The UK events industry is now worth an estimated £39.1billion. If you are planning an event, then you will have many considerations and responsibilities leading up to your big day. 

When it comes to planning, exhibition logistics are crucial to ensuring that your event goes off without a hitch. But if you take your time and prepare early, things will run smoothly and you should be able to create a memorable event. 

Follow these nine tips to ensure you host a successful event.  

1. Find and Check Your Venue 

Think about the size of your event and the number of attendees. Then locate a venue that fits everyone and is also within your budget. Consider other features such as car parking, Wi-Fi, mobile phone reception, or smaller meeting rooms. 

Consider the impression that you want to give attendees. Your venue should elevate your event. If you can’t find a traditional space within your budget that can do this, get creative about where you host your event. 

You could book an aeroplane hangar, greenhouse, or even a country estate. 

2. Stick to Your Plan 

You need to create a plan and stick to it from the start. Create a schedule of the essential dates leading up to the big day. List what needs to be accomplished by those dates. 

Share this schedule with everyone you work with. That way, everyone is on the same page about what is needed and expected. 

3. Have Weekly Team Meetings  

Your team meetings don’t necessarily have to be weekly. They need to happen as often as you need. The goal is to have effective communication. During these meetings, your team can check in on any issues they are having. 

This will prevent a small problem from turning into total chaos. It will also allow people to collaborate and lean on each other when required. 

4. Create a Running Order and Follow It

Think of the running order as the bible for the day. It will outline every detail of the event, so have someone assigned as responsible for it. Everyone working the event needs to have a copy. 

You should include a map of the event that is clearly marked with key areas. There should be a comprehensive contact list. There should also be a schedule of the day’s planned events. 

5. Embrace Technology 

You can embrace technology from the start of your event planning and make your job easier. Create a centralised online task hub where all team members can log in and see the status of tasks. 

You can update your working calendar, change deadlines, and update your entire team with just a few clicks. 

You can also use technology to communicate with and track your attendees. This will reduce your overhead and make you more productive. 

On the day of your event, you can embrace technology to make check-in faster and easier. You can also use it to make presentations more impressive. Maybe you need a quality video or sound system that can be heard throughout the venue. 

6. Have a Plan B, and a Plan C 

Everyone hopes that their initial plan works. But life is unpredictable, and it doesn’t always work out that way. You need to create a plan B and plan C. 

That way, if something gets off track, you already have everything in place to divert paths and continue smoothly. 

Knowing that you have backup plans will also reduce the level of stress you feel. There will be less pressure to ensure everything goes perfectly. 

While you are creating your alternate plans, you should create an escalation path. This will identify people dedicated to “putting out fires” or resolving any other issues that arise. 

Inform everyone of who they should turn to in the event of an escalated issue. 

7. Embrace the Challenges 

Have confidence in yourself and in your team. Embrace any challenges that come your way. Remember, you’ve communicated well and have created backup plans. 

Embrace any issues and use your problem-solving skills to overcome the challenges. You can then use the experience to learn and sharpen your event skills for the future. 

8. Think About the Details 

There are a million details when it comes to planning an event. It can help to create lists covering the different areas of the event. No detail is too small when it comes to planning. 

Think about the small things like what the name tags will look like. Or if there are enough toilet facilities available. Or consider if the acoustics in the room sound right. 

9. Do a Walk-Through on the Day 

On the day of your big event, you should arrive early during the final setup and walk through the event as if you were an attendee. For instance, is it clear where people should go to check-in? 

Is your signage easily seen and in the right locations? Do you have enough signage? If you are too familiar with the site, then have a volunteer do it and get their feedback. 

If there is going to be a presentation or events at a specific time, then review those with everyone involved. 

Master Your Exhibition Logistics

By using these nine tips, you can master event logistics. That way, you can put on any event from personal to professional whether they are small or large. 

Start early, create a plan, stick to that plan, and communicate it with everyone. Then focus in on the details and prepare a backup plan. 

Contact us today and be confident that your shipments will arrive in time for your event.