From Marley Majcher, The Party Goddess October 27, 2011
Getting started as an event planner is scary. From the outside looking in, party planning looks like a job that’s high energy and pure fun. About five minutes into planning your first event, you realize just how much room for error there is. When you sign on to plan an event, you’re taking on a huge responsibility and it’s easy to make huge mistakes.
Knowing what some of these mistakes are in advance can help you prevent falling onto the same land mines so many others have stumbled onto before you. And if you’ve already been and there done that, well, at least reading these common mistakes will help you realize you’re in good company.
Here are 6 mistakes new party planners make and how to avoid them:
Not Reading the Fine Print
Sure, party planning is exhilarating, but it’s also daunting. You’re not always fluttering around town moving and shaking. You also spend a lot of time drudging through the details. You’re dealing with lots and lots of contracts – clients, vendors, venues. Lots of fine print, people! Nothing can spoil an event faster than getting blindsided by an oversight on a contract. The solution to this is simple. Read. Don’t glance over it. Read line by line. Don’t allow someone to quickly talk you through it or fool you by saying it’s standard or basic. Learn how to read a contract properly and clarify as necessary. In some cases, you’ll need to have your attorney look over certain contracts as well.
Having No Event Insurance
Not purchasing event insurance is a common newbie mistake. This is especially common among folks who have no formal training in event planning and stumble into it because they’re the go-to party planner in their social circles. I’m always surprised by the number of new party planners who’ve never heard of event insurance. Think through the financial and legal consequences of things that could potentially go wrong, and cover your butt.
Having Too Much Trust In People
If you are new to the game, it’s easy to fall into the trap of trusting people too much. Unfortunately, enlisting the help of family and friends (especially for free) can backfire on you. While an event you’re planning is a big deal to you – your reputation and livelihood are on the line — to them, it might not be a priority. They might leave you high and dry. Also, when it comes to clients and vendors, get everything in writing. No matter how nice or trustworthy a person seems, always get it in writing. People forget, they promise things they have no authority to promise, and sometimes they are just plain snakes in the grass. Keep your radar up.
Not Having Enough Trust in People
While you must carefully and properly protect yourself, you must also learn not to be overly paranoid. Party planners have to balance the need to keep everything under control with the urge to be a control freak. You will burn through clients, employees, and vendor goodwill in no time if you micromanage things in a condescending dragon-lady manner. Hone your ability to delegate and develop strong relationships of trust and accountability (still, get it in writing).
Not Communicating Clearly
Communicating clearly and thoroughly is probably the most important skill an event planner can have. You need to be able to give clear instructions that people can follow and to convey your vision in a way that people can see it. Otherwise, you will become overrun with misunderstandings and tons of wasted time. Communicate with patience, repeat yourself as necessary, and check to make sure you are understood.
Being a Pushover
Being a pushover is a common characteristic of struggling party planners. If you’re a new party planner who is at your wit’s end and can’t seem to make ends meet, there’s a good chance this is the reason. Letting clients run all over you. Letting vendors take advantage of you. Not charging enough. Not setting boundaries. If you continue to be a pushover, you’re never going to make any money and you’re always going to be overworked.
So, have you made any of these mistakes? Do you continue to make these mistakes? Are there other mistakes you’ve made that I left off the list. Confession time! Comment below...
Marley Majcher is the author of But Are You Making Any Money? and the CEO of The Party Goddess!, a nationally acclaimed full-service catering and event planning company that originates all aspects of large scale functions for A-list celebrities, social, and corporate clients alike. From understated elegance to rock star fabulous, Majcher is known for creating the most talked about parties of the year.
