It may be a conference, presentation meeting, exhibition, course, seminar, training exercise; team building event or even your Christmas party, no matter the event there's always lots to think about.

At Booking Partners we have a wealth of experience in organising events big or small so we know a thing or two about event organisation. If you're just starting the process of planning your event you might find our handy overview guide invaluable. See below for a rough guide to what you'll need to think about for different event types.

To plan any event whether it's a conference, training or team building event or even your corporate Christmas party you'll need to start by looking at the number of attendees you want to host and this will then dictate the room size you'll require. Once you know your numbers you can begin to think about and list the things you'll need.

Conference

If you're planning on organising a conference in the coming months there are a number of things to consider. Some examples are:

• your room layout e.g. U-shape or theatre.
• your equipment needs e.g. flip chart, podium for speakers, overhead projector, plasma LCD screens, video walls, 4k HD screens, touch screens to sound components from microphones and speakers to surround sound.
• a Wi-Fi internet connection.
• a welcome packet made up of a notepad and pen, water or a soft drink.
• the type of catering you'll provide e.g. coffee, tea, soft drinks, a buffet or sit down lunch.
• additional services e.g. accommodation if your conference is planned over a number of days, a business centre if your attendees require faxing facilities or other business needs, a place to get away from the conference where attendees can network or relax.

Course/Seminar/Training

For a training event your venue needs may overlap with those of a conference but some things will be different. You should think about:

• how to arrange your room so that attendees get the most out of their training e.g. cabaret, classroom, fishbone or half-moon may work best.
• the technical equipment required e.g. a screen, projector, laptop, flip chart, television and/or DVD player.
• a Wi-Fi internet connection.
• a welcome packet made up of a notepad and pen, water or a soft drink.
• catering needs are likely to be the same or similar to a conference e.g. coffee, tea, soft drinks, a buffet or sit down lunch.

Team Building Program

A team building event's requirements can be very different from a formal conference or training session. You should consider:

• keeping your room layout flexible. That way you can change the activities and keep things mobile if you need to. In fact you may want to move away from the typical classroom setup and use an outdoors space. The size of the space you'll need will depend on your numbers and the activities you want to undertake.
• your equipment needs will vary too as you don't need to be so formal so podiums, projectors and flip charts can take a back seat and be replaced by microphones, music, equipment related to your team building activity. Think outside the box and you'll come up with some great team building ideas.
• what, if any, stationery you need will be dependent on whether you want the participants to take notes or simply enjoy the day, away from the office, team building with their colleagues.
• your catering requirements may need to be flexible too, perhaps a light snack during breaks or simply water, a soft drink, tea or coffee. Lunch may also need to be light especially if part of your team building activities require anything strenuous.

Exhibition

The size of your exhibition, the type of exhibition you'll be hosting and whether you'll have speakers will decide what your requirements will be. Some factors to consider are:

• the layout of your room and how you can best position exhibitors (this should be part of your layout plan when scoping the numbers of exhibitors and the size of exhibition stands you can accommodate) so visitors are free to walk around unimpeded.
• if you have speakers you will need a second room. Its size will also depend on the number of attendees. Again you'll need to consider how the room should be laid out e.g. theatre or classroom layout.
• as for a conference or training event you'll need technology including a microphone, a sound system, screen, projector, laptop and/or flip chart.
• a Wi-Fi connection may also be required if you're hosting a technology event where exhibitors need access to the web to showcase their services.
• a welcome pack for exhibitors and a separate one for attendees which may simply be information about the day, the speakers and what they'll be talking about, what exhibitors are attending, what services they offer and where they can be located.
• the catering to supply e.g. coffee, tea, soft drinks, a buffet or sit down lunch. If you are going to have a sit down lunch another consideration may be where people will sit to eat. You may also need to think about an evening meal if you're event runs into the evening or an event that includes a follow on dinner after the exhibition finishes.

Christmas Party

Many companies want to host an off-site Christmas Party for their staff. Like all other events a Christmas party requires planning. Some things to consider when you start planning are:

• whether long tables or a normal restaurant layout would work best for you.
• do you need a seating plan or will you leave people free to choose (don't forget it may be easier if you have a seating plan when it comes to serving meals). If you have a seating plan don't forget to put together a seating display so people can find which table they are on.
• will you need a stage or dance floor (depending on your entertainment)?
• what technical equipment will be required e.g. microphone, music, sound?
• and of course the centre piece of your party - the Christmas dinner - two, three or four courses, options (meat and vegetarian), alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Plan for everyone.

Planning an event, no matter what the event is and no matter how big or small, is no mean feat of logistics, forethought and being prepared for all eventualities. So if you find the idea daunting, it's little wonder. That's where Booking Partners come in. We can work with you to ensure your event or party goes without a hitch (or at least ensure that even if something doesn't quite go to plan that there are contingencies in place).

Leave it to Booking Partners to:

• find the right venue to meet your needs in terms of numbers and requirements.
• negotiate with the venue to get you the best possible price.
• liaise with the venue on your behalf to organise the event and keep things on track.
• check the contract prior to approval to ensure you are fully covered for everything you need.
• work with you and the venue to arrange accommodation (if required).

Simply let us know your requirements and your budget and we will do the rest.

Contact Booking Partners on 0330 022 8643 to get your event or party started.