1. What Is The One Main Purpose For This Event?
Majority of events consist of attendees who come for different reasons. The larger the event, the more this may vary. For now let's assume that the vast majority of people who will attend for the actual announced purpose of the event, whether that was through Facebook or Eventbrite.
There will, however, also be some people who are attending for other reasons. Ex. wanted something fun to do on a Friday night... was forced to come by someone else... wanted to meet a nice guy/girl, and the classic "felt too bad to cancel".
People connect and vibe off each other the best when there is commonality, AKA real love and passion for the main purpose of the event. The more you can plan for the execution of the main objective, the more natural the attendees will have a great time and mingle. Unite your audience with a strong purpose.
Take a mask party for example...
Supply a bunch of jaw-droppingly cool masks at the entrance and your bar will run out of drinks before you know it.
2. Do I Have Any Attractions?
A big component of event planning is anticipating its experience for OTHERS. Some people are shy and some are meeting each other for the first time but a good event environment entices people to mingle and connect.
Consider having some attractions for people to talk about. Planning an office event? Try posting photos of memorable milestones on the wall. People will share how they felt 7 years ago when the company went through its emotional IPO and there you have it, a great conversation starter.
3. Nail The Important Parts: The Entrance and Exit
The Entrance
Much like anything, people are going through different emotions as soon as they arrive. Will your guests feel welcomed and included when they arrive? What can YOU do to make sure this happens?
Consider asking two people that get along really well to greet people at the door. Two people that everyone feels comfortable around.
The Exit
Think of the last possible memory/ experience that your guests could walk out with. If you don't agree that positivity is an easy answer here, well, I'm glad you're reading this because it is and guess what? It's somewhat controllable!
Doing a corporate event? Get together and take silly group photos. Thank everyone for coming out and tell them you're looking forward to seeing them on Monday.
Product Launch? One word - souvenirs. Something to remember the product by and to remember for when they might need to use it.
4. Is There Anyone That Can Help Me Run The Event?
Don't try to execute everything by yourself and ask people to take responsibility of some parts. It's easier for you wear one hat and be a facilitator than to wear 7 hats and try to do everything by hand.
SOLUTION - ask the venue manager if they can help with anything. These people are professionals and they LOVE seeing people have a great time at their crib. It's only human nature.
Looking for a venue?
