Whether it’s a large family reunion, a high school reunion, a company gathering, or a nationwide conference, hosting an event can be stressful and time-consuming. However, there are ways to reduce these issues, including the three below.
Start Early
Hosting and planning an event is stressful enough, but it can be much worse when you have to do it in a short timeframe. Save yourself some headaches by starting as early as you can.
Make a list of everything you need to do and decide. Then, spread those tasks out in a planner so that you can complete a few things each week until your event occurs. Breaking your large event down into small steps is an important first step to success.
Delegate
Just because you are in charge of the planning and hosting doesn’t mean you have to do it all on your own. Instead, take a look at your list. Mark the things that you absolutely have to handle on your own. Then, enlist the help of others to complete the remaining tasks.
You can do this with the help of coworkers, family, or friends, depending on the type of event you are managing. Or you can consider outsourcing to a virtual assistant for a small investment. They are skilled at handling administrative tasks and much more, which can save you a great deal of time.
Automate When Possible
Another great time and stress saver is automation, and a great automation tool for this purpose is event registration. The best online event registration tools will handle most of the work for you by:
- Building a database of attendees that you can use for future events.
- Having event attendees enter their own information, including their travel information and any special accommodations they need.
- Secure any registration fees.
- Managing email confirmations.
Through online registration, your attendees get an easy sign-up process while preventing you or your team from having to answer a million phone calls. It also means you don’t have to worry about paper invitations, envelopes, postage, or any other costs associated with mailing.
Additionally, since it’s all automated and streamlined, it reduces the time and labor costs of managing such tasks. And, in many cases, you only have to pay for the application once – not every time you host an event.
While these tips won’t take away all of the chaos related to hosting an event, they can definitely minimize it. And often, starting with a few time-saving tips can help you pinpoint other ways to ease the process.
