Everyone loves to attend an event but how do you make it an event to remember? Here at BHF Graphics, we have been working with events teams for years, helping and developing their ideas to maximise on their events. The guests are the most important part of any event, so impressing them is key.

Planning, planning, planning

As with most things in life, you need to plan. You need to put a plan into place weeks before an event to ensure nothing is missed and more importantly, nothing is rushed.

Initial planning – what is the reason behind the event? Why are you doing it? Brainstorming at this stage is important. It will allow you to look at the ‘whys’ of the event which is key to ensuring the guests experience is maximised through props, handouts and even lighting. Starting this plan 6 months in advance of the event, gives you enough time to plan and execute. The design and print process can take time, especially if there are many stakeholders involved (marketing manager, director, partner organisations) – sign-off can take a while, so starting early is best.

It is important to have one person to act as Project Manager. They can pull everything together, keep a handle on every tiny detail of progress and make sure it all joins up for the event. Other elements you will need include in your plan include:

Seating plan/seat arrangement
Registration process
Menus
Invites
Advertising

Events don’t run themselves, even if they might look like they do – but behind it all is a carefully-crafted running order, so that everyone and everything is in its place at the right time. Depending on the type of event you are planning, this should all be set out in the planning document, created in the initial stages.

The venue

Finding the right place that works for your event is crucial. Here at BHF Graphics, we can virtually walk through the venue with you. Film the event while you are there and send it over to us or pop us onto a live video call. We can then see the venue through the guests’ eyes and suggest what would make the event for them. There are some important factors when choosing a venue, including:

Parking – not everyone likes public transport and some feel more comfortable to drive themselves. Make sure there is parking for the guests. Free is better, especially if parking comes back on expenses; often an unbudgeted cost.
Space – is there enough space inside the venue to house the number of guests you want? Are you looking to have a stage or podium? If so, where would it go?
Furniture – we’re not talking about a sofa (unless that works with your event!) but if the venue has tables, chairs, podiums, stages, outside space and highchairs if required. Is there the space to do a conference style event or do you want tables and chairs? You need to know how many you can fit around a table as this helps with the numbers and seating plan later, plus you need to know about wheelchair or mobility access too, so you can advise guests and find other solutions if it’s not suitable.
Refreshments – does the venue provide food and drink if you need it?
Make sure they offer what you need from a menu, check ‘corkage’ and outside caterers’ costs because sometimes, they are cheaper to hire in and pay the venue fee for using outside suppliers.
Staff – what staff do the venue provide? If you are having a bar open or food being served, it is important you use fully trained staff who know what to do without prompts; you’ll have enough to do!
Signage – is the venue in an obvious position or should you get some banners outside to direct guests in? When they are inside, signs to the event are also key so guests do not get lost in the venue and can find the loos!

Budget

All of these questions will also help with that all important question – how much budget is there? This is not a question with an exact science, as each event will inevitably be costed differently according to event style, extras and guests. It’s crucial to set a budget and stick to it. Break the budget costs down to these areas:

Venue
Refreshments
Dressing the venue

We covered venue and refreshments above and now we are going to cover dressing the venue.

Dressing the venue

With any event, there are so many elements which you could include, from light displays to a programme of events but this is where we will be able to help. These all depend on the venue, which is why it’s important for us to see the space early on to help discuss the ideas you have and then working out what fits.

We have a wide range of products including:

Invites – we can print and mail your invites for you.
Brochures and programmes – use theses during the event to give guests an idea of the timings. Or the brochures can be given out at the event as a keepsake.
Flyers – use these to promote the event prior, targeting your key market areas.
Direct Mail – use our direct mail service to send out those flyers to potential guests, boosting event traction.

Our products can also help to transform a venue. Some of these will be venue permitting but imagine the difference with:

Logo Projection – have your company logo projected on a large wall as they arrive, or throughout, or use it to show a short video.
Step or wall graphics – these are very much dependant on the venue and the space you have. If there are stairs, it is a nice touch to add some design to those, building the expectation from the minute your guests arrive. They could even be part of a sponsorship package. Wall graphics can be used directly on walls or as standalone backdrops. These can be used as a photography or selfie space for guests.
Floor graphics – high impact, it could be the first thing guests see or they could be used to showcase the room where the event is taking place. You could brand it, or go completely out there, making it a talking point, photography point (to help promote the event on socials) and make it memorable.

Marquee letters – these are really popular, especially with evening events. We’ve got large ones that stand at 120cm or smaller ones that stand at 60cm. They look amazing during evening events and can sit in the main area, on a stage or by the refreshments.

Back to planning
By planning what you need and having it delivered early, it takes away stress as you know you have what you need, but also allows time for if things aren’t right, such as if you break a banner when you get it out of the packaging or damage something. We’ve got time to replace it and not have it impact your event.

We can work with you to design and print, or take your designs and print them – but whichever way we go, we’ll be there to help you.

Events usually have last-minute changes, but we find, if a print date is set and everyone knows the timeline, they will usually stick to it. Planning, as we keep saying, is key to the success. The initial planning document will detail timeline running up to the event and the format for the event. This should be distributed to everyone working on the event, so they know what they need to do.

Events are amazing and here at BHF Graphics, we have enjoyed supporting them for many years. We work mainly with events companies, wedding planners and events managers, to get the final elements of the event right.

We can guide you along the way with as much or as little support as you feel you need.

Why not contact us today to see how we can take your event from run of the mill to memorable?!