Planning an event is
always a little like navigating through traffic; you have to keep an eye on
obstacles coming from both directions at once, but you need a sixth-sense for
the unexpected motorcycle weaving between the traffic too.
Effective communication
will help in alerting you of any issues before they become problems, and make
everyone involved in the planning of your event feel like they're well-informed
and an essential component in the success.
- Include
everybody - from the
most junior administrator to your most senior keynote speaker. Keeping a
full line of communication makes everybody feel equally important and
involved, and encourages information-sharing, both within your
organization, and to the wider industry and external press and other
interested parties.
- Decide
what is "need to know" - and be transparent about everything else, even last
minute snags, cancellations and other potential disasters. You never know
who knows someone who knows someone, and can avert even having to cancel
your event even at the eleventh hour.
- Make
sure all your communications are "on message" - transparency can bring issues
of its own, so make sure that even "can you help?" appeals are delivered
with positivity and an upbeat tone.
- Use
your communication chain as part of your wider publicity machine - encourage your communication
chain to share information with interested parties not only by word of
mouth and email, but also taking advantage of social media. Make sure
Facebook pages are up to date, and don't forget to use Twitter for advertising your upcoming event.
To summarize, a positive
message sent through every level of your organization and beyond will ensure a
successful event.
