22 tips for the perfect event
EVENTS No doubt you’ve organised a bash or two as a PA – but as all
good personal assistants know you can never stop learning. We’ve asked the experts for their top tips for dazzling events by Louis Allen
problems,” says Karen Arndt,Uniplan China’sManaging Direc- tor. So,when selecting a company toworkwith –whether it’s for AV, food, invites or entertainment – always ask not only for ref- erences but also to speak to previous clients and go armedwith a list of specific questions about how problems were resolved.
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“Be sure to get the main message across to the guests attending the event, otherwise thewhole exercisewould be awaste ofmoney.”HelenWong,Events China,
www.events-china.com
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“Be precisewhen planning. The theme should correspond with the key message of the event, everything should run
smoothly (ensure a briefing for the teamso they knowthe run- ning order of the event) and, most importantly, do not exceed the budget.” Helen Wong, Events China
ities for delegates, and their spouses if they are along, and arrange interesting pre- and post-event tours,” she advises.
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When organising the food think about catering to every- one’s taste. Speakwith your catering teamand agree upon
a menu that can easily be tailored to suit many different tastes – anddon’t forget to considerofferingvegetarian andveganoffer- ings as well as menus that will comply with certain religious groups. If your food is poor this is what people will remember.
Post-eventfollowupiscrucial –providingyouwithexcellent resources for futureeventsandgivingyouaninsight in towhat
worked andwhat didn’t in the guests’ eyes. “Theway to evaluate theefficiencyofanevent isnotbymeasuringcost savings; it is the success of theevent thatcounts,whichcouldbeguest satisfaction orcommunication,” according to LinXu, VariArts founder.
Aperfect event is one that the guest remembers and talks about for years, asserts Helen. “Provide memorable activ-
“Ask questions, especially ‘are they recyclingmaterial or presentingsomething specifically forme?’” is another
top tip fromKaren. Every event is different and eachwill have its own unique aims. While it’s fine for companies to drawinspi- ration from previous events it’s crucial that you as the PA are confident that the proposed elementwill suit the needs of your guests and your overall aim for the occasion.
“References are important, but it’s always better to find independent comment, especially in regards to resolving
8-10 Ahelping hand
Localknowledgeandcontacts are vitalwhenorganisingevents – evenmore so if your event is happening in a different country. In this instance it’s a wise choice to work closely with a Desti- nationMarketingCompany (DMC)whowill have plenty of local contacts you can tap
into.Alicia Yao Hong, Vice-Chairman at SITE ChinaChapter, has a fewtips forworking successfullywith aDMC in your chosen destination:
1 A pre-proposal meeting is essential. 1 Where possible documents should be bi-lingual as they may have to be submitted to officials and security teams. In China this is particularly crucial as if they are not in Chi- nese it is regarded as disrespectful and you’ll get nowhere. ADMCcan helpwith getting documents translated.
1 It’s all about teamwork but aDMC needs to be able to control and recommend as they will have a bet- ter working knowl- edge of the area you’re targeting.
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