks.
4] If the facility has fixed or non-removable seating, have the back half
of the venue roped or taped off before people arrive. People will enjoy the
program much more if everyone is seated up front.
5] Have the first row set very close to the stage. Too much space between
the speaker and the first row creates a lack of chemistry with the audience.
Room / Sound
6] In rooms where the sound system has the main speakers in the ceiling or
hanging overhead in a cluster, it is best to provide a portable sound system
with the speakers on each side of the platform (such as mounted tripod
speakers). (Most facilities have this type of system available upon request.) If
tripod speakers are not available, 2 or 3 floor monitors are an acceptable
replacement. The objective of these recommendations is to eliminate all sound
delay and bring the origin of sound closer to ear level, thus increasing
intimacy and crowd connection.
7] A separate microphone with separate controls should be provided for the
speaker. (Note: Charles EQ’s his microphone much differently than a singer or a
lecturer, and it is essential that these adjustments be made BEFORE the program
and not altered.)
8] Set the thermostat no higher than 68-70 degrees. A room that is too
warm will stifle your event. Remember that a room will warm up once people fill
it up.
Miscellaneous
9] Have the podium set back a few feet so that the speaker can walk in
front of it.
10] Outside noise from the adjoining rooms and hallways is the No. 1
killer of meetings. If another event is being held in the rooms adjacent to your
event, make every effort to book another venue. If you can’t hear a pin drop,
you’re in the wrong room. A quick phone call to the catering manager will ensure
total quiet.
11] Request that the photographer not take pictures during the first 10-15
minutes of the program. It is best not to have any distractions while the
audience is warming to the speaker.
12] Introductions are critical! The stage must be set. Always try to have
a good speaker do the introductions rather than someone in the organization who
is just being given the honor.
13] Studies show that people remember more and laugh more in brightness.
Turn the lights up all the way during the program. People should leave the event
discussing the program, not the ambience.
14] It is acceptable to have 10-20 minutes of preliminaries
(announcements, speeches, awards, music, etc.) before the main entertainment or
program begins. To have program additions exceeding a combined total of more
than 30 minutes is unwise. It is said that a person's mind cannot comprehend
more than their seat can endure.
Banquet (If the event is a breakfast, lunch, or dinner of any kind)
15] Tables should be set no more than 4-5 feet apart to ensure crowd
intimacy. Some hosts worry that people won't be able to walk between the tables.
Untrue. It'll be close, but not uncomfortable. Remember: Hotel employees will
always set up a room the way it would be best for them, not best for your event!
16] For the benefit of the attendees of the event, tables should be
cleared BEFORE or AFTER the performance. Be sure that the waiters do not clear
tables after the program begins.
17] Always try to avoid having a head table. It blocks crowd interaction
and inhibits intimacy. Also it is sometimes considered offensive to those in the
crowd and creates an us/them mentality.
18] Laughing and chewing do not go well together. Combine the two and you
risk seeing too little of the former and too much of the latter. The
entertainment portion of the program MUST NOT begin before the majority of
people are finished with their entire meals.
