by Ginger Berman
I am often contacted by law firms whose large-scale or high-profile events are overwhelming their marketing team with the tasks and details needed to produce the event successfully. While I always recommend contacting an event planner before the going gets tough, I’ve learned that we can get-going with just 3-6 weeks notice if everyone has a clear picture of their roles and responsibilities. So we developed a quick-pick list of short-term event planning services to rescue our legal marketing friends, but helpful for other event planners as well:
REGISTRATION RESCUE
You need this if … you’re waking up in the middle of the night dreaming of clients out in the cold, standing on registration lines like tourists at the TKTS booth.
We arrive early, handle guest check-in at the registration desk, and clean up, so you can focus on developing relationships with your attendees, rather than managing logistics. Give us your guest list three days before and we’ll print and stuff your name tags too.
LOCATION RELATIONS
You need this if … you think the terms apron, boneyard and crescent all refer to things in the kitchen and you’d like to keep it that way.
Following your site selection and contract signing, we facilitate venue arrangements through clear and consistent communication in advance of the event and manage the needs that arise on-site during the event.
VENDOR RE-DEVELOPMENT
You need this if … you’ve talked to your go-to AV guy about microphones and a screen but can never seem to get through the estimate sitting in your inbox, especially since his equipment descriptions don’t contain any vowels.
We finalize proposals from vendors and manage their tasks through the event, including catering, consulting, destination management, entertainment, event design, graphic design, photography, printing, promotions, production (audio-visual, lighting, staging, videography), and transportation, among others.
The TASKMASTER
You need this if … every to-do on your legal pad is turning into you-do-two (because each task takes more steps than expected) or you-do-too (because swamped team members need more advance notice).
We lay out the list of roles and responsibilities in a detailed timeline, from the start of our involvement through the post-event debrief, and check in regularly with each person involved to report back as each task has been accomplished.
BRIEF RELIEF
You need this if … it all started with one partner, but nine others keep calling and sidelining your day as you go on a wild goose chase for just “one more thing” they need to know about the event.
We develop and update a Master Event Plan of all the services and event details, from the start of our involvement in the event planning process, and provide it to you as a reference on a regular basis.
When time and resources are tight, the key to producing a successful event is to have very clear, delineated roles, starting with the ones listed here. If you need to be rescued – or just need more info, including pricing for these services – email me at ginger@gingerdonnanevents.com.