Photo by: Lily Ro, @lilyro_
Written by: Bricia Lopez, @bricialopez
Event production is no joke, ladies. It sucks the life out of you and it's a rollercoaster of emotions and a non-stop workday (and night) BUT there is a silver lining 😅. After the event is done and you see the the face's of all the people who attended and see how much fun they had, all the hours you worked makes it all worth it.
I've recently been getting emails from friends/colleagues who are thinking of producing their own event and seeking advice on how to start. So in response to that, I created this post to provide you and any other women, friend, family member who are seeking tips on event production and need a nudge in the right direction.
Lets get started ....
Step #1: Define your Purpose
Get a notebook, a pen and write down the purpose of your event. Really, what is it that you (and your partners) want to achieve? Why are you willing to invest your time and resources (and believe me, it will be a lot) into this? This answer will drive the rest of your decisions, so it is very important you write it down. Whenever you need to make any tough decision, refer back to this.
Step #2: Visualize it from Beginning to End
Put yourself in the eyes of your guests. What is the first thing you want them to see when they come in? What do you want them to experience throughout the event? Does their experience drive your purpose? Start with the entrance- where do they come in from? Is there a sign there? If so, what does it look like? What are the first booths they encounter? Who is managing those booths, if they have questions, who do they ask? What is the weather like? Is it going to be hot? If so, do you have enough areas with shade? etc, etc.
Step #3: Make a Blueprint of the Logistics
After you have done that, capture everything you think needs to get done to achieve your vision. Do you need get power, tents, volunteers, shading areas, seating space? if so, how many and how much? Who will be the point person for all vendors? Do you need signage, do you need rentals, a photographer to capture all of the moments? Do you need to create/execute “Instagram-able moments” so people are encouraged to share their experience?
Step #4: Categorize Responsibilities
After you have captured the logistics, chunk responsibilities into categories. For example, lighting, audio and rentals can be one category. Design, volunteers, and signage can be a second category. And so on. Categorize it however it makes sense to you.
Step #5: Build your Dream Team
Bring a group of people together who share the same purpose and visualization of the event (steps 1 & 2) as you do and are people you trust and are equally as invested in the event as you are. Go with you gut. You must feel comfortable enough to delegate each one of those categories you created above. Once you have your tribe, delegate those categories accordingly.
More (v important) advice
Budgeting
Its hard to say how much $$ you'll need to start planning this out (but that's because I don't personally know what your purpose or vision is, how big or small the space you envision your event being in, etc). I would highly recommend you begin by requesting quotes from vendors and building your budgets that way before any of you commit or announce anything.
Pitfalls
Thinking of doing everything yourself? Don’t even try it. You are going to need a team of people who you feel comfortable working with and who, again, share the purpose and vision. Otherwise, its just not going to work.
Key Takeaway
Take your time doing steps 1 and 2, these are super important! These are the steps that will guide you through your meetings, approvals and difficult decisions.
Have any other questions or thoughts on this? Leave a comment below!
