The key to pulling off a successful event is all in the detail – even a small oversight in logistical planning can have a dramatic impact, leaving you with less than satisfied attendees and high stress levels. 

In today’s post, the packaging experts at Kendon Packaging will be offering some guidance on handling event logistics, ensuring you stay cool, calm and collected during every stage of your event. From venue reconnaissance and staff management to communication and contingency plans, we’ll be covering all the critical logistic factors that will guarantee everything runs smoothly from start to finish. 

Allow plenty of time to select your venue

Selecting and securing the right venue is the cornerstone of a successful event planning strategy and should be one of the first things you do. Starting early in this process will not only allow more time to scout venues and avoid availability issues, but it will also give you sufficient time for planning the rest of your event. 

Photo by Jakob Dalbjörn

Naturally, each event will have different requirements for a venue depending on size, sector and target audience. However, here are a few key considerations that should be applicable to any venue you plump for. 

• Opt for a venue that matches your brand and core message to avoid confusing attendees, ensuring there is a clear connection between the two
• Consider venues that add brand value – an unconventional space can be highly effective in adding interest to your event and all-important social sharing on the day
• Factor in the practical elements, such as location and transportation, accessibility for vendors and attendees alike, catering and necessary equipment hire
• Allow extra time for paperwork and permits. From public liability insurance and health and safety checks to special permits and licences, be sure to do thorough research on any official paperwork needed to host your event well ahead of the day. You should also allow a buffer for any unexpected paperwork that could arise to avoid unnecessary stress

Map your layout

With a venue booked, it’s time to start planning your event layout. Understanding your key requirements from the start will make this process simpler. For instance, if you have a focal point like a stage or a central attraction, use this as the starting point to configure the positioning of other elements, such as seating, vendor stalls, equipment and entry and exit points. 

This provides the perfect basis for planning the navigation of your event and managing crowd flow from start to finish. Identifying entry and exit points – as well as any hotspots where queues may form ahead of the event – allows you to anticipate and implement measures in advance, leaving you with one less headache on the day!

Brief your staff

For a smooth, stress-free running event, it’s vital to ensure staff are fully briefed and prepared well in advance – being clear and concise with communications to ensure they understand their responsibilities and tasks. 

It’s also a good idea to implement a definitive chain of command for staff. Appointing key team members in different departments, who are equipped to deal with issues that may arise during the event will help prevent the situation from escalating. 

While this may require additional training, it’ll be time well spent. Firstly, staff members will have a designated point of contact, resolving issues faster; secondly, there will be less demand on your time to resolve every minor problem, allowing you to focus on bigger priorities. 

Embrace technology

When it comes to managing event planning, technology is definitely your friend. The advent of event technology has made it easier than ever to manage events and streamline processes across the board – allowing you to keep a cool head. 

With the ability to organise projects, sell tickets and promote your event with apps like Get Invited, with the click of a button, event planners and their teams can now see project progress in real time – saving valuable time, money and paperwork at every step. 

This technology can also be harnessed in post-event analysis too, offering a continued connection with attendees and helping to identify successes and failures of the execution. 

Make contingency plans

Even the most robust event planning logistics should always have a ‘plan B’ up their sleeve – because there are some things you just can’t predict. From technology failures to inclement weather or no-show caterers, planning for every eventuality is part and parcel of successfully navigating event logistics. 

Where possible try to anticipate any potential problems beforehand, putting a contingency plan in place just in case. Also, be sure to communicate back up plans to staff and so they know what actions need to be taken to find the fastest solution and keep a cool head.

Always over-communicate

While your website may have all the key information your vendors and event-goers may possibly need, don’t always assume they’ve read it. From questions about pre-event day access for vendors to opening times and parking on the day, communicate all your key messages as much and as clearly as you can.

From auto-reply emails with frequently asked questions to regular updates on social media and clear signposting on the day, wherever possible keep your core messages visible and easy for to find.  

With so many different things to consider with putting on an event of any size, it’s normal to feel a little flustered at times. However, with these event logistic planning hacks, you’ll hopefully be far better-equipped to stay cool, calm and collected before, during and after your event. 

Author Bio

Alex Jones is a content creator for Kendon Packaging. Now one of Britain’s leading packaging companies, Kendon Packaging has been supporting businesses nationwide since the 1930s.

Event marketing enables you to expand your professional network, can be used to progress a career, or it can help foster new partnerships. There are different types of event, from exhibitions and expos, to specific experiential marketing stands.

With over a 70% success rate, experiential events are taking the exhibition world by storm. The problem is that experiential experiences can be a tricky process to get right. So how do you remove the hassle from creating the perfect experience for your brand?

Contracts form an integral part in any business relationship, including in event management. Whether you are planning your own wedding, arranging a sporting event, or are organising a corporate event, all parties need to know where they stand.

Is your event showing up on Google? If not, you’re missing out on a significant share of traffic from implementing a good event SEO strategy. You probably know that 9 in 10 online experiences start with Google search. But, did you know that 89% of people use search when deciding about whether to purchase a ticket or not?

Every event planner knows that when it comes to organising an event there are multiple moving parts. Depending on the type of your event, you have to arrange accommodations, security, special needs requirements, catering, transportation and event signage.

Running an event can be a complicated, incredibly involved affair. It’s easy to make mistakes – easy to overlook minor legal issues here and there. But you cannot afford to do that. You need to do everything in your power to keep your event above-board. Here’s how.

Partnering with an influencer can provide your business with a range of benefits. Higher social reach, improved brand awareness, and a better relationship with your target audience are all within your reach through influencer marketing.

Marketers are transforming their approach to event marketing by adopting experiential marketing tactics to improve engagement and consumer interest.

Being responsible for the finances of a large-scale event is an intricate and methodical task. It’s essential that organisers are able to show great attention to detail, be flexible, multitask, and exercise their social skills – including the ability to barter, and a deep understanding of the various attributes and requirements which make a large-scale event safe, enjoyable and within budget.

Pulling off a memorable, disaster-free event is no easy feat – even when you’re on your home turf. Make that an overseas event and you’ve got a challenge on your hands.

Nowadays, any event that takes place across the country needs to have an eco-friendly ethos at heart, and a wedding fair is no different.

Event planning for a sporting event can be a challenge, especially considering the huge array of factors that an event organiser needs to consider when putting on an occasion of any size. 

Another GDPR post? I guess you’re probably sick of hearing about GDPR by this stage. However, we’re a bunch of sadists at Get Invited, and we simply want to add to your pain 🙂

Whether you’re a seasoned event organiser or fairly new to the world of event planning, you’ll soon come to realise that the success of an event isn’t solely dependent on how everything turns out on the day.

Today, we’re announcing the release of our new ticket booking engine and widget.

The new design fits snugly into the new event pages we rolled out earlier this year. Not only does it look great – buying tickets is now easier and faster than ever for your customers, especially for multiple-date events.

GDPR, or The General Data Protection Regulations is coming into force on 25th May and applies to every business working with people within the EU.

We wanted to take this opportunity to share with our customers how we’re preparing for GDPR to keep your personal data secure.

Are you organising an event?

Are you feeling overwhelmed with the administrative tasks you’ve to complete?

Are you having nightmares that the venue double books you?

‘So, can I ask what your budget is for the event?’ – The event agency isn’t asking you this because they are nosey, it is because from the moment they receive your brief, be it for a high or low budget event, they need to have an understanding of what you are looking for so they can manage your expectations.

Any event organiser will understand the sheer complexity of putting together an event that checks all the boxes – from convenience and comfort to top-notch refreshments and entertainment.

For exhibition and event marketers, the design of exhibition stands is extremely important. After all, it provides an opportunity to draw attention to a stand and gain a competitive edge over other exhibiting companies, while also telling an audience something about the business or brand itself.



We caught up with Martin Gilchrist to learn about his experience running his first event. Martin organised Micro Marketing – 3 Perspectives to celebrate his 10th anniversary of Gilchrist & Co Ltd – Chartered Accountants. He shares some excellent tips for first-time event organisers to help deliver an awesome event that people love.

The fashion industry is renowned for being home to some of the most daring, offbeat and outrageously creative minds found anywhere in the business world – meaning fashion fair events offer a chance to embrace the glorious spectacle resulting from brands of all shapes and sizes coming together in the name of cutting-edge clothing.

Great news for event organisers! We’ve just released a brand new event page design.

We’ve taken on-board your feedback and decided it was time for a complete redesign from the ground up, offering a beautifully fresh new design and improved features.

Whether you’re a regular on the events scene or planning your first ever fair, it probably won’t be long before you’re feeling overwhelmed by your ‘to do’ list. With everything from the venue to the invites to factor in, it can be easy to overlook some of the most important aspects of event planning – and that’s where we come in.

As a nation of food lovers, the UK offers a fabulous year-round selection of food and drink festivals, serving up tasty treats to satisfy all kinds of appetites. But the secret to pulling off an unforgettable food and drink focused event that will leave your audience ready for seconds is this: simply securing a great venue and great products isn’t enough.

When it comes to event marketing, it’s important to take a unified approach to build valuable relationships with your audience.

For any of our customers who are Game of Thrones fans, we hope you enjoyed the Winterfell festival in Northern Ireland. We had the pleasure of working with the National Trust, to ticket for the festival, and sold just under 3,500 tickets in less than six weeks!

What worked a few years ago for event planners might not work quite so well today. This is especially true when advances in event technology are taken into consideration. For example, why send paper invites when online event registration platforms will help you ticket your event and achieve so much more?

Welcome to the latest instalment of our event tech series! Every so often, something major happens that changes how events are planned or even attended. Right now, that something is virtual reality. In this blog, we’re going to discuss what exactly VR is, what it means for event professionals, and what you can expect to pay if you want to integrate it into your business.

How do you run a business from 6,000 miles away? As a company that’s got a lot of experience in this area, that’s the question that we’re sometimes asked in Get Invited. The short answer is, it takes a dedicated team, zero interest in the traditional 9 to 5, and being happy to work wherever there’s a wifi signal!

For a while we’ve been hearing about augmented reality and how it’s a must-have for all event planners into event tech. Let’s be honest, does anyone really know what it is? If you’re among the many who feel that they need to brush up on AR and what it means for the events industry, this post is for you!

The average time an event planner has to plan an event is just six weeks. With clients to please, guests to engage, and budgets to balance, there’s just no room for anything unexpected to occur! With this easy to follow guide, event planners can secure everything necessary for the event, create an engaging marketing strategy, and cope with last minute changes.

There’s a lot of exciting tech that’s currently used by the big players in the event planning industry. It’s all aimed at getting guests talking, ensuring they experience something new, and building the reputation of the planner. But, what if you can’t afford to hire the professionals and / or their equipment?

Nothing makes people want to attend an event more than telling them that it’s exclusive! For starters, there’s the promise that the event will be extravagant and luxurious beyond their wildest dreams. And there’s also the added incentive to purchase tickets ASAP as numbers are limited. Read on to see how to plan, promote and host a must-attend VIP event.  Scratch that – THE must-attend VIP event.

Online event registration platforms are the supercharged ultra-clever tools that turn good charity events into amazing charity events! They’re the secret that helps charity event organisers in the know achieve a lot in very little time. From collecting information about attendees, to promoting the event, and setting up tiered donations, they make it easier for you to sell more tickets and promote your cause.

There are few things that are more likely to cause panic in the heart of an event planner than a lot of unsold tickets right before an event. The best way to avoid this stressful situation is to come up with some great ideas to encourage attendees to register early.

In this blog, we’re going to look at practical ways to turn those procrastinators into early birds!

Social media isn’t a one-way conversation. As well as responding to followers, successful event planners listen to what they’re saying. This is known as social listening. Tuning into comments about your own events, your event business, and your chosen niche are an invaluable way of understanding your customers and their preferences.

Making your event as profitable as possible is easier than you might think. From securing small sponsorships to unmissable VIP packages, these six tips will help boost your ticket sales sky high!

If there’s one word that describes the build up to an event, it would be ‘intense’. Or ‘hectic’. Or maybe even ‘stressful’. However you prefer to describe it, most event planners would agree that afterwards everyone breathes a sigh of relief and then moves straight onto the next event. But is that really the best approach?

In this series, we’re sharing the stories of some of our customers. From large organisations putting on events for hundreds of attendees, to small businesses organising charity fundraising events, they share their experiences of event planning using Get Invited. Enjoy!

Branding is so much more than telling the world an event was planned by your company. It tells the story of the event. When it’s done right, branding sends clear signals to guests for everything from the clothes they should wear, to the tone and feel of the occasion.

As event organisers, we’re lucky enough to be part of some of the most important moments of our clients’ lives. When an author chooses you to organise their book launch, they’ve entrusted you to put together an event that celebrates the hours of work they have dedicated to their endeavours. So, it goes without saying that you want to do them proud!

Organising an event in an unusual location ticks all boxes when it comes to attendee engagement and making a name for your business. But, what about the realities of parking, public transport, wifi and catering? We help readers strike a balance between fun and functional when it comes to the venue.

If there just aren’t enough hours a day, what should you do (after congratulating yourself on the success of your busy event business!)? You could hire more staff, but that requires time and money. Why not take on less work? Not an option if you want to continue growing your business. Or, you could get organised.

You’ve put your heart and soul into organising a great event and you think it’s gone well. But then, your bubble is burst when a critical email arrives. Sound familiar? Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, but it can be hard to remain calm when you feel that your efforts are being unfairly slated!

Venue booked? Yeap. Menu choices made? Check. Transport? Sorted. At this stage, the main elements of the festive winter party have been organised. But if you want to have an office party to remember, it’s the little things that count. In this post, we share the tips that the pros use to take the Christmas party to the next level.

What’s the most difficult part about setting up a new events organisation? Getting the word out about your services? Hiring staff? Securing your first paying customer? These are certainly all very difficult, but choosing a name that stands out, that tells others what your business stands for, is for many the most daunting part of starting a new company.

Event planners only have a finite time to do what often seems like an infinite number of tasks. For businesses that wish to stay lean and keep costs down, hiring an assistant might not be possible. But have you considered taking on a VA to take care of day to day admin?

Do you need to be selfish, economical with the truth, and see your customers as walking pound signs in order to be successful? We don’t think so. Being ‘nice’ doesn’t mean you’re not serious about your business.

Most of us hit the delete button when we receive an email from an organisation we don’t recognise. Social proof is an effective way of leveraging other people’s experiences to promote your event.

Finding the right keynote speaker (for the right budget) isn’t an easy task. Do you even need a special guest speaker? We look at the reasons for and against the traditional way to do events.

Choosing the right theme sets the tone for your corporate event. Make it interesting, edgy and of course, fun, and attendees will be signing up in droves!

Millennials are the most studied group around, from their preferred style of learning, to their ideal workspace.

In this post, we take the research on people born from 1982 to 2004 and use it to set out the types of events that appeal most to Millennials.

Organising a kids’ Halloween party is easy, but what do you do if your guests aren’t interested in trick-or-treating or bobbing for apples?

We share tips on creating a classy, fun Halloween event for grown-ups.

A hungry guest is the last thing any event planner wants to see. But not everyone wants to sit down to one huge meal. Here’s our guide to planning for guests who want to snack throughout the day.

If your marketing budget is small (or even non-existent), don’t panic! There are still many creative ways to get the word out that a great event is about to happen.

This is 2016 – phones are used for so much more than texting and playing Snake! So, enough with the ‘please switch your phone off’ request at the start of the conference! At Get Invited, we believe that phones should be kept on. Do you agree?

We love facts and figures, especially when it comes to event planning. Using data, you can get much closer to answering the $100 million question for all event professionals: “What can I do to sell more tickets?”

No one knows more about what your guests want from an event than the guests, right? By asking attendees what they would like to learn from a forthcoming conference, they get what they want, and you can be certain you’re planning something they will find valuable. It’s win – win!

If your career in events consumes your every waking minute, that’s a sign of three things:

1. You love your job.
2. You’re 100% committed to making every event a huge success.
3. Striking a balance between work and play will make you a stronger, more inspired event professional.

To make a real impact with your event, think colour. By synergising the colour scheme, flowers, lighting and décor, you can make an impression on your guests. How do you choose the right colour theme for your event? The best place to start is by asking yourself some questions…

If you’re constantly searching for ways to set your next event apart, then you can’t go wrong when it comes to changing up the food. Rather than serving yet another finger buffet, treat your guests to something different. A taste of the past (with a modern twist) is sure to bring a smile to people’s faces!

When it comes to drinks at your event, you can really get creative. Why not tap into the trend for craft beer? Around the world, small breweries have reinvented and revived the humble ale. From big, hoppy pale ales, to craft beers with intense tropical notes, there’s a beer for everybody (and don’t forget the non-alcoholic option!).

What approach do you take to planning events? Do you prefer the creative, spontaneous approach? Or do you enjoy carefully planning every element (and then putting together Plan B and Plan C)?

We don’t know about you, but we’ve noticed that summer is a great time for attending conferences and expos. There’s so much on offer! We love spending the day meeting new people and getting inspired by fantastic ideas (and the evening exploring the city!).

As an event planner, one of your most important tasks is to market your event so getting an invite is everyone’s top priority! Video is an effective – and inexpensive – way to get the word out that your event is happening. We share practical advice on creating video that makes your event and your organisation look fabulous!

Something unexpected happens on the day of your event. You move from being the organisational genius behind the scenes, to a role in that’s very much in the glare of the spotlight as the Hub of Party Information. Stay on top of everything with these questions that guests are likely to ask before and during your event.

If you’re having a posh party, everything MUST go right. But we know that’s not always the reality of even the best planned events! Here’s the Get Invited guide to hosting a stylish event and dealing with any niggling issues, the classy way.

Hosting a fundraiser is a great way to give something back, as well as make some new connections. If you’re thinking about planning a fundraiser, here’s our list of the 10 most common fundraiser types and key points to take into consideration for planning (including when to send out tickets through Get Invited)!

Networking events pose a particular set of challenges for the event planner. How do you make sure people attend? Participate? Get something out of it? Follow the steps below to run a successful networking event from start to finish!

Social media is all about the here and now. When it comes to keeping people updated about your event, live Twitter feeds are a great way to generate interest about the event itself. Here’s how to live tweet yourself (while accomplishing a million other tasks in true event prof style!) and encourage your attendees to tweet too.

When you think about it – events have a big impact on the environment. There’s electricity, heating, air conditioning, travel, and ticketing. The good news is there are lots of ways you can offset this AND impress delegates. The trick is to tear up the rule book and re-think everything you know about event organisation… Organising a green event is a cinch with the Get Invited guide!

One of the biggest challenges in organizing an event is getting people—people you like, people you know are reliable—to just stinkin’ RSVP!!!

Hey, did you know you can sell tickets on your own website using the Get Invited widget? This allows you to give your guests a seamless ticket-buying experience, where they never have to leave your event page!

Something we’ve been thinking about a lot recently at Get Invited is language. We have customers all over the world and it’s important for us to offer a first class service to them, wherever they’re based. This is why we’ll be rolling out integrated languages that will make the booking process easier for our customers (that’s you!) and your customers.

Corporate event partnerships are everywhere – major sporting events, local events, regional award dinners. Wherever there’s an event, there’s likely to be an event partner or sponsor attached. But when you’re approaching businesses for support, it can feel like no one’s interested in sponsoring your event.

Today we’re celebrating our second birthday. We’ve put together a little infographic of what we’ve been up-to over the past two years.

We have all been there, an email notification appears on your phone – you have been invited to another networking event.

Ever wondered what it’s like to organise an event with over 95,000 attendees? We caught up with Michael O’Hara from Mobile World Congress during his recent trip to Belfast and asked him a few questions about organising one of the worlds largest technology conferences.

You have your venue booked, a stunning menu planned and you’re posting about your event every day but just not reaching your ticket sales goal? How can you extend your reach and sell more tickets?

When it comes to running an event you will always have a plan. The well known saying “No plan survives contact with the enemy” holds true when it comes to keeping an event running on schedule. The enemy in this instance? Problems.

Successful networking is a blend of strategic planning and serendipity. You can maximise the opportunities available to you when meeting new people by following these 7 handy networking tips.

What gets you up in the morning and into the office? Is it the pay cheque or is there something else that drives you? I shared some experience from my own career and some tips on how to stay motivated to work hard.

Is it just me, or is there just too much conflicting advice on the web for social media marketing?

What’s it like working for a startup? Long hours, no manual, high risk and you never really switch off. Would you do it?

Some people are better at networking that others. There are those who can confidently walk into a room and glide from person to person, dispensing business cards and riveting conversation, whilst others find the whole ordeal quite uncomfortable and spend most of the evening in the corner of the room, on their phone or looking at their shoes.

Last week myself and the team attended the annual, highly acclaimed Digital DNA Conference, held in Titanic, Belfast.

It’s hard to believe that Get Invited, which started as a masters project between myself and co-founder David Turner (under the guidance of our lecturer and fellow co-founder, Christopher Murphy) has quickly grown into a global platform.

Do you have an event coming up at Halloween? By this stage you have probably already planned all the finer details, however it’s never too late to add some last minute touches to join in on the Halloween celebrations.

We hit the press this week as we officially announced our partnership with the worlds biggest start up conference, LAUNCH Festival 2015.

Are you one of the 8 million people that tune in to the UK X Factor every week?

The music talent show has been on our screens for over 10 years now, and love it, or loath it, it is still one of the most watched shows on british television.

With every event you organise, there is always the chance that someone will act in an undesirable manner. Everyone is human and unfortunately not all of our traits are positive ones. How do you handle these situations?

I don’t know about you, but it seems that with every new invite I receive, event dress codes become more cryptic “dress to impress”, “dress stylish”, “dress for the season”.

Over the past 5 years, Not-for-profits and charitable organisations have experienced a decline in donations, and are having to work twice as hard to raise much needed funds.

I was lucky enough recently to attend one of my closest friends wedding. She is an extremely creative and talented young woman, who happens to be involved in the events industry herself, so her friends and family always knew her special day would be phenomenal.

Business events can be some of the hardest to pull off. The idea of getting up early to network with people they hardly know, can fill some of your attendees with dread. Pair that with being sat in a dreary conference room, eating from the same menu they had last week, means your event won’t be one they will be rushing back to.

Increasingly, over the past few years, social media marketing for events has proven to be an effective and important way to promote event awareness. However, with so many platforms out there it can be hard to get a grasp of how to use each one effectively. For this article, I thought I would focus on the untapped visual discovery tool, Pinterest.

One of the best things about working at Get Invited is that I get to find out about all the great new events, before they even go live! In fact, last week I attended an event organised by our friend Dean Langasco ‘A Joyful Guide to Content Marketing, on board the SS Nomadic Belfast.

Events are all about creating amazing experiences to connect people. Great food can be a wonderful facilitator for this, after all, for most of us, it is a fairly common denominator.

Having moved to NYC three years ago, I have come across some of the most wonderful event spaces imaginable. This is the city that never sleeps, so when it comes to events, parties and bars, this city really goes to town.

This week we’re in New York meeting with some great new people and checking out the vibrant events scene here.

Organising events can be an extremely stressful affair; battling ever changing guest lists, ludicrous dietary requirements and mind-boggling technical fails. You are essentially the Lara Croft of event management.

I recently took a trip to the vibrant city of Barcelona. The city is home to some of the world’s most beautiful architecture, including the infamous Gaudi works. The streets are a mishmash of ornately designed traditional buildings amongst zany futuristic structures. It shouldn’t work, but it just does!

At Get Invited, we are continuously striving to create the best possible experience for our users. This means that, whilst we are constantly building and shipping new features, we are conscious not to neglect the existing product.

Earlier in the year, one of our clients, Craig Lockwood from The Web is, came to us with an unusual request. Having just purchased an Arduino (an electronics prototyping platform), he had the unique idea to build a mini-computer inside a giant piece of Lego, which could display a live feed of his ticket sales on Get Invited. Brilliant!

Organising an event, whether large or small can be a challenging affair. However, the real difficulty lies in getting people to attend.

When it comes to selling tickets for your event, you will already have a million and one things to think about, but have you thought about how you are going to collect your money?

The role of digital technology for an events professional today is much more integral than it was even five years ago. The rise of mobile technologies continues to be more pervasive in the industry, and attendees have a greater level of sophistication and intelligence, expecting almost everything to be accessible in real time.

We’ve hit two very exciting milestones recently that we’re very excited to share with you.

The last few months for us have been a whirlwind of emotion and opportunities – we’ve acquired our first customers, sponsored a conference, raised some money and added some great new members to our team. We’re embarking on a very exciting journey and now we’d love to share this with you.