5 Resources For Event Planners To Save Time & Stay Organized

Whether you’re a school teacher, a partner at an accounting firm or an entrepreneur, there is no right way to cut through the clutter. Every person has their own style and ways of keeping organized. The challenge often is being able to find strategies and understanding what works and what doesn’t.

Some use the “old school” traditional pen and paper and others, the ones constantly “on-the-go” use the newest savvy app to continue being efficient and productive without cutting any corners. Sometimes it just takes trial and error to figure out what works. Whatever you decide to practice, remember to always keep it simple!

I’m an Event Planner, that “go-to” person for all things weddings and am responsible for being on top of everything and keeping up with everyone, which means being well organized and on time. This is sometimes a challenge without using specific tools.

Not only as an entrepreneur, but as a human being in everyday life, I like to do things as efficiently and effectively as possible. I utilize the following 5 tools to keep me on task:

Google Drive

I love this tool! Don’t tell Microsoft, but I actually don’t even have Microsoft Office installed on my computer, who needs it when you have Google Docs?! I use Google Docs for everything, drafting client contracts, blogs, wedding day itineraries, expenses among many others things. It’s super easy to use and multiple people can edit the same file – at same time and in real time!

Google Docs is free to use, it’s great for note-taking and being able to collaborate with others. One big benefit of Google Docs is if your computer crashes or you forget to save your work, it automatically saves as you work through the document. Plus you can access your document from anywhere with internet connection by logging into your Google account.

Daily Planner

This is a must! Anything you do, you must plan. From the research to how much funding you will need, to how you will market, and the entire lifecycle from the start to the finish of the project. Many use their phone calendar which is completely fine, however, this “old-school” and traditional way of keeping organized works extremely well for me.

As much as I am attached to my phone, I find I need to step away from technology and use a physical calendar where I am forced to write down tasks & actions, key appointments on important dates and plan ahead for any upcoming events and deadlines. The key is to remind yourself daily of the overall objective(s) and to align yourself with your tasks, and I find by writing it down (a to-do list if you will) creates a reminder and sets that accountability that this must get done!

Screenshot

It doesn’t sound like a “tool” per say, but it’s something that I utilize on a regular basis and a part of my everyday practice. I don’t think there is a time when you don’t catch me on my phone, this is true for many people of our generation. With social media being so hot, there is so much information available at our fingertips, sometimes we get information overload.

If I see something that’s inspirational or an idea that’s wedding/event related or something that would be relevant to one of my clients, I use the screenshot functionality which allows me to create a portfolio of visuals to use and refer to at a later time. I screenshot contracts and various other things and create folders/albums with the client’s portfolio on my phone for easy reference when in meetings with the couple of even the vendors.

Voice Notes

I love this functionality. Often I catch myself talking out loud and usually no one’s listening. I find sometimes I do my best thinking when I’m on the bus or when I’m driving and don’t have note pad and pen on hand to write it down. Once a vision comes into my mind when in these circumstances, I reach for my phone and record a voice note. It’s important to take note of these unique ideas, often with always being on-the-go, we tend to forget these game-changing thoughts when we need them later.

Adore! Planning Guide & Workbook

In 2015, I decided to write a new planning guide for the everyday bride. This guide is an easy to use workbook, saving you time while keeping you organized. The approach to this book was to speak directly to the bride, rather than telling the bride what to do and when, let’s face it no one likes being told what to do. This tool is effective and efficient, especially when starting to plan an event.

It’s a great tool to help organize thoughts, specific questions to ask when meeting with a particular vendor and important information to consider when decision making. The book is arranged in a logical way and is really specific in how to tackle certain tasks. It’s simple and really easy to use. It will be available later this year! Subscribe to stay tuned!

In summary, we must find our own way of being organized and being efficient. Individually, we have to recognize what works best for us and what doesn’t, no two people follow the same pattern and that’s okay! These tools are some suggestions and are specific to what works with me, my level of knowledge and what helps me grow not only as a professional wedding planner and an entrepreneur but also on a personal level.

The key to success is finding your own rhythm, keeping it simple, and using tools that enhances your day to day operations. If it doesn’t help you grow, its likely not worth investing in. You must invest in yourself, but it’s important that you invest into things that are worthy and valuable to the overall growth of you and your goals and objectives.

Geeta Gosian was one of the first wedding planners to provide virtual planning services for her clients in order to help plan events worldwide. Geeta’s attention to detail and ability to stay calm when she needs to, ensures that events will go off without a hitch and makes her the perfect fit as the CEO of Adore! Geeta is always on top of the new trends in the event planning industry and always has a blog post idea in the works. Read her interview on LadyBossBlogger to learn more about her.