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Kaleb Craft, Chief Sales Officer at Culinary Crafts is here today as a contributor to the AllSeated blog to share the top 5 ways to simplify planning your event. Thanks Kaleb! Planning a large event can be one of the more stressful experiences of your life! But, it can also be quite enjoyable if you do it the right way. Planning doesn’t depend on your personality as much as it depends on your approach to event planning. Event industry professionals aren’t always passionate about events to begin with. Often times they begin with a passion for organization and organizational systems, which in turns leads them into the event industry where they get a chance to use those skills to pull off incredible things they get to experience and share with others on a daily basis. Here are 5 quick tips the sales team here at Culinary Crafts use to make the process a bit smoother. Nail down your vision before you jump in. Contractors won’t start digging a hole, setting footings and pouring foundations the first day a client comes in a says “I want to build a home.” They have blue prints complete, engineered plans finished, building permits in place, and a plan in place to execute from start to finish before they turn the first shovel full of dirt. Stress free event planning starts the same way, you should have a general vision, budget, and concept in place before jumping in. This will prevent doubling back tasks multiple times. Ask yourself questions like, “What is my overall goal?” or “What feelings do I want my guests to have while at the event?” and “What is the single most important thing to me about the event?” Make a chronological checklist and itemizing the tasks to be done and prioritize by what makes the most sense to you. This usually helps paint a road map of what to do. We like to do things in this order, 1) pick a date 2) pick a venue and 3) pick a caterer. Complete your list with as many details as you can think of. Work through your list step-by-step. Research vendors that fit your style and budget. Often, people suppose that all event companies are created equal. That is not so. Each company has a niche type of event and demographic they work best with. Most can do many things, but that still doesn’t mean one company is going to be the perfect fit for every situation. I wouldn’t walk into a Ferrari dealership looking for the most fuel-efficient car on the planet. Similarly, if luxury is the single most important thing to me when it comes to buying a new car, I wouldn’t go to the Hyundai dealership. Consider styles, budgets, and overall healthy working relationships. Do some online research and narrow your vendors choices down to 2 or 3 for each category. Have a short 5-10 minute conversation with each one and see who you feel most comfortable with. Use your contracted vendors to your advantage. By now you have picked your first couple of vendors and you feel really good about them. They know their stuff, they are clear experts in their field, and they have oodles of experience creating exactly what you are looking for. Well, use that knowledge and expertise. Ask your caterer for recommendations on good florists, bands, and entertainment companies. Ask your AV company what additional services they offer. Often times, these vendors can help ease the stress of all those additional details. In fact, many times, they may be able to be your one stop shop for all things event. They can coordinate your ice sculpture, transportation, linens and everything else. Bring in additional help. Some events really are just more than one person can handle. If your event has the high level of detail that is just too overwhelming no matter how you organize, checklist and structure, then find a good event planner or coordinator. Let them know up front how much help you need. Determine if you need someone you can trust with everything and hand over the reins, or if you just need help with a few key tasks. Our bonus tip is to remember Rome wasn’t built in a day… don’t try to plan the event of the century in a day. Give yourself plenty of time. Enjoy the process and the smaller details. The best events are about creating memorable experiences and using all 5 senses to do that. Happy Planning! Learn more about Culinary Crafts by visiting their website and following along on social media: Instagram: @culinarycrafts Twitter: @culinarycrafts Pinterest: @culinarycrafts Of Possible Interest: Vendor Spotlight: Culinary Crafts Check out more Salt Lake City, Park City, and Utah County catering at www.culinarycrafts.com!