1. Relying on a Binder
Go paperless! Seriously, the days of the binder are long gone. Take advantage of apps like Evernote and Google Drive, not to mention digital registration platforms.
2. Trash-Talking Millennials
Regardless of whether you feel like millennials are ruining the world or making it a better place one nonprofit startup at a time, they will be the dominant global travel consumer by next year, according to Marriott International. (Not 10 years from today, 10 months from today.) That means millennials want to be invited to your event, and once they get there, they need to feel like it was worth their time so they come back. Instead of tuning them out, tune in to what they’re looking for and find ways to incorporate their hopes into your planning.
3. Glorifying Busyness
Being an event planner is hard, tedious, time-consuming and all-encompassing. But over the next few weeks, try to answer the question “How are you?” with something other than “Busy, but good.” You don’t have to bare your soul to everyone you talk to, but make sure you’re making space in your life for things outside of work that give you joy.
4. Forgoing the Post-Con
You can absolutely nail an event, and think you don’t need a post-con meeting with your team. But keep in mind not every follow-up meeting has to break down everything that went wrong. Give your team the chance to talk about what went well, what didn’t and, as their leader, give a few high-fives and pats on the back to those who deserve it. Don’t do the event 98 percent of the way through.
5. Staying the Same
Your event probably won’t survive if you’re afraid of change. Not every aspect of your event has to be modified year to year, but keep your ear to the ground and assess current trends. If something new comes up that may work for your attendees, don’t be afraid to try it on a small scale and see how it goes.
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