I recently had an event planner client ask me how I schedule out my days and what systems I use.
(I coach event planners on how to start an event planning business without making costly mistakes or help kick their existing business to the next level.)
The first thing I do each day is workout for at least 30 minutes. I need to get my workouts in first thing in the morning or I will get too busy or too tired later in the day and won’t work out.
Working out helps keep my mind clear, as event planning can be extremely stressful, and helps keep my body strong for the strenuous on-site work of an event.
After my workout I check Wunderlist. Wunderlist is a great free tool that helps keep my team and me on track with our daily tasks.
Bookmark it to your search engine so you can quickly access each day.
I try to accomplish at least two to three tasks on the list each day. As you check things off it has this fun dinging noise that gives me the satisfaction that I have accomplished something (sometimes it’s the simple things in life that bring us joy).
The next thing I do is pop into my social media platforms to see if there are any referrals I need to attend to. I give myself no more than 15 minutes in the mornings as I don’t want to get distracted from the things I need to do in my day. Set an alarm if you aren’t disciplined.
We use Google Drive and Dropbox to organize our events. We put all our current working documents such as the event workbook, comparison chart, meeting notes, sponsorship and speaker agreements, etc. in Google Drive.
We us Dropbox for venue and vendor documents, floor plans, invoices from vendors, logos, printing needs, marketing materials, etc.
We could keep everything on Google Drive but we like to keep them separate so we aren’t relying on one system in case anything happens to one or the other.
We have tried many event planning software programs but in the end we find Google Drive and Dropbox to work the best for us.
To save time from being out of the office for long periods of time, we use Zoom for our meetings. It gives you the option to speak from a phone line or speak face-to-face. It’s an inexpensive way to meet with people and saves a ton of time in your day.
I have had colleagues and coaches talk about blocking off time each day for certain tasks. For example, on Mondays they do all their financing and invoicing, Tuesdays are blocked for meetings out of the office, etc. I have tried this system but it’s extremely hard as things come up all the time with clients.
One thing I do not do is schedule meetings with vendors. I don’t have time to meet with photographers, videographers, printers, florists, etc. These types of meetings take up too much time in our day but I do respond to all their emails and add them to our vendor list.
However, there are times I will meet with a vendor if there is an opportunity were we could partner on an event together.
In the end, everything I do is scheduled on my iMac calendar. As an event planner, we need to be extremely flexible. Clients come first, so if we have to switch gears to handle a task for a client, we will move our schedule around.
I would love to learn how you schedule out your week and what systems you use.
WE’D LOVE FOR YOU TO SHARE THIS IN YOUR NEWSLETTER OR WEBSITE BUT PLEASE INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING COMPLETE INFORMATION: Event Producer Strategist, Entrepreneur, Speaker, and Coach, Annette Naif, CEO & Creative Director of Naif Productions.
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About Naif Productions:
Naif Productions is a strategic event planning, design and production firm specializing in corporate, live coaching sales events, social, non-profit, and weddings. Based in New York City, we produce events worldwide from Fortune 500 clients and coaches to families and charities. Naif Productions specializes in helping clients attain their goals, realize return on investment, and achieve the most unique, creative experiences.
About Annette Naif:
Since 1986 Annette Naif has been designing and producing custom events, helping clients create their unique style that translates into a memorable and profitable experience. Annette spent 17 years producing events in the motion picture industry where she helped coordinate numerous productions for film and episodic television programs. Since then Annette’s been running her own event production company, coaching other event planners, teaching an event operations and production course at NYU, and now is the CEO & Creative Director of Naif Productions.