Everyone likes a good gathering. Even if you’re an introvert, the free snacks and booze is kind of worth the social awkwardness. But there’s good events, and there’s memorable, talk of the town, share it all over your social media with a million hashtags in a bid to make your friends super jealous type of events. Those are the kind of events you want to be throwing.
Adding that dash of memorable magic to a party can be tricky. You need to get a whole load of things absolutely right, but don't forget about a whole host of things you definitely shouldn’t be doing when organising a bash. Here’s the biggest faux-pas to avoid:
1.Not ensuring that location corresponds to your goals (and your guests).
The location of your bash reflects its ambience and what you want to achieve with your brand. You wouldn’t bring investors to a nightclub frequented by teenagers, and you (hopefully) wouldn’t host a party for an artsy crowd in a cold and soulless conference room. What are you trying to communicate to your audience? Think about how the location reflects your overall message. It also goes without saying that the place you choose to host your party needs to be comfortable, easy to access and fully catered to your needs (eg. does it have an ice machine? An LCD screen for a powerpoint presentation?). If you find yourself lacking in basic (but expensive) essentials, it’s worth hiring them for your event rather than buying. Best place to do this? Rentuu.com.
2. Leaving your guests hungry or wanting more booze.
Ever been to a party where the booze is flowing but the snacks are nowhere to be seen? We have. Want to know how they end? Drunk, hangry guests left with no memories of the night beyond how hungry they were. The same applies when there’s not enough drink to create that very special ‘buzz’. Make sure you’ve got plenty of both.
3. Being understaffed.
A self-service style buffet is all well and good, but you still need staff to help clean the plates, pour the wine and clear those glasses. It also helps to have someone knowledgeable about the premises who can point you in the right direction (aka - the bathroom). Not having enough staff can render an otherwise flawless event completely chaotic, so don't be stingy and make sure you've got help at hand.
4. Not planning for adverse weather.
The UK is notorious for its bipolar weather tendencies, so it’s vital you have a plan B should things not go as planned. Rain cover is obvious - always make sure you can have a roof over your head - but how on Earth do you prepare for a heatwave? Sweaty, overheated guests tend to make for pretty miserable guests, so make sure you’ve got enough breezy air keeping them cool. Renting air conditioners and fans could be your most useful tool. Best of all, Rentuu has a range of top-quality air conditioners and fans available for hire and you can even rent them for merely a day (or more). Long gone are the days of scrambling for the best quality products to use on short notice - Rentuu takes care of the whole delivery and collected thing for you, making the whole hiring air cons thing super easy.
5. Failing to follow up.
If all went according to plan (or even if not), you must always follow up with your guests. Send them a quick email telling them how much you appreciated their company. If you’re a little more old school - send them a card. If things really didn’t go well - follow up anyway, and make light of whatever may not have worked out in your favour. People always appreciate a sense of humour, honesty, and feeling like you genuinely care.
