Event Planning: How to be Prepared to Enjoy the Festivities

I’ve planned a lot of events in my day: family events, work events, events with friends. For work, they’ve been in multiple locations like Berlin, Orlando, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. The largest event I ever planned was a conference for all the general managers of The Ritz-Carlton with a $1 million budget (no pressure!). My project management training helped me organize thousands of tasks to make these events successful. I’ve learned a few tips along the way that you can apply at home. Here are seven of them to get ready for a fun celebration with friends or family, based on professional project management principles.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO? 🥳  When planning an event, first think about what you want to do and discuss the overall occasion, timing, and budget with your partner. Is it a birthday celebration, dinner party, or family get-together? It’s important that you and your spouse agree on what will happen. 

For example, Easter is coming up! To get ready for the holiday if you celebrate it, talk with your partner and discuss what you want to do this year – dinner or brunch with the family, travel or stay at home, host an easter egg hunt or just for your kids, go to church, etc.   

WHEN & WHERE WILL IT HAPPEN? ⏰ When planning an event, think through the best time to schedule it. See what else is happening around that time with the family schedule, school breaks, and work schedules. Check your calendar and with others who are participating to see what works for everyone.  Research where you want to hold the event and what facilities are available. My son has a December birthday, so we usually celebrate with family that month and have a half-year birthday party with his friends during the summer.  This works well since there are more outdoor birthday party options in the warmer months, and December is a busy time for everyone.

My son’s 8th birthday party - where I shipped all his favorite decorations to my brother’s house!

HOW WILL IT BE DONE? 📋  Now that you know what you’re going to do and when and where you’re going to do it, make a task list. Think through what you need to do before, during, and after the event.  This could include sending invitations, creating a menu, cooking, or buying new clothes for the kids. Once you have determined your overall approach, use a task list to manage the various activities.  For more complicated events, I find it helpful to use a spreadsheet that lists specific tasks, who’s responsible, the dates things need to be done, etc. Save the task list for an annual event so you don’t have to recreate it next year.  I do that for my son’s birthday party and invitation list, and it helps me get a jump-start for the next time.

WHO CAN HELP? 👨‍🍳 When planning an event, you don’t have to do all the work yourself. Get your family and friends involved wherever they can. Involve your kids in decorating and/or helping with food  preparations. They will learn essential life skills and be so proud to share their creations with others! Consider having guests bring food, buying prepared food, or hosting the event at a facility. I find it easier to host birthday parties outside our home because it’s much less work (especially the clean-up!). For Easter egg hunts, there’s even a fundraiser called “Egg Your Yard” that will hide eggs for you!  You can search online for “Egg Your Yard fundraiser near me” to see if it is available in your area.

HOW CAN YOU SAVE TIME? 🛍️  To ease preparations for an event, I try to bundle tasks to save time, like buying decorations and presents when I’m out on other errands. Based on the event you’re planning, check what supplies you need (invitations, food for dinner, decorations, napkins, etc.) and add these items to your regular shopping list. Pick up a few items while you’re out running other errands so you don’t have to make a separate trip later. For example, today when I was at the gym, I stopped by a store next door to pick up a pre-made Easter basket for my son and a birthday present for a friend. 

WHAT CAN BE DONE IN ADVANCE? 🍰 Check your task list and see if there’s something you can do beforehand. For a birthday party, can you pack the goodie bags and store them in a closet? Make the cupcakes and freeze them? Anything you can do in advance will help reduce stress and put you in a better state of mind. Learn more about how to increase wellbeing through planning in this blog post. 

WHAT DOES NOT NEED TO BE DONE? 🛑 An event doesn’t have to be a perfect celebration, and you don’t have to make everything yourself. Buy the cake at a bakery or use a mix. It’s ok – I used to work in professional pastry kitchens, and I buy prepared foods! The yard doesn’t have to be fully landscaped to have the neighbors over. Give yourself grace. I’m sure your neighbors and family would rather have a happy and relaxed celebration than see you stressed out.  

I hope your preparations go smoothly and that you enjoy the event. If you would like more planning tips and tools, including an event planning document, check them all out in my book, Project Management for Parents: Engage the Family, Build Teamwork, Succeed Together. It’s a timeless primer that teaches parents and kids essential life skills through project management principles.