Event Planning Tips

Our CSS communicators have compiled a list of tips to help make your event more successful, to help them be more effective, and to help your attendees get the most out of the event.

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Tip #1 - Keeping the Energy Alive

It's helpful for the communicators to stay hydrated and have energy during your event, please consider having on hand for them:

• Bottled water
• A few pieces of fruit

 

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Tip #2 - Making the Introduction

Please make sure the introduction is about the speaker and no more than 2-3 minutes.

For example, at one event, the lady who introduced me rambled for 20 minutes about picking up a friend years ago at the same airport. Most communicators will bring, or can send before the event, a scripted introduction to use. Please let the person doing the introduction have time to read this before the event. If possible, have them meet with the communicator to be able to ask any questions they might have regarding the introduction.

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Tip #3 - Shepherding the Speaker  

One of the most pleasant speaking experiences I ever had was when the host group provided a wonderful woman I called my "sweet servant shepherdess" (SSS) for the weekend. Since I don't have a personal ministry assistant or travel companion (as is the case for some speakers), the presence of my SSS was a comfort and help that calmed my spirit and helped me be more effective as a speaker. 

Here are four of the functions my SSS served that helped the event run smoothly:

1. She answered questions or found the answers for me. So often, event planners are the busiest the day of the event. I don't want to burden the event planner with my questions when she has so many other things on her plate (and it seems that everyone else is tugging on her shirt sleeve for answers as well). The SSS knew "who to ask what" when the event planner was unavailable, helping me learn things like the location of my lapel mic, the exact order of the program or the closest place I could find water for my watercolor demonstration.

2. She asked if I needed anything before each session. Instead of being distracted from my upcoming message by a last minute detail, my SSS came to me asking what I needed. She knew where I could get last minute copies or find a tissue or a bottle of water and even provided those things for me. 

3. She guided me around unfamiliar territory. Whether it's an unfamiliar airport, strange new city streets or just a cavernous church building, the SSS knew her way around and helped me find my way as well.

4. She prayed with me before I spoke and for me as I spoke. This was the sweetest gift of all. Just to know that someone in the audience was interceding to the Lord on my behalf was a tremendous blessing and comfort to me.

The next time you have an event, I hope you will consider providing an SSS for your speaker. It can relieve you from one more responsibility as you delegate this task and also involve a woman in the event who may love to work "behind the scenes." This little detail can also help your speaker "keep the main thing - her message - the main thing" and prevent distractions that could interfere with her ability to clearly communicate to your group.

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Tip #4 - Lodging for Your Communicator

It is most helpful when arrangements are made for private overnight lodging for the speaker where they can retreat to calm, quiet quarters -- before, after, or even between sessions -- as needed.

Although I love mingling with event planners and audience members whenever possible, the constant answering of questions, book signings, and talking can become very exhausting. I usually leave an event physically and emotionally empty but spiritually full. It’s during this alone time that I'm able to rejuvenate for the next speaking session and give the audience my best.

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Tip #5 - Creating a Theme

To make a retreat weekend or luncheon as much fun to plan, as it is to attend, build it around a creative theme. Find a theme that offers imaginative options. I’ve done several retreats with the title “Shine Where You Are” and seen women decorate using everything from lighthouses to sparkle eye shadow. At a ladies luncheon titled “Bear One Another’s Burdens” based on Galatians 6, the retreat planner used bears of every description to make an adorable room and a meaningful event that wasn't soon forgotten. Ladies love taking home something home to remember the weekend. The Oriental Trading Company catalog has inexpensive gifts for practically any theme.

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Tip #6 - Promoting Your Event

If real estate sales are based on location, location, location, then events are successful based on promotion, promotion, promotion! Bulletin inserts are great for Sunday morning but don’t stop there. Make brochures and encourage the women in your group to take them to work. Do the same with posters that can be created with most personal computers. Ask businesses if you can put your poster in their windows. Most places respond favorably because they feel like you’re contributing to the community. Start early—even in church. I find that it takes 6 weeks minimum of advertising an event to make it important enough to impact their schedules. Get lots of ladies involved. Women love party!

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Tip #7 - Feeding Your Communicator

A well fed communicator is a happy person, however, often the communicator will not eat as much, if anything, right before they speak or sing. This gets tricky if there is a luncheon or banquet prior to the speaking/singing part of your program. Afterwards, you guessed it, they are HUNGRY! If the event has multiple sessions it's good to have snacks on hand (see Tip #1). It also is a good idea to have something more substantial for afterwards too. If the event has a lunch/dinner with it, consider saving one of the meals to warm up later for the communicator.

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Tip #8 - Considering the Closing

How you end your program is just as important as how you start your event. Some Christian groups would like to end with a salvation/altar call in response to the message. Others, prefer that it is turned over by the communicator back to the emcee or other event official. Please take a few minutes before you get started to consider how you would like to close the program. Be sure to discuss with the communicator how you would like for them to handle this part of your program.

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Tip #9 - Find out why event planners across the country choose Christian Speaker Services to find the right speaker with the right message at the right budget range to meet their event's needs.