Juggling multiple events with different deadlines and requirements is challenging. I had missed a deadline or had to pay extra for electricity before I found my system. Here are the top 4 things that I do to keep my events organized and on time.
1.Cover Page and Notes
I have a cover page for each event that I do. I have created an adobe form template that allows me to track where I am in the process and the deadlines for each event. I was organizing over 100 trade shows year at one point but all were 10 x 10 or tables. This allowed me to systemize my cover letter and help me know what was going on with each at a glance. You can see my trade show cover letter here.
I used Adobe forms because it allowed me to input information without having to reformat the page every time. This does require the full version of Adobe Acrobat. If you do not have that, excel or number should work.
This cover letter lets my team members know what is happening with an event at a glance. It also allowed me to have a quick historical guide in one place.
Most events you can create a basic cover letter and then use an extensive notes section to cover the details.
2. Folders
I keep everything that I get for an event in digital folders. These folders are in date order and completed events are archived to another folder. This allows me to access all of the information I need in one place. I PDF emails, scan in contracts, add pictures, and keep post event surveys in this folder. This allows every team member to know what is happening should you be out of the office and keeps you from sorting through the hundreds of emails you have saved. I save everything in the naming convention of date-category-description. You will figure out what system works best for you.
3. Color-Coded Calendar
My calendar looks like a kindergarten classroom walls. I keep things color coded to allow me to recognize at a glance what needs to be done that month, week, and day. Events are purple, tailgates are red, trade shows are green, personal items are blue, marketing materials are yellow. I use lighter shades of these colors to indicate deadlines.
4. Calendar at a Glance
I keep a one-page yearly calendar that I have my major events color coded in. The codes match the above codes. I hang this above my phone next to my computer. It allows me to know at a glance if I have upcoming events, what kind, and what I should be focusing on.
Putting it All Together
It can seem time consuming to start but the time it saves in looking for that piece of paper or email more than makes up for it.
For Trade Show A, I make a folder and create a cover page for it. I go through the exhibitor package and note all deadlines on the cover page, noting any special circumstances that are stated in it.
I will often fill out the forms I know I will need (electricity, carpet, etc.) right then.
I then save the approval/ request for the show in the folder along with the cover letter. (Side note: I always use the character ( ‘ ) at the beginning of the cover page name so it sits at the top of the file structure.) I then take the cover letter and put the event and all deadlines on my calendar. I subtract a week from each deadline to ensure that I am never late and add a reminder on that calendar event.
I then pull up my Calendar at a Glance and add the event to the calendar and reprint it.
As I get emails and other communication in from the events those are saved to the folder and notes are placed on the cover page.
Let me know your tips and tricks for keeping your events straight.
Accepting help is something that I can have a problem with – especially for setting up an event. I have my process and it can feel easier to just handle items rather than explain them. My current trade show booths are 10 x 20 or smaller and often require only one person for setup. But, I have a group of sales people who will offer to help. So I have created the below flowchart to help me decide when to accept their help.
Once I have a good group of people who are willing to help and have proven themselves, I will ask for their help and cut my time in half.
Never be afraid of help, but always weigh the time cost-benefit of explaining what needs to be done, and if the people helping will accept your direction.
My nightmares are not about things chasing me, they are about typo’s in programs, seating charts that are wrong, and fuses blowing at just the wrong moment. Mistakes happen at events, it is a rule. It is the basis for this whole blog. Here are some tips for getting through them.
Stay Calm
You will not get the problem fixed if you are freaking out. You can do that after the event is over. Take a few deep breaths, shove your worry/ anger/ angst to the side and see the problem for what it is.
Break the Problem Down into Small Parts
I have planned many events where not every RSVP’ed and then decided to show up – or the RSVP’s were never sent through the organization. My sit down, assigned seat dinner did not have enough tables and the award winners were not sitting the award sponsors. I had another table pulled out and the extra centerpiece that I always have. A few people were willing to move to allow the award winners to sit at their sponsor’s table.
This seems simple because it was. Step 1: Always have extra decorations. Step 2: Make sure we had enough seats for everyone. Step 3: Quietly ask for assistance and offer a free drink or other compensation to those you are inconveniencing.
Focus on what you can fix first, work around what you cannot.
Example – Bad Graphic – Can we get another one? If No, what can we put in front of it to hide it?
Follow Up After the Event
Was this mistake a vendor problem or an internal one?
If it was a Vendor problem, speak with them, ask them how we can ensure that this does not happen again. I have had a vendor mess up and show no remorse or concern for how it affected my event. At that extreme, I told them that I would pay them 50% of their invoice and cancel all further orders. This is a rare occurrence but if you are not being treated fairly, be ready to find another vendor.
If this was an internal mistake, see where the break down happened and what process and checks can be put in place so it does not happen again. Make notes and set the new processes in place.
Move Forward
This is the hardest piece of advice to follow but the most necessary. If something goes wrong at one of my events, it is ultimately my responsibility and I take mistakes hard. I have learned to think of them as challenges. After a challenge, sit down and look at all that went right with the event. I would bet that 80% of the event was right and most of the guests did not even notice the 20% that went wrong.
Don’t believe me? Do an internal survey.
How many people actually noticed the issue or remembered what happened?
Mistakes happen. We are not perfect. Perfection in our eyes is unattainable, what we are searching for is perfection in the eyes of the guests. If they are happy and have no idea that mistakes happened – then we did our job perfectly.
The Saturday before Christmas I sat down and wrote out my shopping list. I am a firm believer in lists. They keep me on track and ensure that I get 99% of what I need in one trip. (Be honest, do you ever get everything that first trip) Shopping was the easy part and my total came in under what I had expected thanks to some deal hunting and that I was buying lots of items but in small increments.
I then sat down and worked out the timeline of how I am going to ensure that everything is cooked properly and warm when it hits the table. This is when I realized that dinner was going to take 3 hours and my family was not going to handle that well. I pulled out Course #5 (sad because I purchased some great metal chopsticks for that course) and removed the games. I will be running around but I am still excited for the dinner.
I had to work the morning of Christmas Eve – which meant that I had to enlist the help of my family for some of the prep cook and defrosting.
I set the table on Sunday because a good table is the perfect way to start the meal.
You can see the short video below with the explanation of how and why I put everything together.
I know the flatware is not in its normal order but it works in the order of the courses that are being served.
This year I wanted to take some stress of the holidays off my mom and offered to make Christmas Dinner. We have a few immutable traditions that cannot be changed but dinner is something we can have fun with.
Planning
This year I decided that I wanted to do something different for Christmas Dinner and the best way to make that happen was to offer to cook it myself. With a fluid total of 8 – 10 people it would not be a large meal but I wanted to make it special while shaking up the normal dinner fare.
I landed on the idea of a “Tasting Party”. I have a great set of mini dishes that will work perfectly.
My first step was deciding on the menu. I wrote a list of everything that I wanted to make and then broke them down into categories. You can see my notes and the final menu below.
I settled on 5 courses at first but Pinterest lulled me into adding a 6th course.
Course #1 – Danish Christmas Rice. This is a tradition that cannot be changed. I would not live through Christmas Eve if I tried.
Course #2 – Seafood Course
Shrimp Cocktails
Smoked Salmon Roses
Shrimp Rosemary Skewers
Smoked Oyster Crostini
Course #3 – Cheese and Pasta
Mini Baked Brie Bites with Crackers
Crescent Pizza Rolls
Mac n Cheese Bites
Caprese Pasta Shells
Baked Ravioli Bites
Course #4 – Meat and Veggies
Pork Chop Bites with Red Cabbage
Pork Chop Bite with Calvados Apples
Mini Beef Wellingtons with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Baked Veggie Medley
Course #5 – Asian Flare
Eggrolls
Potstickers
Asian Meatball with Rice
Seaweed Salad
Course #6 – Taste of the South
Chicken and Waffles
Cornbread and Chili
Pretzel Bites and Queso
Chicken Wings with Two Dipping Sauces
This was ambitious but I knew that I was only making 8 – 10 of everything and I believed could pull it off. I knew I needed more time between courses and something to amuse the other dinners while I prepped the next course (because I want to eat at the table as well). I settled on putting together some games and prizes that people could play in between. This idea was scrapped when it became only 8 people.
