Have you heard of a “Day of Event Coordinator”? Have you wondered what one is and why you would need one? A Day of Event Coordinator is the perfect addition to your “team” if you want to handle the event planning process yourself, but don’t want to deal with the heavy lifting, coordination, inevitable hiccups, and flow of the actual event day. If you’ve planned events in the past and then also been the event manager the day of you know the stress that we are referring to. On the day of you are being pulled in a million directions and trying to wear the hat of the event host, relationship builder, AND event manager. What this results in is a state of overwhelm, anxiety, and a ball (or two) being dropped in at least one of the aforementioned areas.
Ask yourself these questions:
1. Why am I hosting this event?
Let’s start here, why are you putting on an event? Is it community building, relationship building, an appreciation event, a celebration, an opportunity to educate, to build awareness, to raise money, to fill your sales funnel? It could be one of these or any other reasons, but sit with that for a moment and get clear on your why. Now, with that understanding, will you be able to fulfil your WHY while managing the event? Depending on the size of the event and your role in achieving the why, the answer is very likely, no. In this case, a Day of Coordinator will be invaluable.
2. What do I want my focus to be during the event?
You have unique and special skills and attributes, you bring a very valuable asset to your team….it’s you! In what ways does it make the most sense for you to show up during the event? Is your time best spent greeting guests or tracking down the caterer who is late? Is it engaging in meaningful conversation or determining how to squeeze in 5 last-minute guests? Is it making mutually beneficial connections or emptying the garbage that is overflowing in the corner? Is it being present and delivering a powerful talk or figuring out how to get more champagne because the last bottle was just opened? These are just a few of the situations that can pop up during the event, the list is endless, and I feel confident in saying your focus is best spent doing what your best at and having a Day of coordinator do what they are best at…..executing a seamless event and allowing you to actually experience your event as a guest.
3. What can I really handle?
Make a list of all of your to-do’s on the day of the event, including the role you need to play during the event. Once you have the list laid out realistically assess what you can handle on your plate, what is too much, what is best handled by someone else, and also consider the energy you will have left at the end of the event and do you actually want to deal with cleaning up and closing the space? It’s important to be real with yourself and know what you can accomplish on the day of to the standard that is important to you.
4. What would I love?
This may be the most important question of all. Set aside what you think you should do, what others think you should do, what the budget says, the pressure you put on yourself to do it all. What would you love? What would allow you to show up in the best way possible on the day of your event? Answering this question will give you all of the information you need.
A Day of Event Coordinator is there to manage all of the logistics, ensure the schedule is being followed, deal with all the behind the scenes, manage the flow of people and event components, professionally handle any situation that arises, be the point of contact for vendors, speakers, entertainment, venue, etc. At Bee Together when we handle the day of tasks we step in and do what we’re experts at so that you can show up and do what matters most, connect!