The art of making things look effortless: Learnings from working in events

For the past year I was the Global Events Coordinator for Appear Here, the leading online marketplace to book a store. From defining the strategy, sourcing speakers and managing logistics, this was very much a baptism of fire. But as is the nature of a start-up, being thrown in at the deep-end was an opportunity to learn quickly and hope for the best.

I thought I would share some advice from the last 12 months, mainly learnings from mistakes I’ve made, so I’ve thrown in a few anecdotes for some light entertainment. A few points may be obvious if you’re well versed in the event world, but if it’s unknown territory like it was for me, here are a few tips and tricks:

The Eventbrite Organiser app is a dream

Don’t make the mistake I did at my first event and print out the guest-list. There is nothing worse than searching for a name while a queue is building and beads of sweat are forming on your head. I remember minutes of awkwardly complimenting a woman on various aspects of her outfit while desperately searching for her name. It was painful. The app makes the whole experience slick, allows for on-the-door ticket buyers and lets you know what % checked in you’re at. 

The venue is everything

You need more space than you think. People bring bags, they put coats on chairs and want their own area. I once held an event in an amazing venue on Baker Street - the chairs took up ¾ of it but I thought once the talk section was over, I could put away some chairs to make more room. Don’t do that, it's jarring and people will think you want them to leave.

Another element to the space is how you arrange the chairs. In big open spaces the acoustics can be quite echoey and people in the back row won’t be able to hear. People will also lose focus if they can’t make eye-contact with the speakers. This goes for the panel too: it creates a far more intimate and engaging experience if you can actually see the audience you’re speaking to. So if you’re hosting a panel event, create wide rows that form a slight arch around the speakers rather than long narrow ones: it’ll look more inclusive and less like a school assembly.

Feed your guests or they’ll leave

Nothing makes people happier than food and if people are coming from work, they'll be hungry. It’s an added expense but worth it to ensure people spend an extended amount of time there. Grazing tables are expensive but they aren't fussy and double up as decor too. My advice would be to under-order as you will be left with food. Most grazing companies recommend a metre for 60 people; I would order a metre for 100. Also avoid meat, some people love it but those who don’t will likely avoid the table altogether if it’s intertwined.

Collect audience questions in advance

There’s nothing worse than finishing off a talk with a Q&A and no one asks a Q. I found in New York people were much more eager to voice their thoughts but in London people can be slightly more hesitant. I started creating an option on the Eventbrite page for attendees to fill if they had a question for the panel. You can incorporate the questions into the discussion creating a more tailored evening and it also flags which topics people are interested in hearing in advance. Alternatively get one of your colleagues to kick off the audience questions and that usually warms people up. 

Communication is key

Often the focus is the communication in the lead up to the event: sending reminders; posting on socials etc. But don’t neglect your attendees or your speakers once the evening is over.

 

For speakers, send a follow up email thanking them, looping them in together and send any photos. They might share them on socials and it’s good to formally connect each other's emails for future partnerships. 

For attendees, condense the evening into a highlight (pictures, quotes, videos) and send it out within 24hrs while the moment is still fresh. It’s also an idea to send a short feedback form: they don’t owe you anything so it’ll be your most honest review and the best way to improve - I recommend Typeform.

Aesthetics

Your vibe is personal to your brand, but in general, invest in good lighting and be creative - people go to events to feel inspired and connected and they’ll want to share that online, so make sure you provide that photo op.

If you’re on a budget look at what you already have. I was lucky enough to work in an extremely chic office, which (much to the delight of my colleagues) was stripped every month of its plants, light boxes and anything that could be up-cycled. Once you’ve got your aesthetic sorted it makes life so much easier if you know what you’re taking per time.

The little things

• Make sure there are bins

• Check the venue has loo roll and make it presentable in there (you’d be surprised).

• Befriend the van drivers: if they like you they’ll help you with heavy lifting (shoutout to Frank).

• If you have speakers, give them a decent thank you gift; they’ve given up their evening for you.

Some horror stories

I remember unpacking the tote gift bags to discover they were completely mouldy (a leak in storage). We had over 300 goodie bag items to fill and the event started in 2 hours. Luckily there was a laundrette across the road with a speedy clean and press service. A colleague and I spent the entire panel talk rushing around with these bags and getting them ready in time for the end - the panic was real. 

The night before an event, the venue phoned to say the space was completely flooded hahahashithaha. Everything was being delivered to that address and to change it so last minute would result in so many no-shows and refunds. I'm pretty sure the venue hired every dehumidifier in London and worked through the night to clear the flooding. That morning we were told our event could go ahead.

Another tip - don’t let your playlist run out! We hosted a Masterclass at White City House. Following the class, guests networked over cocktails and canapés and it was all very fancy, you get the picture. I’d left to use the loo and upon my return was horrified to hear the music had switched to my library - the blaring sound of Kano P’s and Q’s was filling the room. A banger, but perhaps not the right vibe.

There can be a lot of anxiety that goes into working events as everything you’ve ordered, pre-booked and planned leads up to one evening. They say it takes a lot of effort to make things look effortless. So my final tip is to take a moment to enjoy yourself - you did good x