Have you ever tried preparing an event from scratch? Oh boy, the stress was unreal, especially since we had ours during the course of the pandemic.
If you have ever heard of the WIN events all over the globe, we have organized one in Sweden!
The idea came a year before the event, and during that time, we thought that the event was still too far to worry about especially considering that there are a lot of uncertainties caused by the Corona – so my co-director and I just worked on the concept.
It was a lot of planning, organizing, and coordination! And since it’s the pandemic and couldn’t just meet ALL THE TIME – we had an online document full of scribbled notes where we “brainstorm” our ideas – and it was hard.
EVENT PREP DURING THE CORONA
Since it was still when the corona’s at its peak, we were not sure if it’s going to continue the way it’s supposed to – and we were considering having it done “hybrid” – like a limited number of people at the actual event site but then virtually for the rest.
So then, came more stress: How do we do that, who will be our tech person? It’s “one more thing” to think about!
Then from there, a never-ending story…
OUR BIGGEST CONCERN
In all honesty, the biggest worry was if people are going to have fun, or if they will feel included or end up just sitting at the corner and being grumpy.
Also, there were worries like, “Are these all good enough?”
It was really hard… because you prepare for an event but at the same time it’s hard for you to weigh whether it’s enough or not – and it’s scary to think whether the event will end up well – such as people REALLY enjoying it.
THE BIGGEST SURPRISE
The biggest surprise…
Is that during the course of the promotion we’re not getting many people as we originally planned to have? There were many disappointments and I didn’t know whether to move the event date or shut it all down.
WRITE IT ALL ON PAPER
The moment I wrote everything down on paper and have it right there where it’s all clear is also the moment that I came to my senses: “I’m not gonna shut it down nor I am going to move the date. I already have it planned and we’re going to have it done beautifully for us. No matter how many come, it’s going to happen”.
THE SWEET ENDING
There may not be as many attendees as originally planned, but everyone came with joy and laughter.
There was never a dull moment at the event, and everyone was so full of spirit. Everyone basically was having fun!
THE UNEXPECTED TWIST
Who would have known that not getting the number we planned actually made things great as people who came felt more appreciated and included, as they loved how the event felt “very intimate”.
MY PIECE OF ADVICE
While good planning is a must, do not frown if things go sideways – as, in the end, you do not know what these things can do.
EVENT PREPARATION LEARNING
The thing that I have learned in this journey and will surely do next time is to plan with reverse engineering. So if I wanted on that specific date, I’ll look at the things I need to do, the latest I can do them, and look backward: Which step am I in right now?
You need to figure out who you are, how many you want, how hard is it, and what’s the subject you’re doing because that can differ in how many people will come.
FOR THE NEXT EVENT
It’s very vital that for the next event, one must have an idea of what people or where will these people come from, because without knowing the right audience, we cannot target them correctly.
MENTAL LOAD READY
Aside from being all prepared for your audience during event planning and preparation, you must also be mentally prepared for the huge load of responsibilities you’re just about to take.
You can start by simply strengthening your mental capacity and conditioning your mind prior.
To successful event preparations,
