Goal setting can be a team effort.
Determine Your Event’s Goals, Use Your Resources to Make Them Happen
You are throwing an event because you want to make something special happen. You want your guests to enjoy themselves, have an enriching experience, and maybe even learn a thing or two.
Write down what those goals right now. Get a sheet of paper and write a bulleted list. After each goal, write why that goal is important and how you plan to achieve it. I’ll wait right here while you do that…
Regarding your entertainment choices, one or two of those goals will pertain directly to the entertainment. And, you should tell them what those goals are. Do you want to have people laugh? Do you want them to learn about your new product in a unique way? Do you have a core message or concept you want people to walk away with? A good entertainer can customize their show to suit those needs directly. They will have done their show thousands of times. Because of this, they know how to to break script to inject a customized message and still deliver it in an exciting way. (This is a service I am proud to provide my clients).
Regarding the budget goal: I firmly believe hiring by price shouldn’t be the only concern (this goes for all types of vendors). There is always someone willing to undercut, so where does the line get drawn? My advice: forget the line completely. First think about your goals, set a realistic budget, and then see what choices you have. You may can always adjust as you go.
The best part of this approach is that because you will be more focused on your goals, you will naturally seek out the best options for your event. This is because accomplishing those goals becomes the prime focus, the budget simply serves as a guideline (instead of being the main focus).
If you truly do not have a budget for entertainment, then you will need to weigh your options carefully, and perhaps even skip the entertainment entirely.
The very last step is to hang those goals above your desk so you can see them as you plan the event. Don’t ever forget them, because planning an event can be stressful. It can be tempting to lose sight of what is important. Luckily, because you’ve defined your goals, you can stay true to them as you plan ahead.
