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Okay, the event is over. You are left standing in the middle of the empty room with visions of the past few hours running through your mind. The feeling right now is almost empty. Is not this the same space that was so noisy and full of energy, laughter and conversation just a few minutes ago? Wow, it's over. Now what? Do not make the mistake of thinking that when you leave that space that the event is behind you. There is still much work to be done! It does not matter if the event was a celebration, trade show, corporate party, or fundraiser there are some evaluation tools that you should be using to help make each future event better than the last.
The first evaluation tools are time and your most recent memories. Before you leave that space, while the memories are still fresh, write them down. What do you see in your mind as you go over the past few hours. These are the moments that stand out the most for you. Trust me, they will be extreme. These memories you have are the best of the best and the worst of the worst. Those are the memories we tend to retain with the most clarity. Have your note book on hand and start recording these immediately. Maybe, if you have a Smart Phone, you even made voice recordings during the event of things that caught your attention. Be sure to include these in your post event notes too. It is very important to have all your thoughts together in one spot for future referral. You do not want to be searching all "your usual places" for the notes when you need them.
The second thing you need to do before you leave the venue, talk to the staff that served at the event. They have the hands on perspective but will be impartial as they do not work for you, they work for the venue. Believe it or not, the people that serve the tables have probably served at hundreds of events, if not thousands. They have valuable insight for you if you ask them for it. Then there is the perspective of the DJ or the MC and the kitchen staff. Be sure to also offer your insights to them about their services. Be sure that your words are presented in a constructive and supportive way but do not miss this opportunity to engage the other service providers that helped you provide the event for your clients.
Now you have your notes, you have the insights of the other service providers involved, you can go home. Put everything side and get a good night's rest because you're going to be busy again in the morning. The next evaluation task may be very tiring for you. When you wake up be sure to get a big cup of coffee and take a deep breath because you are about to contact the clients for their feedback. If the event was a trade show or market, the sellers are who you will need to contact for feedback. This is not always a difficult task but prepare yourself for some possibly negative comments. Do not take it personally, look at this as a learning process not a personal report card. Here are a couple of things to consider when taking this feedback:
- How much involvement did the person giving feedback have in the planning or promotion of the event? The less involvement or interaction they have had, the more complaints they may have. This is true simply because they do not have as much information or as much vested interest. This may also be an indicator of the motives for participating so, possibly, they had expectations that could not be met by you or the event. However, that is not to discount the feedback of the people that have had less involvement. There is something to be learned from all sources of feedback. Some input you will set aside or conclude is not relevant but there should still be something left for you to take away.
- Unfortunately, some people just like to complain. Again, do not take it personally. If the event was a trade show or market type and a vendor is being particularly negative simply acknowledge them and their concerns and thank them for their feedback. Then make note not to invite them back to future events. The truth is that there are many small and home based businesses offering jewelery, skin care, diet supplements, and other products and you can find another vendor that can be more positive and supportive in the way that they choose to address their concerns with you. If it is a client that has hired you, again, acknowledge their concerns and try to work things out with them. Discuss the issues with them but also be sure to ask them what they liked. Hopefully, by ending the conversation with the positives you can help to redirect the overall emotion and perception of how the event went. If they choose to remain on the negatives you may need to evaluate your future working relationship with them. Should you choose not to take on their future events, be sure to offer a referral to one or two other planners that may be able to see to their needs better.
Always be prepared to be actively engaged in every aspect of any event you are planning. Sometimes the answers to our questions are not what we want to hear but often it is what we need to hear. This article may seem to focus on the negative aspects of event planning but it really does not. Lots of really amazing things happen at every event. But, it is usually through difficult situations and our responses to them that we learn and grow. Take the negatives and turn them into positives! Most importantly, have fun with everything you do!
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