Stages of event management
Event management has emerged as a serious business over the last few years. Even the COVID 19 pandemic could not dampen the excitement as everyone wants to enjoy their lives fully and when they are organizing an event, they want their guests to enjoy it thoroughly. That is possible when you hire a reliable event management company in Jaipur like Le Magnifique. Let’s look into the details of the stages of event management-
1. Planning phase
Before planning any event, as a client you should always know what exactly you are looking for. You should know about the theme, budget, guest list etc. and convey the same to your event planner.
Le Magnifique being one of the best event planners will take your inputs and then share the pictures of the theme which they come up with for your event. They will start negotiating with the vendors for catering, decoration etc. to ensure that you get the best possible deal.
If you are planning for a wedding for your child, they will take the inputs from the would-be bride or groom about their preferences. They will be a part of the pre-wedding photo shoot along with their partner and the venue for the event will be as per their choice. There will be stylists and designers available to help them with the shopping for the wedding. On the day of the photo shoot, sangeet, mehandi and the big wedding day, our stylists will get them ready for the event. There will be many other stylists available to help other people in the family and guest list for getting dressed for the respective events.
2. Designing phase
This is the most crucial phase of the event planning process. Our Le Magnifique event planners will work on the minutest detail for the final event. They will keep you involved during the entire design phase. The success or failure of any event pretty much depends on this phase.
If you are planning for a corporate event, the inputs from the HR team of the organization will be taken. Our planners will design the sets using auto-cad and other software and show the same to you for approval. During this phase as a client, do not hesitate to share your feedback and suggest changes. Whatever is finalized at this phase will be executed on the final day.
The invitation to attendees will be sent during this phase. If you have clients/business heads coming from other cities and countries, then the flight and train tickets will be booked to ensure that they do not face any issues to reach the destination. Their hotel room bookings too will be completed during this phase.
3. Execution phase
Normally for a wedding, this phase starts about a week before the final wedding day. For a birthday party or corporate event it takes about two to three days to decorate the venue and get it ready for the D-Day.
If it is a corporate event, the games and other events would have been finalized after discussing with the members of the Human Resources team. All the props and materials needed for the event will reach there at least one day before the final day. The menu would have already been finalized during the design phase and the chefs would come to the venue along with their respective teams and start with the preparations at least one day before the event.
If you have requested for ready-made catered food to reach the venue, then those arrangements too will be completed. The table, crockery, cutlery will be laid as per the approved design and the chairs and all the arrangements will be made according to the dining plan. The musicians and DJs too will be at the venue and set up their stage for the final event.
Role and responsibilities of an event management company
Any good event management company first should need to have extensive sessions with the prospective clients to understand their goals behind the event. They should also know about the event’s audience so that they are prepared for the ways to handle them. After that they need plan for the event and present the designs for the event for approval. As discussed above, the final phase will be executing.
However, the nature of these phases and method of conducting may differ from one event to other. Planning for a mehandi ceremony will be different from a corporate event. Along with it, there are many other roles and responsibilities of an event management company-
1. Logistics for the guests
For a big event like a wedding, the event management company needs to seamlessly plan for picking up the guests from the airport/railway station and ensure that they settle down in their hotel rooms comfortably. They need to ensure that they are informed about the arrangements for their meals, beauty regime, planning for their participation in the cultural activities etc.
2. Safety and security of the guests and the family members of the client
In a wedding venue, the bride and the guests will wear expensive jewellery. There should be ample security arrangements and provision for CCTV cameras etc. If it is being organized in a hotel campus, the event management company should liaison with the hotel staff to check if these arrangements are in place.
There should be fire safety measures in place as in Indian weddings; the ceremonies include lighting fire for the wedding vows. Since there will be a lot of flammable items like thermocol, cardboard, plastic, balloons etc. used to decorate the venue, the event planning team should know what needs to be done in case of an unfortunate situation of fire.
Only people whose names are there in the guest list should be allowed to enter after checking their identification. Their belongings should be checked with metal detectors and scanners to ensure no one is carrying any firearms or bombs. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
3. Managing an effective event marketing campaign
If it is a corporate event which involves the launch of a product, the event management company should be ready with the banners and other marketing materials. If they were requested to launch online marketing campaigns, send push mails, post materials on social media pages of the company, the event managers should be able to handle it properly.
4. Sending SMS communications to attendees when needed
For corporate events, the companies expect the event management companies to send SMS reminders to the participants regarding the date, time and venue of the event. There should be relevant information about the do’s and don’ts and parking information should be sent to the attendees via SMS. In case, there is a last minute venue change, that information too should be sent via SMSes.
5. Handling registrations
If the event requires on-spot registrations, the event managers need to handle that. For many cross-country races, triathlons etc. participants often register at the venue. They should be provided with the event badges at the venue. They should be educated about the rules of the game too.
6. Arranging for first-aid kit and medical emergency facilities
In case of any event which involves participation from more than hundred individuals, the event management company should arrange for an ambulance in case of any medical emergency. There should be first-aid boxes and feminine hygiene products available at all important checkpoints.
7. Post-event communication, reporting and analysis
Some events like educational seminars, enrolment for courses etc. happen after the event. The event manager should be able to create a rapport with the participants and should be able to register them for the course/education program.
If there is a need to do any reporting after the event, the event managers need to do it. Sending the pictures of the event to the clients as hardcopies or softcopies as requested is a part of the job of an event manager.
Some companies expect the event managers to send personalized thank you notes, or presents for attending. The event manager should be able to handle that. If the client expects you to collect feedback surveys for the event, you need to do the needful.
Important Points for Hiring an Event Management Company
Before hiring an event management company, you should check the following items-
1. Credibility
Check with the clients and guests of the previous events which this company has handled on a first-hand basis. That will give you an idea about the credibility of the company. If you want to give an opportunity to newcomers, allow them to arrange a small event first before you decide to give bigger contracts for them to execute.
2. Sticking to the budget
Many event management companies give a different estimate during the planning and designing phase and present a different invoice later. You need to check the track record of the company to ensure that they did not go over the budget by more than 5% in their previous events.
3. Creativity
Everyone wants their event to be unique. When you are choosing the theme for your event, check the creativity of your event managers and see how differently they can organize and decorate a venue. Some event companies have creative artists who can create ‘’best out of waste’’ and reduce the decoration costs a lot.
Benefits of Hiring an Event Management Company
If you want to organize a stress-free event, leave it to the experts.
- The company or the family members can have a stress-free time and enjoy the event wherein the hard work will be put in by the event planners.
- Since they are experts in this field, they will have connections with the flower vendors, beauticians, caterers etc. and they can negotiate a better deal on your behalf.
- Reputed event management companies often have connections with the celebrities. If you want a Bollywood actor to be present at your daughter’s wedding, that can be made possible. Often the celebrity managers do not entertain individuals if they go with this request, however with the help of an event management company, that will be possible.