When you think of the term ‘project management’, you might think of a construction project, or a software development project. A good project manager is skilled at managing:
1) scope (the goals and requirements);
2) time (knowing how long it will take to finish each task, which tasks are dependent on one another and which tasks must be done first); and
3) resources (budget, people, and equipment)
The same principles apply to event planning. Events are projects that, managed correctly, produce an end result that is high quality, meets expectations and is produced on schedule and on budget.
A sales manager at a local venue once told me, “Don’t expect a ‘filet mignon’ event if you only have a ‘fried chicken’ budget!” Sound harsh? Maybe, but it’s true that there are limits to what you can accomplish if you have limited time or people or funds. A successful event planner has a thorough knowledge of the scope, time, and resources available to her to create the best quality event possible. Being in the dark or unrealistic about any of these components can be disastrous.
You can apply project management principles to any size event. You may be thinking about the slumber party you’re planning for your daughter, or the block party you’ll be in charge of this summer. Or you could be planning something larger like a business conference or wedding. The only real difference is size – size of budget, number of days to the event, and number of tasks to complete. But the principles are the same – understand the goals you want to achieve, create your task list and create a schedule to accomplish task, determine the resources available and make decisions that will keep you on track.
If your resources start to dry up, or you start to run out of time, then the scope of the event will have to be adjusted. The earlier you can identify these issues, the easier it will be to manage expectations. And don’t be discouraged if you have to adjust your plan a bit – after all, who doesn’t like a little fried chicken now and then!?!
Next – Effective Time Management Tools for Event Planning
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