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Organizing events is a great way to attract attention
from the public and expand your social or corporate network. An
event can be anything from a quiet party for a select few to a job
fair to a corporate forum. Depending on what you aim to accomplish,
an event can take a variety of formats: conference, workshop, fun
run, vigil, and any other creative ideas.
The first important thing in
organizing an event is to build a central idea and make it work.
What the event will be about must be significant enough to entice
people to come. Because a good event idea would not be good at all
if nobody shows up.
Leaders or managers who initiated
the event and have the passion for it, convey your idea in such a
way that people will be in one with your vision. The point is not
merely to inform but also to connect. Events are not run by one
man—but by many who believe in them and are happily working for
their success.
An event is an effective channel
to advance a cause, build up an issue, educate people or introduce
something new. It provides a venue for people to gather, speak up
and push them into action. It can also be created for a specific
objective such as job fairs and music competition.
Anyone can want to stage an
event. But not everyone who does it has been successful. Plan out
and evaluate your strategies before you begin.
To begin, set your goals. What is
your purpose in organizing an event? Is it substantial enough to
merit the time and money you will spend for it? Is it interesting
enough to encourage people to participate? What do you want to
accomplish with this event? Organizing an event is no easy task so
take time to research.
Once you have specified your
targets, then it’s time to lay down the specifics. Don’t do it
alone. Establish an organizing committee who will do the logistics.
Discuss your objectives with the members of this committee, come up
with a master plan and set the date. Remember to allow enough time
for planning. Delegate tasks to avoid job duplications that can
result in “disorganization.”
Design your event. Given your
budget and funding, consider your goals and the people you are going
to invite when choosing the format of your event. If your goal is to
educate, you can create workshops or speaking fora. Invite
well-known persons who are in authority to speak about the subjects.
Study how you would like your message to be conveyed. Frame it in
such a way that it will not bore the participants. A very long
speech, regardless of the relevance or importance of topics, will
make people’s minds wander. Make way for participation and
interaction.
Choose the location that fits the
kind of event you are going to hold. Consider capacity and
accessibility. Hold your event in a place close to the persons you
are going to invite. Secure permits and other requirements, if these
are needed, way in advance.
Create a publicity plan. How do
you plan to publicize your event? If budget is not an issue, place
an advertisement in newspapers and magazines weeks before the event.
Otherwise, you can take advantage of other media that will not
require huge amount of money. Use the Internet, and an email blast
can surely help to increase awareness.
Check out the little details.
Everything must be in order. Plan the program. Set the registration
table. Coordinate carefully with food suppliers, and souvenirs if
any.
Remember to do your postmortems.
Take time to evaluate the event afterwards. Did you accomplish your
goals? Were you able to receive a positive feedback? Was it worth
it? Identify what worked and what didn’t. At the end of the day,
do not forget to appreciate your team’s effort and celebrate your
little successes.
[Jayjay Viray is the Country
Manager of JobsDB Phils, Inc. For more opportunities, log on to www.jobsdb.com.ph
. For comments, e-mail feedback@jobsdb.com.ph.]
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