An event where everything runs like clockwork is the dream of everyone who regularly organizes events or stands at trade fairs. There is a lot involved in organizing a trade fair. And on the day itself, things can get pretty hectic.
A script gives you an overview at that moment. But how do you make a script and where do you start? And what things should you really not forget? After reading this article you will have enough tools to make a mega-professional script. This way you can be sure of a carefree day!
Why do I need a script?
Your keynote speaker is at the door. The person who is actually responsible for the event is suddenly ill and there is no one to take care of your speaker. You have no idea what to do. Is she too early? Will she still receive instructions and a welcome package? Your head explodes inside. You hadn’t thought about this at all in addition to a thousand and one other things.
Are you already reading where I’m going with this story? We don’t say preparation is half the battle for nothing. Don’t keep that keynote speaker waiting and be prepared. Create a playbook. It creates clarity, confirms the agreements made, works as a back-up, but above all gives a lot of rest. No script, no dream event.
Script example
Before you start thinking about what time to greet the keynote speaker, write down a global schedule. When making your script, start with the basics: the layout. Create five columns: time, who, what, where, comments. From there you can fill everything in chronologically and you will see that your head will start spinning a lot less from all the blanks of information. Below you can see an example of a script. Time to fill those columns!
Think, think, think…
The foundation of your book is in place. Now put all the facts together and don’t overlook any detail. This is almost impossible to do on your own. Therefore, ask one or more colleagues to think with you. When you are sure that there are no more doomsday scenarios to think about, you can start the event with peace of mind. Yes, a lot of valuable time goes into this. Therefore, start well in advance.
The basics
It’s not just you who needs to keep track. Every employee should know what to do during your trade fair or event. Therefore, make a general overview of the day(s). In doing so, map out the following things:
- The name of the event;
- The expected number of guests;
- The type of event (such as a trade fair or congress);
- the location;
- the date and times (including set-up and breakdown times);
- who is ultimately responsible for the event;
- a list of special guests and speakers. There is nothing more embarrassing than not recognizing a keynote speaker. Uncomfortable for your employee and not a warm welcome for the speaker;
- The phone number of your emergency medical technician or the location of the first aid staff.
Meet and greet
There is a good chance that some participants will not know each other before the event. Therefore invite everyone for a short meeting and go through the script together. Add a page with all participants and their phone numbers. Always designate one person to be in charge. This is also the go-to person when things don’t run smoothly. Again, the more overview, the more employees can focus on their own tasks.
Beginning, middle, and end
By now you know how important preparation is. It is therefore logical that not only the event itself but also the build-up and breakdown need their own script. Who is going to build what in which room? And where can all the rented decor go at the end? These are all things that go faster if you set them up in advance.
Bonus tip: make a separate script for suppliers. That way they don’t have to leaf through a whole book. That saves time.
Safety first
When planning an event you naturally hope for a beautiful end result and happy visitors. But don’t forget to take an emergency situation into account. You want to get everyone out quickly and safely if, for example, a fire breaks out. Therefore, always add an escape route to your book. That way everyone knows how to lead the guests outside in peace and quiet.
Love goes through the stomach
No matter how fun your event is, eventually everyone gets hungry. Nothing is more annoying than an event where there is nothing to snack on.
That’s not only bad for the mood of your visitors, but also for their spirits. Keep them in the loop with bottles of water and different types of fruit. Hand out some sweets to accompany the coffee. Or go all out with a sandwich train at lunchtime.
Write down how many guests you are expecting, the time something is served, the location, what you are serving, and who is responsible for this.
All’s well that ends well
Your event is over. At half-past five the last visitor has left the door and your stomachs are starting to rumble. But before everyone rushes home, there are still the finishing touches to be done. Fortunately, you’ve written a script for this as well. Haven’t you? You can easily add another two hours to the original dismantling schedule.
Bonus tip: can the dismantling take a while? First, arrange something to eat. This will give everyone enough energy to go out one last time.
Create an overview
You have thought out all the details. You look at the end result and notice that your brain suddenly gets an overkill of black and white. Do not get lost in the maze of times and words. Organizing an event is pretty exciting.
So give your eyes a rest if you need to look something up. Play with color so that you and all other readers immediately see where they need to look. This not only looks calmer, it also reads a lot faster. Kill two birds with one stone!
Evaluating is learning
You can only learn by making mistakes. And you will undoubtedly make some now. That’s a good thing! Because you can take those learning moments with you to the next trade fair on your agenda. Evaluate while everything is still fresh in your mind. Add an evaluation form to the end of your script. Afterward, you can discuss all the bottlenecks and use them as useful feedback for the next even more successful event.