Is the technology ready to handle the crush at check-in? Are your volunteers and staff confidently trained? Is everyone able to communicate in real time?
It’s the final hours before the doors open to your annual fundraiser and your anxiety is kicking into high gear. So many details to think about and every one of them is essential to making the most out of your biggest event of the year. Among all the lists an event planner keeps, the final check of the venue could be the most important of them all and must include every aspect of the production.
The Final Walk-thru
Take a walk in your guests’ shoes and begin your review at the venue’s front door. Follow the traffic flow from start to finish and at each point take time to see the venue from their viewpoint.
Begin by reviewing the check-in stations, then look for snags in the traffic flow, missing elements in your décor and places of interest, like the stage, podium and bar. Make sure the equipment to process donations and purchase raffle tickets are placed in convenient, easy-to-find places. Do you see any possible bottlenecks that might cause unwanted delays for your guests?
Checking In With Your Tech Gurus
Having all the technology in place to support your guests’ activities is essential to producing a profitable charitable event. It will also prove your commitment to running a professional organization contributors.
Having guest information ready to go the moment they arrive will be key to setting the right impression of your event and your organization. Double check all the terminals, laptops and tablets to ensure the master list and needed software programs are synching up and available to every member of your staff that will relying on it.
The many activities you’ve planned for the night will require their own technologies. Run a few tests on your audio/visual equipment and electronic boards for communication with your staff and guests.
Without a highly functioning, reliable power source all your efforts will be for naught, so have a member of your staff or the venue’s technical support double check that all connections are ready to go prior to the start of the event. If there is a possibility of bad weather or other issues that might cause an interruption make sure that a backup power source is available.
Getting Your Staff to the Starting Line
The final piece of the perfect event puzzle is a well-trained, happy staff. Having detail oriented team leaders is a great start to keeping everyone on the same page. Gathering everyone together prior to opening the doors can ensure everyone understands exactly what you expect from them.
Discuss the logistics of each activity, assign specific jobs and detail lines of communication to ensure everyone receives clear updates. Pick your most responsible people to oversee valuable inventory like RFID bracelets and VIP lanyards and make sure everyone is trained and tested on equipment.
Doing a final check of the venue before an event is a great way to catch any missing links in your perfect plan, but the benefits don’t stop there. By reviewing the entire venue and every aspect that will play into your program you’ll be relieving the stress felt by your staff, guests and you, so you all can enjoy the amazing evening you’ve put together.
