What Are the 6 A's of Event Planning?

July 21, 2023 Desiree Homer

In business today, there’s an acronym for everything. It’s a variable alphabet soup out there with ROI, CTAs, ETAs, CSRs, PPCs, CTRs, and SMEs. Throw in the casual texting acronyms, like LMK, IDK, and TLDR, and you’re swimming in acronyms all the time! And while some of these business snippets represent concepts that are essential to your event planning business, it’s not like every acronym applies to your business model. 

But there is one easy-to-remember series of letters all New York event planners should know. The six A’s of event planning basics can still be instrumental in your marketing efforts. And these six A’s can serve as the foundation for how you plan incredible New York events, grow your brand, and land new event-planning clients.

Plan every event with these A’s in mind, and you’ll always enjoy success!

Anticipation

This first A describes all your event planning efforts related to marketing, pre-event coordination, and pre-event communication. It’s all about building excitement and enthusiasm about your event. At this stage, you’ll be communicating enticing marketing messages and setting the expectations for your event.

Arrival

This second A involves everything you can do as an event planner to make arrivals incredible. Focus on first impressions with brilliant event designs and seamless event registrations. Think about friendly greeters, red carpet rollouts, and easy-to-follow instructions. Include directions to your venue and parking details. Make everything about arriving at your event easy and stunning.

Atmosphere

For the third A, event planners will focus on elements associated with the atmosphere and ambiance of an event. This is where you’ll get creative about transforming your venue into a fully-immersive experience. Lights, audiovisual equipment, decor, and utilities will all be on your checklist. 

Appetite

For the fourth A, you’ll carve out all the event details that satisfy. Appetite can, of course, mean meal coordination and catering. It also refers to beverages, dietary considerations, and impressive presentations. Cover all your appetite basics, including coffee service, desserts, and post-meal snacks. 

Activity

The fifth A is all about the fun, excitement, and entertainment planning. Here, event planners will focus on all the engagement factors and determine if they need to be participatory or spectator. Find thrilling stage performances or keynote speakers. Bring in AR/VR technology activations. And introduce gamification elements that promote team-building, networking, and engagement. 

Amenities

The final A encompasses all the details and aesthetics of an event that make it memorable. These details can provide tangible expressions and present take-home value for event guests. Think comforts, conveniences, swag, prizes, and VIP experiences. 

You may not find value in all the different business-centric acronyms and concepts out there. But as a New York event planner, you can absolutely use the six A’s to guide your marketing and event planning processes. Keep this list handy and learn even more when you get tickets to attend The Event Planner Expo 2023 this October! Get in the room with top events industry pros for a high-energy, three-day conference you can't afford to miss!

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