How We Do It: Event Planning
Synchronicity teammates Alex Martin and Rocio Miranda are deep into the event planning! Photo credit: Tideway Creative
[Image description: Two women are deeply absorbed in the process of event planning, side by side. In the foreground, one of them holds a clipboard containing a floor plan, with a pen gripped between her teeth, highlighting her intense focus on the task at hand.]
What’s the process that takes great ideas and turns them into magical event moments that actually happen?
We call that PLANNING. Event Planning work includes but is not limited to …
drawing a floorplan
executing a decor idea
updating a packing list
sourcing needed materials and supplies
obsessing over load-in and load-out schedules
charting the tasks and workflows for onsite volunteers
writing and re-writing a pivotal moment in the script
having advance conversations with everyone (vendors, friendors, volunteers) who are doing or building or bringing anything for the event
ensuring needed permits, insurance, and security are in place
building a well-paced run-of-show
fine-tuning the tech cues
… truly, the angels are in the details.
Helping to choose vendors is one of our favorite parts of the planning process! While we do have some local favorites, we always make our recommendations with full consideration of our clients and the specific needs of their community and their event. We delight in finding the event venue, emcee, food and beverage providers, A/V services, decor, and entertainment who are the absolute best match to help you reach your goals. More and more, our clients want to spend their event budget dollars intentionally supporting the community, so we’re always researching vendors with different backgrounds.
Also, embedded within the planning process, is the camaraderie we create with your event vendors. We delight in understanding the magic that each vendor will bring, making choices that are the strongest fit for their strengths and the way they approach the work, reconfirming all the details, and preparing to greet and support them onsite.
An important note: along the way as you complete your planning, you will OFTEN encounter situations that require you to revisit your goals, or reconsider your designs. It’s no fun to find out the item you had your heart set on doesn’t fit the budget, or the group you planned to partner with isn’t interested, or the performer you wanted to feature is not available, or there’s a technical production element that costs more than you anticipated, or there’s something about the load-in schedule that impacts all your plans and changes what’s possible. You will need to catch these curveballs gracefully. It’s important to have your event planning team in the habit of convening regularly throughout the process so that new opportunities and challenges can be considered, compared to your original goals, and redirections taken with everyone’s enthusiastic consent.
You can think of planning as the bridge between the aspirational realm of your goals and design, and the very, very real realm of production. At Synchronicity, our event teams are treading this road every day, and it’s the constant practice that allows us to see patterns emerging in the field, make informed suggestions, and bring creativity and solutions to the table when new plans are needed. If you are ready for support for your event in 2024, let’s talk soon - we’re booking now for all of next year!
#eventplanning #eventprofs #seattleevents #nonprofitevents #teamsynchronicity
