In the last article we discussed the promotion for your special events. In this article we will talk about the final countdown before your special event.

The final countdown before the event can sometimes be overwhelming.

I recommend that you purchase a large three ring binder and organize it, down to the very last detail. This will help you tremendously at the event in case you need to find an important document, email, etc.

In addition to the large binder, ensure that you check everything twice. This will help with last minute details and help you sleep the night before the event. When double-checking everything, go back through your event checklist to ensure every task has been completed.

You also want to remind the staff and volunteers the day before the event what time they should arrive on site.

Make sure to get cell phone numbers for staff and volunteers, just in case you need a last-minute bag of ice or bottle of wine picked up on their way to the site.

Another important item to double and/or triple check is to make sure anyone who will be speaking at the event has their script and you have plenty of extra copies of the scripts in the large binder.

I also advise having a last-minute needs checklist.

With special events you can never predict what will happen. Examples of items on my list are as follows: contact list, the large binder, checks for vendors, needle and thread, safety pins, staple gun, scotch tape, markers, paper clips, post-its and pens.

Of course, for those of you who know me, these are just a few of the items on my one-page checklist. If you would like the entire list, please contact me.

I may have already said this in a prior article, but one of the most important last minute details is registration. The registration of a special event will set the “nature” for the entire event, so making sure you spend extra time in setting up the registration will pay off.

A rule of thumb is to set up the registration area at least two hours in advance of the special event. When setting up this area, keep in mind everything that is happening during the event.

If you are planning on having assigned seating, ensure you have large pieces of paper that the volunteers can write the seat numbers on and guests will be able to keep up with the pieces of paper until they reach their table.

We all know the first place guests will go to when they leave the registration table is not the table they were assigned, it is the bar.

Other items to keep in mind is how to handle party crashers and making sure the registration volunteers are equipped to handle money properly the night of the event.

The next article will be the last in the special event series and will focus on celebrating after the event.