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3 Tips to Banish Event-Day Jitters

If you’ve ever hosted a meeting or function you know that event-day jitters are quite common. After all, you’ve likely spent months preparing for the big event and you want everything to come off without a hitch. However, there’s a big difference between anticipation of the event and anxiety about it. If you want to ensure that your emotional state on event day is calmer and more collected than frazzled and frantic, here are three surefire tips to banish those event day jitters. 

Preparation is Key 

• Create a working staff plan including all day-of tasks in advance. 
• Discuss each assignment with all staff and volunteers prior to event day so roles are clear.
• Ensure ample staffing levels for event load-in, registration, and load-out. The more people on hand for load-in and load-out the better. 

Conduct A Pre-Event Briefing with All Staff

• Set aside 30-60 minutes prior to the event to review the details from start to finish with your entire team. This pre-conference (we call them pre-cons for short), will provide an opportunity to review the purpose of the event and cover the pre-event details (including staff attire, guest arrivals, mealtimes, run of show, VIP guest needs, and parking).
• Walk the team through the event day – from arrivals to departures, outlining each role and setting expectations.
• Provide the team with contact information and key vendors in the event an urgent need or question arises. (we named ours a “playbook” that contains helpful information – including vendor contact details).

Host a Vendor Tie-Down Meeting

• Assemble all your event vendors in person, by phone, or via Zoom to discuss the event day timelines, schedules, roles, and responsibilities. This “vendor tie down” meeting will provide clarity on the run of show and resolve any lingering questions about key aspects of the event. 
• If your vendor meeting is onsite, take a tour of the venue together. If it’s not onsite, be sure to review all entrances/exits, loading dock procedures, bathroom locations, and load-in/load-out timing. 
• Provide vendors with the day-of staff names and their contact details to ensure issues or concerns can be addressed promptly by a team member.

TME sweats the small stuff, so you don’t have to

While unforeseen circumstances can occur with any event, the best defense against having a catastrophe derail your function is to plan, communicate, and coordinate with both staff and vendors. 

At TME, we pride ourselves in working with our clients to ensure that every detail is addressed so that your event will shine. If you want to boost your chances of being calm and collected versus frazzled and frantic on the big day, we can help. It’s what we do.