Organising a function or event for the first time can be a intimidating prospect with so many details to take into account. But whether it’s a gala dinner, a charity fundraiser, an exhibition, a corporate event, or a golf tournament, a little hard work and detailed planning is all you need to make your function or event a success.

Budget your time

Start planning your event well in advance to make sure you give yourself enough time to organise everything. You might need a lead time of at least six months to take care of booking the venue, caterers and any entertainment, or photographers.

To start with, set the date for your function and put together a budget. It’s impossible to plan an event without knowing what resources you have to work with. Make sure you account for all possible expenses (like venue hire, deposits, catering, marketing expenses, etc.), and factor in income and sponsors as well (depending on the type of event).

Decisions, decisions…

When considering venues and negotiating the price, you should consider the following:

• Venue capacity – how many people can the hall/room/table take? Is there enough space for tables and chairs, or a dance floor, if the function requires them?
• Catering – will the venue provide the food, or will you need to bring in outside caterers?
• Service – will the venue serve your guests, or will you need to hire bartenders and waitrons?
• Crockery – does the venue provide everything or will you need to rent crockery, glasses, bar equipment, or kitchen equipment?
• Timing – does the venue have specified times that your function or event will have to abide by?
• Lighting – a function and night may require special lighting.
• Air conditioning – what will the weather be like during that time. Will you require air conditioning if it’s an indoor event?
• Electronic equipment – will you require sound and wiring, microphones, speakers, computers, or projectors?
• Furniture – will the venue provide everything you need in terms of chairs, tables, or podiums?
• Entertainment – will the venue make allowances for live entertainment?
• Decor – will you need to organise backdrops, table cloths, flower arrangements, or the like?
• Power – does the venue have a backup generator in case of a power outage?
• Accessibility – is the venue easy to find? Is there provision for people with disability? Is there ample provision for parking and toilet facilities?
• Staff – does the venue provide security and cleaners or will you have to hire your own?
• Cancellation fee – does the venue charge if you cancel your event?

Shop around for different venues, and speak to each venue’s coordinator to brainstorm any potential problems that may crop up at the venue. It pays to think ahead so there are no surprises.

Inviting guests

Who will your guests be and how will you let them know about your event? Will you send a personal invitation, or use advertising and promotion to get people there? In the case of invitations, you’ll need to look into design, printing, addressing and postage, and give yourself enough time to send these out and receive responses.

In the case of marketing your event, depending on its size, you may want to look into press releases, brochures, flyers, media advertisements, sponsorships, and even inviting journalists and photographers. If you’re selling tickets, you may want to contract your local paper or radio station to get the word out.

Keeping track

In order to keep track of your event and your planning progress, you should document the following:

• Budget – what you’ve spent and what expenses still need to be covered.
• Schedule – what needs to happen when during your function.
• RSVPs – who has responded to invitations and who hasn’t, or the number of people who have bought tickets.
• Work allocation – who is responsible for what in the buildup to the event, and on the day.
• Contacts – the contact numbers of everyone involved in the organising and planning.
• Checklist – of everything that has been completed, or is still to be completed.
• Seating plan – if guests are to be seated, make sure that not only do you know where everyone will be seated, but that it’s prominently displayed on the day for guests as well.

Other considerations

Make sure you put together a good team with different skill sets to help get things done. Delegates tasks to people you trust to get on with the job. When you’re outsourcing responsibilities, you don’t want to have to be constantly supervising what everyone else is doing if you have your own responsibilities.

When it comes to deciding on a menu, make sure your guests have choices, including a vegetarian option, and one or two child-friendly items. It might be an idea to find out about special dietary requirements. You’ll also want to make sure that you’ve catered the right amount of food – you don’t want your guests going hungry!

If your function or event requires entertainment, whether it’s a live band, a DJ, or a performance, make sure you’ve considered sound, space, and the appropriateness of the entertainment not only for the theme of the event, but also for the guests.

Successful planning

They say practice makes perfect, but we say it’s all in the planning! Make sure you think of everything, and you’ll have nothing to worry about – your event is sure to be a roaring success.