Planning events can get chaotic for Event Planners in NYC, especially when you have a plethora of floor plans, menus, seating plans, etc. spread out around your desk. The thing is, Event Planners need to stay organized. This is an inflexible rule. You have vendors to juggle, receipts to file, and sponsors to answer to. With an around-the-clock schedule, it can become easy to lose sight of staying organized and instead move on to knocking things off of your to do list. Now’s the time to reboot yourself and learn about the different ways to stay organized. But how exactly does one do that with so much on your plate? In this post, we will share some pretty simple tools that will help you manage organization all while juggling a hectic schedule.
Your Calendar is Your Best Friend
Who knew your calendar would be your lifeline? Not only does it tell you when you’ll be tied up, but it’ll also tell you when your team will be available. If you place everything on your calendar, you’ll lessen the chances of missing out on important details each week. You can color code events and meetings based on the category the topic falls under. If you’re typically taking part in all-day meetings, you can block off some time to get work done such as a 30-minute block to read and answer emails so that you stay caught up on your daily to dos.
Keep Notes Organized in One Place
It’s pretty easy to jump from your computer to your phone to your notebooks, however, if you want to safeguard keeping your data in one place to avoid losing important notes, start keeping all event info in one place. Using an app like Evernote that allows you to sync data on all of your devices is quite a useful tool for Event Planners in NYC who are usually working from just about anywhere they are. If your files live on a cloud, you’ll be able to access your notes everywhere you go.
Organizing Folders, File and Email
Event Planners in NYC are used to running multiple events each year so organizing files is crucial. If you create folders when starting the planning process for each event you are creating an organized structure that will allow you to pinpoint needed files quickly. Later on, when the event begins to unfold, it’s important that you stay on track with keeping the files sorted in their corresponding folder.
Setting Reminders for Projects
Yes, emails are great, especially because they’re traceable, but when you don’t receive a response from someone, you can easily lose track of that conversation. If you set a deadline for receiving a response and create a reminder so that you don’t forget when to check in for the reply, you won’t forget that they never replied.
Use A Fun Tool
Becoming organized doesn’t have to be a drag. You can make it fun and use some of the great event planning apps and tools that exist to help you. Do some research online to find the right tools to help you structure a more organized planning process. There are plenty of tools out there that are detail focused, more visual, calendar oriented, and so much more.
To Do List Mondays
As soon as Manic Monday sets in, make sure you start the week off by creating a plan for the week’s to dos. During the first week of each month, you should create a list of tasks for the entire month so that Mondays to do list for the week reflects your monthly plan. This will help you stay focused month to month.
Love the Process
Event Planners in NYC who work on their own have it easy because they can run their business their own way. But as your brand grows, you’ll need a staff. To have the ability to train them to do things your way will be your saving grace. You’ll be able to ensure that all of your plans are carried out as you overlook the process to guarantee that everything was completed the right way. If the process begins to crumble, the system fails. That’s why you have to keep the process updated and make sure you’re training your team to do things exactly the way you would.
Wrap-Up Process
At the completion of any project, the final step should be the wrap-up process. This is when you move the files you saved on your desktop, the event related emails that are all over the place, and look up all of the updates you never saved anywhere. Use this wrap-up phase to organize all of your notes and data regarding the event into the right folders, and then save all of the updates you had lingering around. If you get contracted for the same event the upcoming year, you’ll have everything you need right in it’s corresponding folder.
It’s All About You
Don’t beat yourself up if you find that you think differently than the rest of your team. How you organize events and projects can be personalized to your way of working. Create a system that will not only work for you, but that will help the company grow. If it doesn’t work out to be an efficient system, get back to the drawing board and recreate as many times as you need to until it’s right for you and the brand.
Event Planners in NYC will be gathering round to learn more than just staying organized at the 2019 Event Planner Expo. Besides listening to some of the best keynote speakers, they will be taking part in the workshops and browsing through the aisles to see exhibitors show off all of the innovative products and services that are trending in the events industry.
