Although some people believe meetings are a waste of time, it is not true always. In some situations, meetings are necessary. When it comes to event planning, a number of meetings need to be arranged before the event. As an event organizer, you should communicate with different groups of people at different times. Calling every stakeholder to one meeting may not work. For instance, the scope of your discussion varies considerably when your meet with suppliers Vs when your meet your clients. Here are 5 meetings you must do to make your next event successful.

1. Meeting for marketing strategy

You should arrange this meeting as early as possible, ideally as soon as you decide to host an event. In this meeting, you should invite your marketing staff along with anyone who you think should know about your marketing strategy. Discuss what marketing channels you want to use and how. Delegate the right tasks to the right people and set a clear marketing goal for your team.

2. Meeting for venue selection

It’s obvious. You need to rent seminar room for your event. Selecting the right venue, however, may involve more headache than you think. You need to look for a venue that provides all the necessary facilities, such as, water supply, projection room, and WiFi. Choosing the right location is also important. Make sure the venue is strategically located, so that your guests can reach easily. Once you find a suitable venue, you need to sit with the venue manager. Ask questions until you’re completely convinced. For instance, if you are booking a training venue, check the background and reputation of the training room rental company.

3. Meeting with suppliers

Depending on the nature of your event, you may need to arrange food supplies, flowers, and other stationery items from outside vendors. Select your suppliers and call them all to a meeting. Make sure all important members of your internal team are also present in the meeting. The idea is to have everyone on the same page. Assign tasks and set a deadline for every task. This meeting will also help initiate communication between your internal team members and outside vendors, fostering teamwork and coordination.

4. Meeting with sponsors

If you are looking for sponsors, you may need to meet many potential parties face to face. Build a team exclusively for this purpose. The team should have representatives from your marketing, sales, and design teams. Also, make a plan on how to convince someone to sponsor your event. You may need to arrange multiple meetings with different parties.

5. Meeting for speaker selection

To decide on which speakers to invite to your event, you need to arrange a meeting with your internal team members. Once you finalize the list of speakers to invite, you still have some meetings to do. You need to contact each selected speaker and brief them your topic of discussion, target audience, purpose, and expectations.

You will also need to arrange a quick meeting with all members of your team on the day before the actual event. Post event team meetings may also be a necessity.