Planning a baby shower? A special birthday party? Your organization’s annual fundraising dinner? A customer appreciation week? Then let me mention a word that might make you shudder — logistics! It almost sounds like a military operation or a semi-truck convoy! But the definition applies 100% to planning your event. Logistics is “the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation.” An event is a complex operation with many moving parts — food, entertainment, speeches, décor, invitations, music — so it’s important to have a plan in place to make sure each area is attended to.
Often when hosts need an event planner what they really need is logistics support, another name for Project Management. A good place to start is by creating a list of everything that you need (or aspire to have) and then organizing it in a way that works for you such as by major categories. You can also add timeframes for completion, budget expectations, and even a column for who is responsible. Sometimes just the very process of putting your ideas down on paper helps you get more control of the process and can give you the confidence that you will have a wonderful time at your own party.
Kathryn Komsa Schmidt
201-315-0257