Do you often dread planning your company events? If so, you're not alone. Many leaders struggle to find time to plan their company events and are left scrambling at the last minute. Thankfully, a virtual assistant can help alleviate some of that stress. A virtual assistant is an excellent resource for business owners who lead or work in a company that frequently hosts events. They can assist with many event planning tasks, giving you more time to focus on other essential things like preparation or follow-up. Whether you have a virtual assistant or not, here are eight tasks they can do when planning an event that will save you time and energy!
Brainstorming and Idea Gathering
If you're struggling with ideas for your event, ask your virtual assistant to assist with brainstorming. They can help you generate ideas from scratch or research possible themes and concepts for your event. Whether you need help planning your next corporate retreat or throwing a large convention, your virtual assistant can help you develop event themes and topics. You can also ask your virtual assistant to help with different research venues. This way, you can avoid the hassle of finding a venue on your own.
Task Tracking
If you're planning an event with other employees, you may need to keep track of the different tasks that need to be completed. This can be done by creating a shared online calendar where all employees can add their events, deadlines, and jobs. Your virtual assistant can help keep track of everything that needs to be done by adding their tasks to the calendar. This helps ensure nothing slips through the cracks or falls between the cracks.
Sending Out Invitations
If you're hiring a calligrapher to hand-write invitations or use an online invitation service, your virtual assistant can help. They can assist with keeping track of guest names and details, such as the RSVP date, address, and any dietary restrictions they may have. They can also help you decide on the wording for your invitations. Your virtual assistant can also help with sending out the invitations. Depending on the type of invitation, they can either take care of postage or mailing addresses.
Confirming Guest Attendance
You may have to confirm guest attendance as the event's organizer personally. If so, your virtual assistant can help with this task by tracking who has confirmed their attendance and who has yet to respond. This can save you from having to go through each guest list and manually mark guests who have responded to the event. Your virtual assistant can keep track of confirmation dates, and any special dietary restrictions or other information guests may have included with their responses.
Help with Invitation Design and Printing
If you're using a calligrapher or printing your invitations, you can enlist your virtual assistant to help with the design and printing. They can assist with browsing through design websites such as Canva to find the perfect invitation design. Your virtual assistant can also help with the printing of the invitations. They can either print them at their office or assist you with finding a printing company.
Finding Venues
If you're struggling to find a venue for your event, your virtual assistant can help with this task. They can use websites like VenueBook or EventBrite to search for venues that fit the criteria for your event. Your virtual assistant can also help you compare different venue options to find the perfect location for your event. They can also help you negotiate the best deal for your event, which can help save you money.
Proposal Writing
Depending on the event you're hosting and who you're hosting it for, you may need to create a proposal. If so, your virtual assistant can help you write the proposal. Using a template, they can assist with creating a professional recommendation. Your virtual assistant can also help you format the proposal, such as creating a table of contents or a table of figures. They can also assist with proofreading the proposal to make sure there are no mistakes.
Final task: Write up a Short Meeting Summary
Once your event is over, you may be eager to plan your next event or focus on other tasks. However, it's a good idea to take a few minutes to write a summary of your last event. This will help you reflect on the events and look forward to the next one. Your virtual assistant can help you write the meeting summary. Alternatively, you can ask them to take notes and create a summary. This will free up your time to focus on other essential tasks. There you have eight tasks you can ask your virtual assistant to do when planning an event. These tasks can help save you time, energy, and money, which can be especially helpful if you're hosting an event for the first time.