What makes a good event coordinator? Planning and organizational skills, of course! These creative organizing tips for event planners go beyond the basics or common sense and teach you some great techniques and tools you may never have considered (or heard of).
30 creative ways for event planners to stay organized
1.Get an egg timer.
Schedule mini-tasks like replying to emails and adding more event planning tabs in 5-10 minute increments to light a fire among you. You'll get more done and realize how much time you've previously spent on those things!
2.Create and test your own event planning process template.
If you choose to systematize the parts of the process you do for each event, you have more room for creativity. look at that greatParty planning checklist templatefor some inspiration.
3.Scan documents during on-site visits, at meetings away from the office, and even in your car.
There are apps that turn your phone into a laptopscanMachine. All you need is some halfway decent lighting and you're good to go!
4.Gamify all your event planning goals.
Habitatis a game app that lets you make event goal setting much more fun. Play as cute characters, get rewarded for achievements, and make organizing fun again.
5.Keep a brainstorming book with you wherever you go.
That way, if you suddenly have a flash of inspiration, you can catch it even if you're working on another project or just got home from work.
6.Marie Kondo your event planning folder.
Unlesskindle joy, what is he doing here?
7.Paint an office wall with chalkboard paint.
Never miss a to-do list again.
What makes a good event coordinator? Planning and organizational skills, of course! Check out these organizing tips:
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8.Form your own secret code.
When creating your to-do list, organize tasks into categories by noting icons next to each bullet point. Stars can mean location-based tasks, asterisks can mean internal projects, etc. This keeps you focused and not overwhelmed by the amount of things you still have to do.
9.Start a Not Today! list.
All those little things that come up throughout the day that you didn't want to tackle go on this list. When you have completed everything you have planned for the day, you can look at these points.
10. Keep a master contact sheet with your favorite vendors right in your event planning folder.
When it comes time to hire them for your next event, you'll already have ideas, menus and contact information sorted.
11.match yoursEvent Folder Guidewith your digital folders.
They were supposed to be twins, not sisters. This way you can keep track of what needs to be updated and where to find each document.
12.Organize one-off or rare projects by event type.
Add subsections for projects by date, as well as a template folder for that specific event type.
13.Make sure your folders always have these tools.
Have a blank notebook, marker, hole punch, and pens ready. Use a zippered bag or get a clipped binder to keep everything secure.
14.have a dedicatedconference folder.
Include guides to agendas, who is presenting, handouts or printed presentations, and a contact list of everyone involved.
15.Create an absence calendar for key event attendees and team members.
Plan things like urgent meetings and approvals or approvals before you go on vacation or travel and make sure your event planning stays on track.
16.invest in onesmart notebook.
It turns your handwritten notes into documents and saves them on yourThe cloud of documentsautomatically.
17.Add new meetings or deadlines to your digital calendar using voice technology.
For example, if you have an iPhone, let Siri be your personal assistant. Here's a digestible video guide onSiri-CalendarCommands you may not know.
18. Get a calendar summary delivered.
If your digital calendar system supports it, you can automatically send a daily calendar summary to your email every morning. If you use oneGoogle Calendaryou can definitely do that.
19.Have a project calendar of collaborative events to share with your entire team.
Now no one can say they lost the email or just forgot about it. Your calendar is your calendar.
20. Use separate email addresses.
Have a separate email address for each project, which is your email address + event name @ gmail.com (or whatever service you use). This way, you can limit your main email inbox to emails from new clients, office tasks, and general administrative matters.
21. Keep an eye on response times.
Create expected response times for every email you send and add them to your personal reminder list. Usually 2-3 working days. If the person doesn't respond by that date, you can follow up.
22.At the end of each event, hold a 2-3 hour closing session for yourself.
take your timecleanall your physical and digital folders, gather the papers or photos you want to add to your professional event portfolio, and update your preferred vendor list, upcoming speaker list and phone contact list. Don't delete specially crafted digital project calendars and email inboxes after tax season, just in case.
23.Run a network table.
End each workday by writing down the names, titles, and contact information of everyone you meet. You never know when this relationship will come in handy later! Or, if you're not sure you can keep up with a spreadsheet over the long term, choose the social media tool you're using for your business and make sure you connect your new contacts or them right away consequences.
24.Track event-related receipts by setting up an email box that is your personal email + receipts.
Quickly snap a photo or forward a PDF attached to an email to yourself and store or print the physical copy in a fireproof shoe box on your desk.
25.Keep a project-related screenshot folder on your phone.
Contracts, great social media mentions, inspiration you see online - all in one labeled folder.
26. Visualize the day
Take five minutes as soon as you arrive at your officeseewhat a successful working day looks like today. Combine that with excellent preparation and you'll be practically unstoppable.
27.Hire onevirtual event planning assistant.
They can do admin and note-taking tasks for you, giving you time to keep your important things in order. Also, the freelance assistant payments are a tax break.
28.Keep the main event inspiration photo as your desktop wallpaper.
this will hold youmotivatedand to the task, even if you work on all the details to make it happen.
29.Write in a journal what I have learned.
Write down your expectations versus reality, how a particular event went, why it went the way it did, and what you learned. Make it pointed and skimmable. Refer to it before starting a new event so you can improve your performance next time and not make the same organizational (or other) mistakes again.
30.Set a specific time for personal management at the beginning and end of the day.
Keep a list of what you need to do during admin time and limit the risk of taking something off that list unless it's officially time to address it.
Feeling inspired to improve your event planning organization?
Then be sure to read itEvent Planning Portfolio Basics, look at these greatEvent planning videos, and gain some experience points with itEvent Planning Problems (With Actionable Solutions).
A few more tips for event planners and organization:
How can an event planner be improved?
Organization can be key to improving the skills and performance of any event planner. The more organized you are, the clearer you can set goals, communicate with clients, and work on multiple events at the same time.