Planning a Big Event? Here’s What You Need to Know

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As we head into summer, hosting events is on the rise — from personal events like Fourth of July parties, to business events like outdoor mixers and company barbecues. And hey, don’t forget about wedding season! From location, to vendors, to day-of staff, to safety requirements, insurance and beyond, there’s quite a lot to consider when preparing for your event.

For all events, thoughtful planning is key to ensuring a fun (and safe) time for everyone. By planning with a team well in advance and using your budget wisely, event planning can feel seamless. Read on to learn more about the common logistics to consider when planning a big event, as well as the benefits of using Event insurance for your next large gathering.

Pre-Planning: Goals, Timeline & Budget

A major aspect of planning any event happens long before your guests set foot in your venue. The pre-planning phase is crucial to your event’s success, as it’s during this time that you (and your team, if you’re working with one) will establish your key goals, your overall timeline, and your budget.

Your goal should inform the overall nature of your event, which can be especially helpful for business events like offsite team-building activities or networking mixers. If the goal is to bond more as a company, or meet others in your field, you’ll want to design every aspect of your event to facilitate this goal. Other events, like a wedding, or a play, or a large summer barbecue, will be more straightforward!

Using Logistics to Inform Venue & Vendors

Once you have your party parameters set in stone, you can begin to build out important aspects like location and vendors. Your timeline and budget will keep you in line as you make decisions. Hopefully, you’re getting started with plenty of time to identify and research vendors and venues, as reading reviews can be important in ensuring that you’re making the right choice.

However, there may be aspects to both your timeline and budget that you’ll need to compromise on. Establish these weak areas early on so you know what to expect as you move forward in your planning phase — otherwise you’ll waste time, say, looking at venues that are way out of your budget, or underestimating the amount of food that you need. Nobody wants to be hungry at the end of the night!

Your earlier planning phase can also help inform decisions related to alcohol, for instance. If you’re throwing a workplace event, you may need to budget for rideshare services, or limit the amount and type of alcohol served based on company policy. Conversely, if you’re hosting a wedding, perhaps you want to choose a venue that handles food and alcohol in its own prepaid package.

Getting Close: Walkthrough and Event Insurance

As your event draws nearer, you should have the option to conduct a walkthrough of your venue. This will allow you to not only envision your party in the space, but check for safety concerns, like ADA compliance, and see if there are any areas in which you may need to hire additional outside help. Especially in the summer months, you’ll want to see if the venue is prepared for comfortable temperatures!

Another way to ensure your (or your that of your insureds) event runs smoothly? Event insurance! Insurers like ISC provide coverage for everything from concerts to weddings to business meetings, with no attendance maximum. Event insurance can give you the ultimate peace of mind in case something goes awry (despite your careful planning). After all, despite your best planning, there are times when vendors (and guests) can act irresponsibly, or when true accidents occur.

Enjoy the Party!

The best part about thoughtful planning and budgeting is that by the time your event occurs, you’ll be able to fully enjoy the fruits of your labor! Though planning any type of large event can be time-consuming, working with a team can significantly ease the stress — and starting well in advance also makes the process easier. Plus, choosing the right Event insurance can eliminate any final worries, so that you’re able to join the fun knowing that you’re covered.