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9 Essential Tools That Every #eventprof Must have

All event planners have bits of kit that they wouldn’t be without and which help to make sure that their events run smoothly, so here are my nine “must have” tools that I use on a day to day basis when planning events, hopefully they will help you when planning your own events!

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  1. It sounds obvious, but you’d be amazed at how many people forget the basics… You should take a copy of the event timetable and contact numbers for key people/suppliers. This is essential when you’re working on site as you need to make sure you keep to the running order and know where your team is going to be needed and at what times.

 

  1. A cool box with snacks and drinks for the crew: Your team is likely to have been on site since early in the morning, setting up and preparing for the day ahead.  We find that a cool box filled with energy drinks like Coca Cola and Red Bull together with easy to eat snacks will help to keep energy levels high and keep everyone going until the event is over, especially if you’re too busy and have to miss out on lunch or dinner! Its amazing how team morale is lifted by a quick snack!

 

  1. A kit box with office essentials: pens and paper, a tape measure, stapler, paper clips, drawing pins, scissors and sellotape.  Although most of our lives are quite high-tech nowadays, these sort of basic supplies is guaranteed to come in handy at some point or another.

 

  1. A first aid bag with plasters, scissors and bandages, painkillers, antihistamine, and a first aid manual. It is best to be prepared so make sure you cover all bases right through from headaches to cuts acquired in the line of duty!

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  1. Mobile phones, spare batteries and chargers. Make sure you have a list of contact numbers or that you have programmed them into your phone so you can get hold of key people quickly and easily when you need to.  Walkie-talkies are an alternative option to ensure communication between key members of the team is quick and easy.

 

  1. Gadget box. In the 21st century, we all need a box of tricks with those bits and pieces that always get forgotten.  – a multi-charger cable,  portable chargers and USB cables, HDMI leads for that presenter that didn’t bring one, a printer cable and a spare set of headphones.

 

  1. A laptop or tablet. Essential if you need to make last minute amendments to Powerpoint/Keynote presentations or you need to send a quick email out to a supplier.  Also useful for social media monitoring and updates during the day.

 

  1. Washbag with essential toiletries. This may sound strange but when you’ve been working since early in the morning, you are going to want to freshen up at some point.  We bring toothpaste and toothbrushes, deodorant hairbrushes, tights, a razor or makeup and a pack of wet wipes.  This really is an essential piece of kit if you are spending long days on site.

 

  1. Hardware Toolbox which includes a screwdriver, Allen keys, cable cutters, cable ties, gaffa tape and electrical tape.  It’s amazing how often you need these sorts of tools on site so we never go anywhere without some basic tools and some quick fixes.

 

Successful event planning is all about good organisation.  As long as you have a good foundation. These essential planning tools will stand you in good stead to make your event a success!  Good luck!

Neil Walker

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