The dos and don'ts when planning an event

So you want to plan an event? And you want to come as many people as possible? In other words you want your event to be successfull? Then you should take care of some points which sure will make your event a success.
Here are some very useful points which should give you some ideas of what you should take care of. 
 

1. Search the community to see if there is already an event planned on the date you want to start yours. If so, try to select a different date since every visitor is important and of course everyone is intersted. Imagine you are a potential visitor and you are looking for the next big event. You search through the forums and communities and find three events the same day. Now you have to decide which one you want to attend. It's always better to plan an event on a weekend when no other events are taking place so you can be sure people have no other choice and will come to yours.
2. Advertise, advertise, advertise. This cannot be said often enough. You can plan the greatest event ever. You can invite Formula 1 drivers, the sexiest babes alive and the drift gods of Japan, but if nobody knows about your event, nobody will come. So use the internet as a platform and try to contact as many administrators, car and tuner websites, tuner forums, communities... whatever. User their forums and their guestbooks to advertise about your event. It's often a good idea to contact the people who run the sites. Maybe they will create a News entry on their start page. Be realistic. Advertisement for a drift show should not be advertised on a financial website. Also a Honda event is maybe not to be advertised on a Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts website.
3. Select your location wisely. A detailed description on how people will get to your event location is a must have but the location itself should be also selected wisely. Avoid locations where people have to drive with their (hopefully japanese rides;)) over curbs or even grassland. Often people organize events outside the cities to avoid confrontation with police and forget that they are not able to drive with their lowered rides there without damage. The worst thing is to want to go to an event and have to drive over streets that are in bad conditions.
4. Keep your location clean. Try to provide garbage cans or bin liners so people are able to get rid of their garbage. Also be sure to clean the place after the event took part. Why? Because maybe next time you want to chose this place again, but if you don't leave it in an acceptable condition the city or the commune won't allow you to launch a second event there. To be honest, this should go without saying but many people ignore this and leave the place in a very bad condition. Officials or police after that see you or me on the street and they say to each other: "Look a tuner, there was an event where they filled the place with garbage. Let's give him a ticket." Understood???
5. After your event, be sure to create a short review with pics and post it in the forums you use to visit. You don't need really an own website. If there is a community where you participate, just create a post so people are able to review your event. Many will appreciate that because they will be able to see each other, to see and to show some rides they noticed that day and to share it with friends. Don't worry about negative critics. There will be always people who will try to talk your event down. Reply as friendly as possible to them. Nobody will visit your next event when you talk to your visitors in a bad language. Avoid explaining why the weather was bad when people complain about the rain that day. Focus on the things you can influence. If anybody complains about the wheather ignore that and try to explain why the drift show started later than planned or why food and beverage was that expensive. People who complain about the wheather for example are not really intersted in your event. They are just jealous because you started something big and get things rollin and they don't.
6. Try to answer all questions about your event. People tend to post about an upcoming event or post a review and never visit their event again. Maybe your post got many positive responses so much more people are curious about your next one and post questions. Do you think they will come when they see you don't care about their needs? Also people who visited your event will post comments on that. Try to discuss with them, try to find out what they liked and what not, what they expected and what not and what could be done in a different way. That will help you make your next event more successfull.
7. Focus on the basics. If you organize a drift event it would be a good idea to provide a drift show. If you organize a car show, it's a good idea to provide some cars to show. I often realize that people organize so-called car shows and finally you don't see even one car there but the people drinking beer on the grass. Don't forget that people who are not from your location may be intersted in your advertisement about a drift-show and will decide to make more than 500 KM to visit this event. Now imagine you and 10 other guys are sitting on a bench (at the described event location) and drink some 6packs of beer. No ride, not tuning not drift anywhere.
8. Ask for sponsors. It's always a good idea to have some sponsors. People don't ask because they think, that their event isn't "big" enough to get sponsored. That's a common mistake. Especially small companies, car dealers and tuning shops are willing to sponsor those events because this is the most affordable solution for them. Don't go and ask for money. Instead go and tell them that you are launching an event. Give 'em some details and they will offer you money or stuff you can use. It's always a good idea to ask for sponsors. I got sponsors for events which didn't have more than 50 visitors and the shops told me to contact them again next time because those events have been a success for them.
9. Say thanks to your visitors. It's a good idea to have some giveaways at your events. If your budget is limited than maybe you'll get some sponsors, and if sponsors are not available maybe you have some ideas on your own but try to have something to people so that they will remember your event. This can be a keyholder, a badge, a label or sticker.... doesn't matter what. Just something which will remind them that they have been at YOUR event and enjoyed that weekend.
10. Be sure to include your event on our site. If you plan to organize an event or want to post a review, feel free to use our forums. If you think your event was so important that it deserves an article just drop us a line. We will provide you administrative access to our cms so you can create an article and provide it to the people.

 

This list should give you only some ideas and suggestions. Of course you can expand this list as you like or as you need. Important is that your event will get a success. So good luck...

 

 

Article released by Dimi on 27.08.2008 22:45:43

 

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