10 Event Planning Tips From Quora Experts

For event organizers, Quora is a great place to pick up some great event planning tips, to get started, we’ve searched for the must-follow Quora Questions that will help readers to become even better event organizers.

Keep in mind that if you have a question about organizing an event, conference, meetup or trade show, Quora is a great way to ask industry experts for their advice. Who knows, if you ask a fantastic question and it receives great answers, your post might also become a must follow Quora Question!

1. Which social media platforms do you use for promoting your events?

Social media is important to all businesses today. Event planners have named traditional networks like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn (here’s a helpful article for promoting an event on LinkedIn) among the top social networking platforms they use to improve their event marketing.

2. What is the best event planning app on the web?

This is one of the more subjective Quora Questions, but it’s always a good idea to gather multiple opinions. While multiple event app companies were mentioned, the right answer truly depends on what your needs as an event organizer are.  For more information on how to determine what event app is best for you, check out this guide filled with great event planning tips on how to choose a great event app.

3. How do I improve my event planning skills?

This question is on the minds of many event planners, and thankfully the Quora community has plenty of answers! Quora users recommend spending time with the event organizers you respect to pick up invaluable event planning tips. Furthermore, Quora community members stress the importance of always asking other organizers questions.

Another great way to improve as an event organizers is to gain experience. A great way to do this is to volunteer to help organize charity events. You’ll be able to work with fellow event organizers, while also contributing your time to a good cause.

4. What qualities do event organizers seek in conference speakers?

Choosing a great event speaker or a panel of speakers is probably one of the most important tasks event planners have to complete. Your speakers are important, they’re the people your attendees will be talking about for days and months leading up to and after an event or conference.

The best speakers are effective storytellers. A great speaker can keep an audience engaged by fusing education and entertainment into one single presentation.

5. How can conference organizers coach their speakers to deliver a killer presentation?

Above all it’s critical to find good speakers – not good names. Your attendees will quickly forget that they aren’t familiar with a speaker once they hear what he or she has to say.

It’s also key to set clear guidelines, make sure all speakers know how presentations should look, how long presentations should be, and provide them with a detailed outline of what attendees will be expecting from them. Step-by-step how-to’s, or something that is more broad and provoking.

Perhaps most importantly, it’s key to let speakers know why they were selected. If you can’t communicate this to a speaker, than you need to re-evaluate why they were selected.

6. What are some useful books and resources on professional events and conference planning?

Event planners are always on the go, they often turn to online resources for advice and best practices. Some great event planning resources are listed within the Quora answer chain, additionally, organizers should check out the 9 Books All EventProfs Should Read for helpful event planning tips.

7. Which tool is better for event planning purposes? Trello, Basecamp or something else?

Event planners are the ultimate multitaskers. With several clients, speakers, venues and attendees to communicate with on a daily basis, chaos is only one mistake away. This is why event planners need tools that can break everything down into manageable tasks.

Basecamp, Trello and Asana are collaborative project management tools design to make it easier to manage various tasks. You can assign tasks and communicate with your team on all three platforms which prevents miscommunication and makes better events. Which tool is the best depends on who you ask, they’re all good in their own way. Read about their pros and cons on Quora.

8. What is the most important part of event planning? Why?

Every event planner is different, so what is most important to one event planner may not be important at all to another. However all event planners can agree that your attendees are a very important part of every event you organize.

Event planners on Quora also listed time, location, venue, budget, decorations, catering, technical supplies, program and sponsors as key considerations when organizing an event or conference.

9. What are some of the greatest obstacles event planners face today?

Many event planners on Quora believe that networking can be the most challenging part of the the job – especially for those just starting out. One way to overcome this obstacle is by setting yourself apart from other event planners in the room. Be prepared to sell your best assets. Discussing your strengths and experiences in your field is one way you can stand out from the crowd.

10. How do people with consistently stressful jobs stay calm?

Event planning may be your dream job, but sometimes making calls and dealing with difficult clients can feel like a nightmare. A little patience can go along way when you’re under a lot of pressure. Allow yourself to step away from a stressful situation for a few minutes – even a few seconds if you’re strapped for time. Don’t forget to take some deep breaths.

Additionally, what you do in your spare time can have an impact on the way you deal with demanding tasks at work. Meditation, light exercise and a healthy diet can help you better cope with stresses at work.

We’ve noticed that a lot of event-related Quora questions have to do with event planning terms. So rather than having to turn to Quora every time you have a question about a term, we decided to create a free downloadable guide. To grab your free copy, click the button below!