What Do We Need for Better Event Planning?
I’ve been in the event planning business for about 20 years. Over that time, I’ve produced dozens of events, attended hundreds, and studied thousands. Too often, the result for attendees is just an “okay” experience, while event organizers overspend and waste resources. Why? Because of poor planning or a failure to communicate the plan effectively.
We need better events—better for the guests and better for the organizers. To achieve that, we need better event planning. When you plan well, you save time, cut costs, and deliver a smooth event. This not only ensures happier attendees but also a better return on investment for organizers.
A good event plan saves you time and money. As Dale Carnegie said, “An hour of planning can save you ten hours of doing.” That’s exactly what we aim for in event management.
What Makes a Great Event Plan?
To be effective, event plans need to be:
Simple to create and understand
Detailed enough to cover all important aspects
Easy to share and reuse for future events
Let’s break that down:
Simplicity
While events can seem complex, they can be broken into basic parts: the why (purpose), the what (content), and the how(processes). Event planning is about deciding these things in advance. So, your plan doesn’t need to be overly complicated—it just needs to cover these essentials.
Easy to Review
Former US President Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “Plans are useless, but planning is everything.” Events are dynamic, so plans need to be flexible. They should be easy to review and update without having to start from scratch every time. Long documents and spreadsheets are hard to share and keep up-to-date, so choose tools that make your plan clear and adaptable.
Details Matter
The difference between a good event and a great one is often in the details. A detailed plan helps you exceed customer expectations, which is key to making your event successful and profitable. Focus on planning out every part of the customer experience.
Always Improve
No event plan is perfect the first time. That’s why your plan should be easy to review after each event, allowing you to tweak what didn’t work and improve for the next time. Don’t reinvent the wheel—just make small improvements where needed.
My Solution: The Bonacube App
Over the years, I struggled to find an event planning tool that did everything I needed. So, I created my own—Bonacube App. It’s designed to save you time by turning one hour of planning into ten hours of saved work. Here’s what it can do:
Manage all the resources (venues, staff, products, services) you need for your event.
Design every part of the event experience in detail.
Create a production plan that combines the why, what, and how of your event.
Track plans and costs against your event budget.
Share plans with your team for collaborative event management.
Deliver tasks to your project management tools (like Monday or Project).
Monitor the progress of your planning work.
Review the event after it’s over and adjust the plan for future events.
If you want to improve your event planning process, check out Bonacube here: http://www.bonacube.com.