First Time Event Organiser Mistakes To Avoid

Whether you’re a first time event organiser or an experienced pro, planning an event can be a daunting task. It can seem very overwhelming and almost impossible to envision the end product when you are first gathering ideas. However, there’s no feeling quite like organising your first event and seeing your vision successfully comes to life.

Keep reading to discover 5 mistakes to avoid as a first time event organiser.

Not outlining a goal and purpose for your event

The best place to start when planning your first event is to outline its goal (what you wish the event to achieve) and purpose (the why behind deciding to run the event in the first place). By doing this you should stay focussed on the vision of your event and successfully market it to the correct target audience.

Try to keep the goal and purpose of your first-time event as simple and clear as possible. Overcomplication can often lead to confusion and miscommunication between yourself and your team.

Not setting a clear budget beforehand

One of the biggest mistake you can make as a first time event organiser is to not set yourself a clear budget before moving forward with the planning process. It is so easy to accumulate a huge bill when you have no estimated budget to work towards or experience of past event budgets.  

We recommend that you list out all your planned activities and costs in a spreadsheet to predict a budget before you start spending. Common expenses to take into consideration for events are: venue, staffing, food and drinks, entertainment, specialised equipment, event branding, event insurance and activities. It is also a good idea to have an emergency pot for unexpected expenditures.

Google Spreadsheets is a great free tool to use to keep track of your budget.

Not spreading out responsibilities

When organising an event for the first time it is likely you will feel the pressure to prove to yourself and others that you can plan a successful event. However, it is so important to share out the workload and not feel solely responsible for the outcome of the event.

The key to a profitable event is input from different people to ensure an effective workflow. This is best way to keep things continuously moving.

Failing to prepare for worst case scenarios

As renowned events insurance brokers with over 50 years of experience, David J Miller Insurance Brokers understand how important it is to expect the unexpected. No matter how well you plan for all eventualities, things can always go wrong. As the event organiser, any blame or wrongdoing will fall on your shoulders, and the financial consequences will be your responsibility. Regardless of the type of event you are planning, there is always the possibility of injury to employees, volunteers, third parties or damage to properties or venues.

It is always better to be safe than sorry. Taking out a comprehensive event insurance policy today could save you from significant financial loss later.

Not enjoying the process

Before you know it, the event is over and done with, so make sure to be present in every second of the planning process. After all this is the first and last time you will be organising your first ever event.

If you end up making mistakes, try not to worry too much about it! Just work towards rectifying them and learning from your experiences. As long as you have tried your best and had fun during the process, the experience of organising your first event will be a positive one.