Well let’s be honest by the time we’ve got to the end of an event we’re just elated of the fact that it’s been (naturally!) a success. All those hard months of planning and endless meetings have come to fruition and we’re already starting to plan the next one.  But there are always a few things that I’d recommend doing before totally closing off any project

Thank You’s

When your event has been a success you’re in denial if you think you’ve achieved this on your own.  Of course there is the client to thank but I’m a strong believer in sending an email to thank the full internal team – recognizing everyone’s efforts is important in not only motivating the team but also in acknowledging how we’ve achieved something together.  It may also be obvious but thanking the key suppliers you work with helps to strengthen relationships too – you know that time when you’ve gone the extra mile for someone well guess what? Suppliers/agencies can do this for each other too!

List your top 5 positives

Positivity breeds positivity right? Take 5-10 minutes (yes that’s all) to list 5 elements of the event that you thought went particularly well. Were you proud of that AV cue sheet? Were you happy with how speaker rehearsals went? Would you use that photographer again? Reflecting on the positives not only makes us feel good but also helps us learn how to improve things. Sometimes we get so caught up in everything we forget to appreciate what can help us do our job better. Go on give yourself a high five!

List your top 5 improvements

Ok so your AV cue sheet was awesome but could you have produced it quicker? Coffee breaks – that queue was a bit frustrating wasn’t it? Did delegates really benefit from having iPads at the meeting – what would you recommend to the client to include next time? There should always be a team debrief but there may be more personal perspectives that you wish to identify for improvement.

Budget review

Don’t let closing the project drag on. Let’s be honest it’s not the most exciting part of a project but as day follows night (well sometimes for us it just merges into one on-site doesn’t it?) it has to be done. Set yourself a date to complete it by and just do it! It’ll make you feel better, promise!

Happy dance?

Whatever makes you happy do something that makes you feel good about what you’ve achieved. If it’s a happy dance then you go on and do one!

Conclusion

Ok so the above may appear obvious but how many of the above did you do on your last event? I did 3 – I think we’re all guilty that sometimes we just don’t have enough time. Make time, everyone loves to see a happy dance after all! 

Article written by Liz Franklin
Liz is Owner and Chief Event Expert at Liz Franklin Event Management