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Summer is the perfect time for hosting exciting events. Whether it is a pool party, karaoke night, backyard BBQ party, or a themed party, you will need careful planning to create a successful summer experience with lasting memories.
Unsure of how to get started?
We are here to help you.
Join us as we discuss super helpful tips and checklists to help you plan the perfect summer event.
How to Plan for the Perfect Summer Event?
Here are some super helpful tips to get your summer event right-
1. Plan ahead (the earlier the better)
If you are serious about organizing an exciting summer event, you have to start early. Begin well in advance by contacting vendors, venues, and other external businesses.
Starting well will give us enough time to address unexpected costs and make necessary adjustments. Also, you will have ample time to market your event to ensure your summer event is housefull.
2. Establish your budget
While planning your budget, remember to sort these 5 things out-
a. Number of Guests
How many guests are you expecting? Are you equipped to handle unexpected guests? How will you distribute the summer event tickets?
b. Venue
The number of guests will determine the size of the venue. And the size of the venue will have an impact on your budget.
If you are holding a corporate summer event, and you don't have sufficient outdoor space on site, consider renting a park, chartering a boat cruise, or taking your team to a baseball game or golf outing.
Whatever venue you choose, make sure it is not too far of a drive for your guests if you are not providing transportation.
c. Catering Services
The menu, the catering service, and the dishes you are planning to serve can make or break your event.
You have to plan for enough food and beverages for everyone but don't forget to provide vegan options as well. You can either hire a catering company or get your team (if it is a corporate event) involved through a company potluck or cook-off.
Here are some inspirations for the menu-
Main Courses
- Burgers & Veggie Burgers
- Hot Dogs or Bratwurst
- Sloppy Joes
- BBQ Chicken
- BBQ Ribs
- Tacos
Sides
- Coleslaw
- Potato Salad
- Grilled Veggies
- Baked Beans
- Mac & Cheese
- Salad
- Fruit
- French Fries
- Pasta Salad
- Corn on the Cobb
- Potato Chips
Desserts
- Ice CreamTable of Brazilian festa Junina
- Pie
- Cake
- Popsicles
- Cotton Candy
- Cookies
Beverages
- Water
- Lemonade
- Iced Tea
- Beer
- Wine
d. Entertainment
Summer events are all about fun and entertainment. Make sure to factor in the cost of hiring entertainers, musicians, or influencers when planning your budget.
e. Equipment & Supplies
If you want your guests to have fun at your summer event, a few party essentials are necessary. You can rent or buy them if you don't already have them.
Some of the types of equipment include tables, chairs, and custom canopies to protect your guests from the sun or the rain. You will also need food service supplies like paper plates, cups cutlery, napkins, and condiments.
3. Plan your date wisely
Summer is a popular time of the year for parties, so you will need to book your venue and suppliers in advance and give your guests plenty of notice.
Initially, it is a good idea to be as flexible as possible when choosing your party date. For instance, if you are hosting a corporate summer event, a weekday afternoon will be a more popular option than weekends and evenings as people won't want to give up their free time.
Also, try to avoid school summer holidays as it can be difficult to organize childcare, and families may have holidays booked.
A good option would be to create a poll of a couple of date options and ask your possible attendees for their input. Of course, you will not find a date that everyone will agree with, so you will most likely need to go with the majority.
4. Promote on social media
Create buzz and excitement around your summer event by promoting your event on social media. The earlier you start the better, try to engage potential attendees by organizing contests or seeking their input for event planning.
Engage your audience by sharing the event preparations and props such as food photos, costume designs, and practice sessions. Here are some ways to promote your event:
- Post a countdown on Instagram Stories
- Create an event page on Facebook
- Post teasers with necessary details
- Create a hashtag around your event
- Give a sneak peek
- Design a custom AR filter for Instagram or Snapchat
- Interview attendees on Instagram Stories
- Live tweet
5. Plan for the weather
Summer weather is unpredictable. You don't know when it shines and when it rains. So make sure you have a backup plan in case it pours heavily, such as an indoor space or structure your guests can take cover under.
Keep some blankets aside too, for when the evening chill rolls in. On the other hand, if the day is a scorcher, make sure you have some sun cream stations, ventilation, and some kind of shade on hand for your guests.
6. Define roles and responsibilities
Develop a chart that clearly outlines each team member's responsibilities. This will help identify the go-to person for specific needs. Effective collaboration and clear communication among team members is a must if you want your summer event to be successful. Having defined responsibilities ensures everyone knows who to approach for assistance without confusion.
7. Conduct practice sessions and walkthroughs
Depending on the nature of your summer event, you may need to conduct practice sessions, dress rehearsals, or walkthrough sessions.
This will help you prepare in advance and identify and address any issues that may arise during the actual event. Don't forget to allocate sufficient time between rehearsals and the live event to handle any challenges efficiently.
8. Show appreciation and thank everyone
When people show up to your event, they decide to give their valuable time. Don't take it for granted and express gratitude to everyone who attended your event. You send follow-up and thank-you emails after the event.
Also, if you are organizing any contest, take the opportunity to announce the winners, and congratulate them. Showing appreciation will help you to connect deeply with your audience which is good for your brand image.
9. Utilize event management software for summer event tickets
An all-in-one event management software can help in ensuring that you organize your event successfully. From registration, and rolling out summer event tickets to event analytics can help you, utilizing ticketing software is a great way to ensure your event runs smoothly.
Quick Checklist Just Before the Summer Event
As you are nearing the big day, hopefully, you are on the right track. Incoming days bring in more stress, so it is the right time to start prepping your guests and yourself for the event.
1 month before the summer event
- Remind your guests by sending out reminders who have confirmed and follow up on the ones who haven't.
- Confirm travel and accommodation by confirming all travel plans and hotel bookings to make sure none of your guests get stranded.
- Finalize the event schedule by adding final touches to the schedule and double-checking all information.
- Brief everyone on duties and event timings and make sure people know and are happy with the schedule of the day.
- Finalize the seating plan if you are planning for a sit-down event.
- Finalize printed materials to make sure they will be delivered in plenty of time before the summer party.
1 week before the summer event
- Get all involved organizers to meet and confirm the final event details. Don't forget to arrange backups for contingencies and worst-case scenarios.
- Provide final guest numbers to your caterer so you don't end up paying for extra food or have any guests not eat.
- Finalize presentations and agenda. Email all speakers and confirm if they are still up for the task.
1 day ahead before the summer event
- Confirm if any media is attending.
- Give a final touch-up to the event space. You might have to do this on the actual day if the venue had other bookings the day before.
- Finalize arrangements for dismantling the event decor including event furniture and cleaning. Make sure to leave the venue clean and tidy to keep up with your brand image.
Conclusion
Planning a summer event takes a lot of planning and attention to detail. We hope by following our tips you create a successful and memorable event.
But for organizing events at a large scale and making sure that everything works smoothly, manual work is not enough. You need to leverage event management software to ensure maximum efficiency and accuracy of work.
Ticket Generator is an all-in-one event management software to streamline your planning process. It offers:
- Seamless registration where you can effortlessly roll out summer event tickets
- Convenient ticket distribution options allow users to download the tickets in printable PDF format, or even make it contactless by sending them via mail and SMS.
- Secure summer event ticket validation process with unique QR Codes.
- Event analytics to help you draw valuable insights about event performance and optimize future summer events more efficiently
