Event Planner Summer Survival Tips

Beautiful events that wow guests with hot summer trends don’t happen overnight. Though it may seem glamourous, event planning can be incredibly demanding. According to Forbes, event planners have the fifth most stressful job in America.

With warm weather on the horizon and beautiful evenings best spent sharing and gathering, summer can be the busiest time for event planners. These tips can help you survive your hectic summer schedule.

·       Lock in your orders early. The further out you plan, the better. This will save you headaches down the road when you’re trying to execute several events in a row. Inventory, labor and trucking availability are all finite resources than can quickly be depleted in the busy season. Planning early ensures your event will have the support and equipment you need available to you when you need it.

·       Be clear. Set expectations with your clients about the installation process. Give specific times that include a window for arrival for your vendors and the expected time that they will be complete with their tasks. Communicate your time frames to all involved and take into consideration loading dock space for events with multiple delivery vendors and sharing of other resources like ladders or forklifts.    

·       Be flexible. Often during the busy season, the availability of labor and trucking is a challenge. While some venues have strict delivery and pickup times they adhere to, a private residence will usually have more flexibility in the days leading up to the event for the install and strike of the equipment. Allowing for that flexibility can help ensure that you receive the right level of support for your event.

·       Exchange contact information for events occurring after business hours. Many events can occur later in the day after business hours have ended. Make sure your team is fully prepared for anything that can happen after hours by having a good contact number for each partner. Share the phone number of the best venue contact with all relevant parties as well.

·       Don’t forget the pickup! Make sure you get all the information you need from your client about the pickup before the event. The details can vary greatly pre- and post-event. For example, there may be a different person to contact about the pickup than the drop off and you’ll need to know where the equipment will be located. Clients can be tough to track during and after an event, so having all this information before your event makes the day after seamless. 

The summer can be stressful for event planners but is also an amazing opportunity to create beautiful events for clients and show them what you can do. Make the most of this season by being intentional and direct with client interactions and planning as much as you can as far out as possible. Work with a reputable rental company who can bring an experienced team of experts. With more than 50 years of experience, CORT Party Rental specializes in tenting, seating, tableware, décor and more. To learn more about CORT’s exhibit and event rental collections or its Social Tables integration, visit www.cortevents.com.

Kevin Dana is executive director of marketing and product development at CORT Trade Show & Event Furnishings. To learn more about CORT’s exhibit and event rental collections or its Social Tables integration, visit www.cortevents.com