The events industry is working hard to return to an ascending trend after two years of lockdowns, social distancing, and all sorts of health measures that made in-person attendance a lot more difficult.
However, we have to highlight that, even though most countries eased up the measures and attendance is, once again, possible events won’t be the same ever again.
Due to technology, people can now choose to attend events virtually, which is why so many companies offer hybrid parties, conferences, meetings, and so on.
Plus, the trend for virtual events is helpful for understaffed organizers who are struggling to find employees. But it’s not just that – advanced technology and diverse platforms can take over various tasks that will allow you to successfully manage events with a handful of essential employees.
Here’s how:
Use Automation & Technology to Your Advantage
Nowadays, all you need to gather the data and details for any event you organize is a well-designed event venue management software platform. This software uses automation to send out invites, collect RSVPs, keep participants and organizers up to date on the progress, send out notification emails, and a lot more.
Once it’s set up, this type of platform can handle events of any size and from any industry. Plus, you can easily keep track of events that take place on the same day without mixing shopping lists, attendance lists, or any other sort of sensitive information.
Planning, Planning, Planning
Good planning is the main ingredient of the secret sauce that makes your events a success. However, you can’t plan for greatness in the last few weeks before the event. You need to take the appropriate amount of time to find the venue, send out invites, plan the size and arrangement of the venue, and so on.
Luckily, you can still use technology for this. There are many software tools out there that can help create the seating chart and design the flow of the event according to the room size and orientation. Plus, you can find tools that make budget planning less of a headache than it usually is.
After all, the budget is crucial for the success of any event (especially if you are understaffed).
Increase Security Measures
Whether you organize hybrid or traditional events, most of the data is collected online and stored in a central database for easy access and processing. This way, you don’t have to assign staff to this task, especially when you need all hands on deck.
But there’s a dark side to using technology without taking proper security measures. Unprepared and inexperienced event organizers are ideal targets for cybercriminals.
Since you are collecting highly sensitive information (names, addresses, contact information, and so on), you have to make sure no one can reach them without proper authorization.
This may be a stretch on your budget, but it’s not a step you can afford to ignore. One tiny data leak is enough to lose your credibility on the market and have the government involved in your business.
On Point Communication
In this line of business, you can’t afford to make many mistakes because everyone’s tasks are important. But, if you are understaffed, things can easily pile up and one tiny slip can disrupt the unfolding of the entire event.
That’s why you need to make sure team members communicate with each other effectively. Plus, teams may need to communicate with other teams or collaborators. Luckily, nowadays you can use apps like Slack to help groups of people stay in touch and follow through using simple language (no need for emails or phone calls).
Also, there are note apps and shopping list apps that let several people collaborate on the same doc, leave comments and add/subtract information as needed. This makes it a lot easier to make sure everyone agrees on the shopping list (for instance) and that everyone is on board (or not) with your proposals.
Focus on the Essential Staff
Regardless of the level of technology you’re using, there is no way an event organizing business can function without essential staff. This usually includes people with diverse backgrounds and professional inclinations from servers to IT staff.
Of course, you may also work with temporary staff (for large events) and collaborators (such as venue and catering employees), but you need a handful of people you can trust to run your business’s operations.
So whenever you’re preparing for an event or planning your budget, make sure to consider their needs and wishes. Otherwise, your business doesn’t have many chances of survival.
As long as you have your core staff and the right tech tools for managing attendees, budget planning, communication between team members, and overall planning, you should be able to organize successful events even if your business is understaffed. It all boils down to incredible organization skills and efficient use of the resources that are available to you.