4 Tips for Meeting the Needs of Special Event Guests

Special events are filled with memories that last a lifetime. Every guest wants their wedding, anniversary, birthday, graduation, retirement, or family celebration to run smoothly while creating lasting happy memories for all who attend. To help you with your special events, we’ve compiled the top four tips for a successful event planning.
1. Begin Planning Early
One of the worst mistakes any guest can make when planning a special event is procrastination. Putting off the details until days before the event is a sure-fire recipe for disaster. Encourage guests to begin planning their event early, and not to wait for the week before to start planning.
Be accommodating with guests. Provide physical access to facilities to help them plan decorations, seating arrangements, and even the guest list. Provide packaged forms for your guests that include checklists and planning guides for common special events such as weddings.
You can also provide your restaurant rules and regulations well in advance to avoid any miscommunication and last minute changes due to compliance issues. This improves the guest relationship and makes for a pleasant experience for all involved.

2. Delegate Tasks
Delegating tasks is crucial for larger events. The smart private dining manager takes this information and uses it to the advantage of the restaurant. Providing resources to help guests delegate tasks shows attention to detail and personalized service are a priority with your restaurant.
Provide a delegation planner or verbal instruction for your private dining guests based on the following model.
Delegation Planning
Delegation begins with sorting tasks into categories. Tasks are assigned a letter, A, B, or C, depending on the importance of the task. For example, booking a pastor or justice of the peace for a wedding would be an A task, while ordering the wedding cake would qualify as a B task. A tasks are vital to the event, B tasks are important, and C tasks are optional niceties. This helps ensure that all vital and important tasks are completed in a timely manner.
Next, sort all tasks into a timeline. This will help determine when to ask for the most help. You will most likely need many helpers the day of the event, but there may also be a timeframe when the workload is too much for a single person to handle. Planning ahead helps avoid the last minute crunch and the frazzled nerves that result.
3. Stay Organized
Organization can single-handedly determine the success or failure of any special event. Disorganized planning and execution often results in missed details, unexpected disturbances, and unhappy guests and participants.
If your guests are receiving help from several people, consider utilizing an online Banquet Event Order to keep everyone informed and on the same page. Using an online format provides instant access from any computer or Internet capable cell phone. This is especially useful during the busy days and hours just prior to the big event.

4. Stay Calm
When planning a special event, it’s easy to get caught up in the details and lose sight of the real purpose of the special day. When unforeseen problems arise, encourage guests to remain calm and try to keep unimportant details and problems from creating stress and strife. Relaxation opportunities such as soft music, dim lighting, and a warm smile can make the difference between a harried experience and a pleasant dinning environment.

These four tips for making any special event a success provide the framework for creating special memories to last a lifetime. We provide the tips- you provide the magic. Helping your guests create special events filled with laughter, reminiscence, and fun(all the qualities for a successful special event) ensures satisfied guests and encourages repeat business.