Planning Is The Key To Getting It Done

As a consultant, professional negotiator, convention/ conference/ event organizer/ planner, and executive for over three decades, I have consistently observed that one of the greatest stumbling blocks to successfully achieving any goals, plans or objectives, is a lack of either understanding or appreciation of the importance of planning. Too many individuals seem to believe, or at least act like they seem to believe, that things will just happen and come together by themselves. Unfortunately or fortunately, planning is essential for most successful endeavors or ventures, and not only must one plan, but generally it is imperative to plan in advance.

There are some who have called me too detail-oriented, and have accused me from everything from micromanaging to being too concerned with the details. While some may feel that way, the accusers are almost never the implementers or the doers, but are generally first in line to gripe and complain if something doesn't work out "just right." I feel strongly that what some consider micromanaging is rather a lack of trust that I have developed over the years, after observing what often occurs when you assign a task to someone less skilled, knowledgeable, or accomplished. Instead of saving time and effort, that "delegating" generally wastes more time and effort, and consistently creates more stress, as well. The end result is generally that you must then review every detail anyway if you want to be certain that it's right, for an organizer and coordinator is in fact held responsible. There is nothing constructive about blaming others, and if one organizes himself well, and plans ahead from the beginning, it takes less time, and is far less stressful, to simply do many things oneself.

Of course, there are certain things that should be delegated, but usually, it is not for the sake of efficiency, but rather "stroking the ego" of those that you need to be involved. Some activities require additional bodies, and if their egos are not stroked, one often does not get optimum cooperation.

The leader, planner or organizer should create a flowing, specific time line, when individual tasks must be done along the way. This time line must be part of the overall action plan, which includes not only this time line, but also identifies who will be doing what, and who may approve which details.

Anyone who does not sufficiently and painstakingly plan ahead, in as much detail as possible, is opening himself up to failure, unnecessary stress, and far less than the best possible outcome. There are no shortcuts or replacements to proper planning.

Common Event Planning Mistakes

There are so many different types of event held by so many different organizations for a variety of purposes. Some hire individuals who represent themselves as "event planners," but in most case are glorified room decorators. Some decide to do it themselves, with varying levels of success.

While there are some excellent event planners, who are truly professional and knowledgeable, the wide majority misrepresent their expertise and what they can and will do. There are also some individuals who are detailed, organized, have common sense, and work hard, who can and do run a successful event, but the majority of others do not have and/ or use those skills.

Some of the most common event planning mistakes are:

(1) Not knowing upfront what your needs or requirements are. It is extremely difficult to effectively produce an event if you don't know what your goal is.

(2) Many events are inadequately promoted. Event organizers must have a budgeted amount devoted for advertisement and promotion. Too many are totally dependent on e-mails and E-Blasts, which often is tantamount to failure. How is this event going to be described to "capture the imagination," and set it apart. If this event is a conference or convention, how much detail is going into the flow sheet/ schedule, to show potential attendees perceived value.

(3) Many organizers lack negotiating expertise. Before agreeing to hold an event in a particular place, organizers should use Request for Proposals (RFP) to assure that the location can adequately meet the needs, and deliver at the needed price level.

(4)Many organizers simply either do not know what to ask, or don't ask the right questions. Many events require considerable amounts of audio visual, and the costs can often be astronomical, if not negotiated properly.

(5) There is a need to evaluate when to purchase something versus when to rent it. Often it costs far less to buy something than the rentals will cost.

(6) Many organizers don't understand that almost everything is negotiable. A group does not have to go along with the pre-packaged food and beverage menus, nor believe that there is no flexibility in pricing.

(7) Many planners do not spend enough time assuring that attendees first impression and contact with the event is a positive one. There must be a friendly and welcoming Welcome Committee, who are trained and willing to be "meeters and greeters." A smile goes a very long way.

(8) One of the most common errors is spending too much time on menial or less important items, and insufficient time on the priorities. Event organizers must fully understand how and why to prioritize.

(9) if using an Event Planner, it must be clearly spelled out what the expectations are, and what the planner's duties will be.

(10) Perhaps, most importantly, an organization must clearly understand and identify what it wishes to achieve from this event.

Of course, these are just some very basic things that should go into the overall process to ensure optimal success from an organization's event.

Successful Conventions Need Perceived Value

One of the biggest errors convention organizers often make is how they prioritize their expenditures and programming. Very often, organizers spend an insufficient amount of time on creating their Convention flow sheet, and how and on what to spend their funds. Many conventions also suffer because of a lack of adequate marketing.

After three decades in the industry, I have repeatedly heard attendees complain that they did not get enough value for their expense. Often, this is the reason given for someone not bothering to attending, feeling it was not worth their time, effort or money. Therefore, convention planners should understand that their flow sheet is their most important marketing piece, yet they generally spend more time discussing lesser issues than that.

A flow sheet for a convention should indicate a "bustling of activities," with multiple categories of activities that might attract a varied audience. Many organizers mistakenly believe that because they are interested in a specific thing, and that is what interested and motivated them, that others felt the same way. However, in most cases, various potential attendees might be attracted by different alternatives.

The next thing the flow sheet should clearly demonstrate is that this Convention is offering a value-oriented experience, that will meet all the other objectives of the particular conference or convention as well. If the convention has a substantial registration fee, potential attendees must clearly see that they are getting "bang for their buck."

A convention organizing committee needs a central negotiations point person and expert negotiator. An expert negotiator can often get substantially more for the same or lower costs, and understands concepts like menu-tweaking, win-win negotiating; cost savings, etc.

Organizers should prioritize how they spend money. Too many conventions spend too much money creating items like logos and fancy ads, both of which attract few attendees. While direct postcard mailings are the most effective (both statistically and cost-wise), I have continuously seen organized neglect this form of marketing, citing many, generally ill-conceived reasons. Too many organizations do not take advantage of free or nearly free promotions. For example, if the organization has a magazine or newsletter, there is almost always some "blank space" somewhere in the issue. Organizations should take advantage of that space by promoting their event as often as possible. Too many organizations recently have attempted to become almost entirely digital, yet many people screen out much of their e-mail (considering it Spam), or merely give a quick, cursory look. Marketing anything requires continuous, organized and ongoing efforts. An organization need not spend a lot of money on special expensive paper, or four-color printing, but needs to promote effectively.

Many things related to convention expenses are "economies of scale" type items. Therefore, the more attendees to a convention, the more the Convention can offer.

Too many organizations have turned to "booking" companies to assist them in making their arrangements. While hotels and these companies will always state that the commissions paid and received do not adversely impact the organization, logically speaking, the hotel and Food and Beverage people will somehow adjust their flexibility on certain cost-related items, in order to compensate for the commission paid. While there may be times when these type of companies help organizations, it is generally when room-only type events for small to medium sized groups are arranged.

If an organization does not present a convention with conceived value, eventually the number of attendees will drop. This can create a devastating impact on that organization. Organizations should "fix" the situation before it is broken!