When your event attendees begin to arrive at your event, how do you want them to feel? Excited for the event, in awe of the decor, interested to hear the keynote speaker, or enthusiastic about a headlining performer? Hopefully, they will feel a joyful combination of these. This initial success is heavily based on one surprising element: operations and setup. Keep reading to learn a few tips on how to get it right.

• Get it ready

You plan, and plan, and plan for your big event, but the operations team are the people who carry out the plan and make it happen. Start the logistical order of events as early as possible. From the small details like finding a parking space in front of the venue, to the larger ones like establishing a schedule that works most efficiently, each component is vital to the success of your event. On the big day, arrive ahead of time, start your setup as early as possible, and stick to a carefully developed plan.

• Talk it out

Making sure everyone is on the same page is absolutely crucial to the success of your event. Share your order of operations with the whole staff as well as with production, catering, florists, and any relevant members of the team. Make sure to include all necessary parties in all of your correspondences, and ensure that everyone is equipped with the entire team’s cell phone numbers on the day of the event. Look for every opportunity to increase communication. For example, if your event takes place in a large venue, post signage clearly indicating directions for each member of staff. Even if you are working with a caterer or florist that knows their way around the venue, their support staff may be there for the first time.

• Keep it clean

In most venues, operations begin their setup in a space that has already been cleaned. However, just because a room is clean when setup begins does not mean it will be clean when setup ends. Things get knocked over, glasses break, water spills, and cords get tangled. These mishaps are, at best, ugly inconveniences. At worst, they can be serious safety hazards. For this reason, it is crucial to include clean-up in every step of the process. It is especially important to do a comprehensive quality check within the last 15 minutes before the arrival of the guests to ensure the setup is picture perfect.

• Break it down

Once all of your guests arrive at a beautiful setup, your work is still not over. Many events have multiple components, for example, a cocktail hour followed by a seated dinner, or a lunch buffet followed by a keynote speaker. It is important to be mindful of how the crew transitions from one setup to another. Removing tables or setting up items directly in front of the audience is distracting to everyone in the room. Make sure to incorporate preparation, communication, and cleanliness into these transitions in order to ensure they run as smoothly as possible. The greater the extent to which staff can quickly and quietly move furniture or make adjustments, the less intrusive to the program agenda it will be.

Logistically and otherwise, there’s no better partner to get it done than Wizard Studios. Let us help you make your next event a success!