There are many meetings that I go to and I wish that people had organized it better. I certainly do realise that at times passion does not necessarily mean being organized.
I have put together some simple event planning ideas for to help anyone who could be looking for some help to organize and better facilitate an event. This is not a professional event management post. It is to help those ministries who are planning a basic meeting and are not acquainted with people who can assist or direct them with a proper planning structure. Here are a few tips to escape massive chaos.
At this point, I am assuming that your funds are already approved or in place. Begin by understanding that you cannot run around for everything yourself. You need to, you must and you should DELEGATE your work.
Find people who are aligned to the vision of the event. Do a simple assessment to know who are capable and determine their strengths. Once you get to know them, you will be better informed and will know who will be able to get things done and are able to follow the instructions to meet set requirements. Ensure that each person is only assigned the task in the area of his strength and know-how.
Find below a few basic areas that you can cover, team-wise:
Greeting Team
It is the responsibility of this team to welcome every person attending the event with a smile. They should be stationed at specific areas in the event arena, including every entrance to the place. They are also called Ushers. They help guests find seats. They are the ones who will make sure that there are no disturbances once the sessions have started. (Since they might have to be stern at time, it is better not to assign the shy ones for this task.)
Technical Team
They are in-charge of the technical side of the event such as sound, lights, over-head projectors, etc.
Hospitality Team
This team adds a personal touch by preparing and providing snacks for every event guest. They are also responsible for ensuring that water is filled and refilled accordingly.
Speaker’s Service Team
They are responsible for the speakers. They essentially take care of their arrival, entry, food, escort and departure. They will ensure that water or his choice of drink will be made available for the speaker while preaching. I remember once burning my tongue with the hot water that was poured for me while preaching. Also, they must find out what software will be used during the sessions and communicate it to the leaders well in advance.
Traffic Team
It is always a good idea to assign a team to be in-charge of the traffic outside the venue. Depending on the size of the event, this team will be of affect.
Team Leader
Most important part of these teams is the team leader. He can make or break the whole event. Make sure you put someone wise and mature to handle this. He/ She must plan all the team’s work in advance. The leader is responsible to train them and make sure they know exactly what they are supposed to do. Communicate the desire to see excellence in all that they do. Check if every area is covered and monitored, during the sessions. Above all, pray with them before the event and appreciate them, after the event.
General Advice to the Team
All team members must reach 30 minutes or an hour before the meeting time. Get familiarized with the surroundings. Understand and find out about the history of the event. Remember to reflect the love of Jesus through your work. Report any untoward incident immediately to your team leader. Do not miss enjoying the event after your work is completed. Each member could create and follow a check list of things that must be done.
You can also use this pattern for your church to start out with.
Most of the time, we will notice that all this is done by just one person. And at the end of the meeting, he/she is completely spent. Everything can be done in a much efficient way if we can just believe in people around us than one person running the entire show.
We hope you have a blessed event.
Are there any more areas that we can be careful about with an event? Share below.