Estimating your event planning and coordination time is one of the best skills you can learn. It’s part industry knowledge, part data, and part luck. But with these strategies, you can get the cost estimate a little closer to the reality.

Next to setting your prices adequately, estimation is one of the top skills you can have in your event planning business. If you estimate time on an event incorrectly, you’ll either come out short or your client will be angry that you are so far off budget.
Estimation in event planning time is hardly an exact science – but your clients think it is. Unlike running a mile where you can quickly estimate how long it will take you (if you do it often enough), event planning is hardly a smooth path with predictable timelines. Of course, you do your best to estimate how long certain tasks take you and you build in plenty of buffer.

Before You Begin Estimating…

Organize

Make a list of everything that needs to be done by everyone that you’re responsible for from a cost perspective. If you are managing the AV crew for instance, and their charges will be covered in your bill to the client, then include them. This list would include load in, AV testing, and rehearsal time, for instance. If you aren’t, leave them off. Some event planners use mind mapping software for this part so they can see how everything fits together.
The reason you list all of these things is because while undercharging for time may hurt, overcharging and then being seen sitting around is more upsetting from a client perspective.
Also, don’t forget about factoring in breaks and meals. While these may not factor into your estimate from a direct cost perspective, you’ll need to know it for workflow. Plus, they’re important if you want everyone working at top performance levels.
Account for everything you know about, knowing there will be plenty that crops up that you won’t. Assign each activity a time slot and duration. Once you work this out, you can use pieces of this and the framework at your next event.

Watch Your Day

Have you ever had a day when you wrote everything down and assigned it a client code? For those professions that bill by the hour likes to account for every second, but that’s simply not realistic. Understand that things crop up. Build in time so that when the client needs extra support and reassurance, you have a moment to provide it without running off schedule.
Building in extra time also gives some padding to your estimate ready for when a hiccup comes along or the client reverses a decision they made.

Making Your Estimates
Here’s some advice to follow on how to make good estimates:

Add Assumptions

You will sometimes be off budget and when that happens, your client will want to know why. Before handing over your estimate, add in any assumptions you are making that if altered could affect the time required to perform the service. For instance, you may add that you are assuming the client will get you the presentation two days before the conference so that it can be tested with the lighting as requested. Any delay to that places a stress on the deliverables and may incur overtime charges.

Don’t Clump

Don’t estimate how much time you’ll spend on arranging speakers. Instead, use your list of activities you compiled earlier to estimate time for each task individually, then roll them up and compile them for the client. The client needn’t see your individual workings but it will help you get a better view of how much time goes into everything and if you look at it in a granular fashion, you’re less likely to forget to factor in the important details that will wreck your schedule if missed.

Factor in Switch Time

We like to think that we are all brilliant multi-taskers, but the truth is when we switch directions or tasks, we often take a little time to get up to speed. If you have people working multiple roles as part of your event, factor in switch time. They may need to be brought up to date or get used to doing something differently. This also applies to team members working around the clock at an event. Factor in extra time when the new shift takes over.

Read Into Under Exaggeration

If you’re relying on someone else for a time estimate to perform an activity, realize there’s the possibility that they want to impress you. Just as some people lie about their weight or how much they can bench press, some vendors will give you a shorter turnaround time because they believe it makes them look better if they can get it done quickly. Pad estimates from other people for that reason, and build in the delay factor.

Learn from Mistakes

After every event, look at what you estimated correctly and what took more time to plan than expected. Break it down and compare like versus like. Keep a spreadsheet of all of your events. With planned time versus actual listed, as well as any causes of the discrepancy. Then use these numbers to create averages. That way, even a bad estimate becomes a good learning experience.

In Conclusion

Your estimated event quotation is critical to getting the job and also how successful your event is from your own business’s perspective. A bad estimate costs you because it either means you eat the difference between what you estimated and the amount it took or you pass the difference along to the client and shrug your shoulders when he asks why it’s so far off what you projected.
Since an invoice is often one of the final points of contact between you and the client, an underestimation is not a good starting point for referrals and word of mouth marketing. This is especially true if a low bid won you the work in the first place. The client may feel like he’s part of a bait-and-switch situation.
While there are always things that crop up in events, they should be more the extreme than the norm. Plus, if you build in a strong buffer much of that should be covered in other areas. Finally, learn with every event. Then even bad estimates serve a purpose.

Recruiting quality volunteers plays a major role in the success of your events. Finding volunteers who are dedicated to your organization and the mission of your event can be a challenge, but using the following tips will lead you towards recruiting and retaining excellent event volunteers.

Recruiting Locations

Everyone longs to find the volunteers that best fit their event. The people who actually “get it” and will work hard to help your event succeed are out there, but where exactly should you look for that elusive “perfect” volunteer?
Start out by looking within your organization or the organization putting on the event. Oftentimes people who are directly connected to an organization or event are the most willing to help the event succeed.

Set Proper Expectations

Setting expectations and providing volunteer details upfront builds your volunteer relationships early on and helps create more knowledgeable volunteers. Be sure to provide a list of what you expect from the volunteer and what the volunteer can expect from you.
Are there any rules or guidelines that your volunteers must agree to? Applications to complete? How much time should the volunteer expect to spend at your event? Any post-event requirements? All of these are examples of questions you may need to answer to clarify the expectations of your volunteers. If you properly prepare your volunteers in advance, they will be more active and productive at your event.
Creating volunteer position descriptions can be a very direct way to outline the expectations for each volunteer duty. Use a job description template and clearly outline each task and the requirements for success. The only real difference in a job description and a volunteer position description is the person is not being paid for the work.
Some event managers allow volunteers to choose their own volunteer duty. This can go a long way in volunteer satisfaction and I encourage you to do this when possible. If you must assign volunteer positions (without giving them a choice), the volunteer position descriptions will at least help them to be prepared for the event day and know what they should expect to be doing.

Communication is Key

Communicating with your volunteers will help them to be in the loop and provide them with a more enjoyable experience. If they feel you are open and easy to approach, they will feel more comfortable and be more successful.
Hosting a volunteer training prior to your event is a great way to communicate all of your expectations and to build a relationship with your volunteers. This will also give them a chance to meet the other volunteers that they will be working with on event day.
Communication and clarity is also very important in your pre-event emails and recruiting messages. Having everyone on the same page is vital to an event’s success and this is only accomplished through proper communication.
Feel free to add some fun and humor into your communications, while also remaining professional. Perhaps you add some entertaining slides, memes, cat videos, etc. into your training presentation! You could also share some funny stories from past events, as we all know every event has them. While you want your volunteers to take the job seriously, you also want them to enjoy working with you and the event.

Follow Up and Feedback

After your event has wrapped up, you may be tempted to send volunteers on their way, without much more than a “thank you for your time” email. However, by doing this, you will be missing out on a wonderful opportunity.
Volunteers have a very unique perspective on your events and they can provide you with valuable feedback. Be sure to capture this feedback through a survey or focus group.
Showing your volunteers that you value their opinion, not only provides you with key information, but also helps you to retain volunteers for future events. Volunteer retention is vital to maintaining a knowledgeable and useful event staff.

In Conclusion

Volunteers can be challenging to work with at times and we have all had both good and bad experiences. Be sure to take your time in setting your volunteers up for success, communicate clearly and provide a fun atmosphere to work. A bit of extra planning and preparation can leads to volunteer success for years to come!

Facilitating great networking at your event is a lot of work. Yet, it’s incredibly important because it’s one of the top draws of events. There are many ways to promote better networking but most of them boil down to this recipe for success.

Networking has a strange appeal. It draws crowds and terrifies all at the same time. It’s one of the main reasons people attend professional events but it’s also dreaded by introverts. Creating a successful networking event means you’ll secure a place in your attendees’ hearts and they’ll be more likely to attend your events in the future. Let’s face it; while there’s plenty of online competition for networking opportunities, it’s still in-person that seals the largest deals.

Whether you’re hosting a monthly event, a local gathering, or a larger conference, ensuring you have the right mix of people and making those attendees feel at home are keys to your event’s success. But you’ll need a few other things as well:

6. Assist in the Networking

   As much as we think of ourselves as social creatures, networking doesn’t happen entirely on its own. As mentioned above, the type of people you invite are important as is the venue. You’ll want to make introductions based on what attendees and others are looking for.
   Some event professionals sort attendees into groups to help encourage new relationships. Many people have a tendency to stay in the group they came with or mix with only those they know. Sorting or assigning people
   to different stations or groups may take them out of their comfort zone but it will also aid in new introductions.
   Encourage networking among your attendees. Some people think of networking as a bad word and assume that means talking to people who are always looking over their shoulder. It needn’t be that way. Here are a few ideas on promoting networking at your event.

Promotion Tips for Networking at Events:

Promoting networking at your event will help attendees with their professional growth, help set expectations, generate discussion, and assist people in making the type of connections which will cause them to return next year. Promoting networking is similar to a call-to-action in content. It tells people what’s expected of them and moves them towards a desired action.
Educating attendees on how to network is essential. Give them a few tips about how networking is like developing any relationship. Don’t make it all about you or come across in a sales-y way. Listen and be a good conversationalist. These tips may seem like common sense but they’ll go a long way to help those who are unfamiliar with the techniques.
It’s also important to share the value of networking and why it’s critical to your attendees’ success. Here’s what they need to know:

Networking Forges Business Relationships

Whether they’re looking to buy, sell, or increase their personal branding, who you know is how it happens. Making connections is an important part of building knows, like, and trust. The people you meet and network with may become valuable relations in the future. Both of your needs may change but the connection should be nurtured if you want to build a professional network.

Networking Facilitates Learning

Networking allows attendees to learn outside of the sessions. The ‘hallway track’ is a nice place for exchange and the discussion and real-life examples can lead to increased knowledge and mastery of the concepts presented. Sessions naturally lend themselves to discussion and can be good icebreakers for attendees who hate small talk.

Networking Provides a ‘Lunch Buddy’

A good event organizer will help attendees network before the actual event begins so that they can attend the event already knowing a few other attendees. Not knowing anyone can make people feel anxious, particularly when it comes to mealtime and other seated events.
Setting up a social media group or online community can help people get to know attendees virtually and make plans to meet up at the event. Some organizations also use a code (like a sticker on a name tag) that indicates a first-time attendee. The veterans of the event are then encouraged to engage with the newbie to ensure they become acclimated quickly and have a ‘lunch buddy.’

Why Networking Benefits Your Event:

Networking is critical to a successful event because good relationships among attendees help with next year’s ticket sales but it actually does much more than that. Here are a few things about networking that help you as an event planner as well. Networking…

• Saves money on entertainment.When attendees are networking, the relationships being built are the entertainment. People who are connecting with others don’t need Hollywood-style, flashy entertainment. They have one another.
• Makes your event more valuable.

  If your event becomes one with a reputation of unparalleled matchmaking and valuable networking opportunities, you can command top dollar on ticket prices.

• Grows your event

  Again, networking is one of the top reasons people come to events. As your event’s reputation builds as an ideal place to network, you can increase the size of your event exponentially as more and more people want to be a part of it.

Is In-Person Networking Dead?

The answer to this question could fall along a generational divide but the truth is there are certain things electronics will never take the place of such as:

• The confidence of a firm handshake
• A sideways glance or someone looking past you (it’s much easier to tell disinterest in person, which can be a good thing)
• The energy exchanged from someone getting visibly excited about your idea
• The conveyed emotion behind facial expressions
• The excitement you get when you hear someone interesting speak

Online networking doesn’t make that possible. It strips us of some very human characteristics that we have relied upon to be able to make good business decisions. According to a Forbes study, 77% of business executives prefer in-person meetings because of the ability to read nonverbal cues. In-person networking will continue to be popular for as long as video calls have problems with occasional blurriness.

In Conclusion

You may be wondering if networking at events is still a main component of a successful event or if it’s needed with today’s online world. But as most people understand who you know is incredibly important to your business and your career. Not all of that can be done online. So go plan your in-person networking strategies and enjoy the things you don’t get online like those accidental drink spills when you bump into people and those hardy laughs that are contagious.

Participative learning, collaborative working, audience led content – events are changing, and for the better. But with this shift to more involved formats there’s a danger that we alienate a large part of the audience.

Introversion is a preference for reflective, minimally stimulating environments. Shyness is very different it’s a fear of negative judgment. And, as she points out here, there are many shy extroverts.
As conferences shout about ‘speed networking’ and ‘rocket pitches’ a growing number of people quietly decline to attend. In the world of internal communications, where attendance is often mandatory, these formats can cause real stress (I’ve heard people talk about being physically sick before having to go to an event that simply hasn’t been designed with them in mind).

Should we abandon all thoughts of participation for fear of appealing to only the most unabashed of extroverts? The answer is definitely not.

Firstly, it is a myth to suggest that introverted audiences don’t value participative formats. And, secondly, the fundamental value of people coming together at conferences isn’t in pushing information (that’s what the internet is good at) but in sharing ideas, pollinating new thinking, starting conversations – all things that are best done participative.

So how can we design participative events that don’t alienate huge swathes of our audience?

1. Event Communications

   Avoid shouty terminology that leaves your audience uncertain as to what the event will involve – no one knows what a collaboration zone will entail. Be clear about how the participative elements will be run and how they’ll add value. Encourage people to start building relationships with one another prior to the event and contributing to the content at their own pace.

2. Format

   Use research from past events and pre-event to gain an understanding of the content individuals will value. Then tailor a format that allows small groups to engage in active learning around the topics of relevance to them.

   Design a narrative that naturally steps people towards collaboration. This shouldn’t mean having to spontaneously share thoughts with the entire audience rather it should see people working together in more intimate twos or threes. Allow time for people to reflect on things and encourage solo flights of thought before they collaborate.

   Consider the physical setting, provide quieter seated areas where people can have deeper conversations or simply recharge. Think about the duration of your conference and ensure that people feel able to skip fringe drinks receptions.

3. Facilitation

   Traditional one-way presentation formats has no need for facilitation, but as you involve your audience more the need for support increases. Good facilitators are expert at appealing to all personality types and will help you avoid the pitfalls you might find on the path to delivering a more participative event.

4. Q&A

   Move your Q&A from being the preserve of the vocal few by using an app. Some of these go beyond simple question functionality and allow the audience to see all the questions being asked and vote the most pertinent to the top. Ensure people can ask questions via digital channels at any point before, during or after the event.

5. Networking

   Encourage people to self-categorize on registration and to book one-on-one meet-ups during the event with people they’re likely to share genuine interests. Use topic zones or topic tables to make the networking more efficient and less reliant on small talk. In short, deliver context.

6. Social Media

   The social channels around your event are the perfect place for people to connect and contribute on their own terms. The key is integrating the social content back into the event and vice versa.

In Conclusion

For events to deliver true value you need to treat the audience as participants. But in doing this we have to be mindful of the full spectrum of personality types. If we design events that appeal only to extroverts we not only alienate a large proportion of the audience we lose the reflective expertise and focus that introverts bring to the world.

Effectively debriefing your event is vital to dissect the good, the bad and the ugly of your most recent event and ensure you continuously improve for future projects. Here are some top tips for a constructive debrief.

If you’ve ever participated in a job interview, you know some of the most common questions asked are questions on strengths and weaknesses as well as working preferences. Some interviewers have now embraced the question, “Tell me about a time when…” One of the ways you answer these tried and true questions is by having a firm grasp of who you are, what you like, and what situations you work well in. By giving the employer this knowledge, they are able to assess whether you are a good fit for the task at hand and the culture of the team.

The same is true of event endings. If you don’t take the time to assess what went well, what brought you challenges, whether you met your goals, and how you can improve next year (or next time), you’re missing out on a valuable opportunity for yourself professionally, your team and your future clients.
The easiest way to conduct an event debriefing is by having a good skeleton framework with which to begin the discussion. If you handled the entire event alone you can have this conversation in your head but if you worked with others, if vendors or session leaders were involved, if anyone else who was in attendance had an opinion different from yours, you need to conduct a debriefing. This event debrief template could be a useful starting point for you.

1. Review the Highlights

   This helps everyone focus on the positive before moving along to constructive criticism. Let people call out a few stars of the event and allow those team members to bask in the appreciation. While you’re blowing some sunshine around ask if there is room for improvement. If so, how? If not, why? For instance, you may be at near 100% attendance with your members and improving attendance could only be done through improving member recruitment.

2. What Areas Can Be Improved Next Year?

   Make sure you incorporate specific and general areas of improvement. For instance, “the food could have more variety” and “We need a different caterer to satisfy our audience.” It’s okay in the highlights and improvement reviews to voice opinions. Don’t look for statistical proof that you need a new caterer.

3. Get Personal

   Ask the team members if they felt like expectations were clearly conveyed before, during, and after the event. Why or why not?

4. What Did We Hear?

   Word of mouth is extremely important to an event’s success. Leave room to discuss what your team “overheard.” Make sure your social media person is involved in this part of the discussion.

5. Present Audience Feedback

   If you’ve had time to collect audience feedback, break it up into the same areas you have on your template and present the highlights. Enjoy the positive and use it to brainstorm ways to become even better next time. Then read what the audience viewed as areas for improvement. Take some time to talk amongst your team on how you could improve the attendee’s experience in that area at the next event.

6. Technology Review

   Make sure you also take the time to assess the use of technology in your event. This area if changing so rapidly that every event needs to assess how it used event technology and how it could improve its use. Did it work correctly and help you accomplish your event goals? Was it easily adopted? If not, could you have facilitated that process better or was the user experience lacking?

In Conclusion

At no point should an event planner feel that they don’t need to review an event. It doesn’t matter how long they’ve been in business or how many times they’ve hosted an event like it. In today’s world where personalization is becoming more and more important, you should never lump all events into one category. Each deserves its own debrief. Believing they are all the same is the kind of thinking that will eventually render you extinct in this industry.

Engagement keeps attendees coming back, right? And that adds to the pressure of needing to create more interactive sessions. So what do you do when group interaction isn’t living up to your expectations? Here are a few ways to increase engagement and interaction in your breakout sessions.

Most event planners these days long for interactive sessions that engage their audience in dynamic ways. But interaction is a two-way street – just like conversation. The audience has to play along as much as the session leaders need to give them the opportunity to do so. If your group interaction isn’t what you’ve been hoping for, you can make it better by taking a more in-depth look into several factors that could be impeding it.

Reasons People Don’t Interact

Understanding why a group doesn’t interact is important to turning it all around. Here are some of the most common reasons groups fail to thrive:

• Your group members feel too self-conscious to share.
• They simply aren’t interested in the topic or the question.
• They have no experience to share.
• They don’t understand the expectations, roles, or assignment.
• There’s a barrier to communication.
• They aren’t paying attention.
• Your event is too early in the morning and they were out too late last night.
• They’re simply not invested in the outcome.

So how do you turn it around? How do you ensure more people participate in your sessions?

13 Ways to Improve Group Interaction During Breakout Sessions:

For increased group interaction at your event it’s important to establish or maximize several things early on.

8. Facilitate Introductions

   There’s a reason most group sharing is held until the end of the session and that’s because it gives people time to feel comfortable in their surroundings and with their group. But achieving that early on can mean more meaningful, prolonged exchange. But how do you do that?
   Make people feel welcome and encourage discussion early on. Don’t request quiet. Encourage the noise of sharing from the moment they walk in the door. Facilitators should greet people and immediately begin asking them open-ended, conversation-starting questions. The event is always a safe topic but they could also ask questions about the host city and whether this is the attendee’s first time there. If people know discussion is valued, they’re more likely to become a part of it.
   You want to create an energy that is so infectious that people are bubbling with ideas. Leaders can also encourage people to get to know a little about one another by using a few funny ice-breakers.

9. Improve the Event Ethos

   While you’re at it, the best way to encourage participation in sessions is to create an entire event around participatory practices. If you want more interaction in groups, you want to create an ethos of interaction throughout your larger event. Otherwise, it feels very compartmentalized. This is where you share. This is where you listen. Those types of edicts don’t improve interaction. They limit it and make interaction feel like it’s something largely inappropriate that needs to be reined in. Try adding some of these participatory activities to set the stage for interaction in your sessions.

10. Recognize the Introverts

    Introverts can make extraordinary leaders and conversationalists when they enjoy the topic at hand. If they don’t, they often feel drained by the whole experience. Be cognizant that as many as half of your audience could fall into this category. Forced group interaction is low on their list of interests. This means you have two options:

    • Market the session as highly interactive so that individuals who do not enjoy group work will decide to participate in something else or
    • Ask your introverts to identify themselves as such and proceed from there.

    If you decide to go with the second option ask everyone to identify themselves as introverts, extroverts, or ambiverts. With that knowledge of people identified as such, ask them to break into groups. Note where the introverts go. Do they stick with one another or surround themselves with extroverts? Switch up the groups mid-way through and see how it affects the discussions.

11. Limit Choice

    Friends sit together. People who come to events together sit together. It’s just that simple. And while they may feel extremely comfortable sharing with one another, they may also not feel the need to stay on topic or they may accidentally alienate other members of the group because of their closeness.
    Sometimes for the sake of interaction, you need to bust up the cliques and assign groups. You can do this by having them count off a number and then asking them to report to the table of the corresponding number. That way you’re assured people sitting next to each other won’t end up in the same group. You can also simply rearrange people to balance out some of the groups.

12. Choose Topics of Interest

    Sometimes people don’t interact to the extent you were hoping for because they simply have no interest in the topic of the discussion. In order to avoid these types of situations, you can create areas of discussion focused around different topics along the same theme and have people select which one appeals to them.
    The upside of this process is that people are engaged from the beginning. They’re not being told what to talk about. They’re asked what they’re interested in. The downside is that, conceivably, everyone could select the same group. If that’s the case, you could break down that large group into smaller ones so that discussion will flow more freely.

13. Set the Tone

    Earlier, I mentioned encouraging discussion from the beginning. As a continuation of that, it’s also important to set the tone in the session. For instance, if the leader begins by covering a few concepts or strategies, it’s important during this learning time that interaction is still valued.
    A concept should be presented and discussion should occur through probing questions like, “has anyone found this to be true?” or “who thinks I’m full of malarkey?” This sets the tone and people quickly understand that concepts are best explored not preached for maximum interaction.

In Conclusion

Boasting about interactive sessions at your event isn’t enough to actually get people participating. You need to create and nurture the right environment and encourage discussion under an explorer type leader. Asking questions is a good start but you need much more than that. Interaction must be an underlying theme of your event if your goal is meaningful exchange.