Step-by-Step Effective Monthly Planning For Event And Food Industry

Being reactive to everything in the event planning industry strains the relationships with clients as well as vendors and strains and stresses planners out. We don’t have time for any of that. We have to get the initiative in our hands. This blog post is about planning out my calendar for corporate events and how it helps me to be proactive in the event and food industry. Let’s plan with me for 2022! 

2022 Plan With Me Using A Project Management System

I have tried different platforms, planning systems and event planning tools that helped me be organized but the platform I’m currently using is Asana. It’s a very easy project management system that gathers all of my team members and actual projects in one place. It eases communication and task tracking, so everyone knows what is necessary. I’m running three businesses at the same time and Asana helps me to stay organized. 

How To Set Goals With Asana

Keeping my 2022 goals in Asana makes it super easy to see where I’m aiming for and what my company is going after every quarter. For my Luxegiving business, the goal is to have fifty bookings in the first quarter and a certain amount of revenue. I’m also focused on getting clients to consult their event and food industry businesses:

• teaching their staff;

• planning events;

• creating community within a company;

• creating a structure for efficient workflow.  

Right now I’m forty events away from my goal. I have to be very intentional with the activities and actions to get clients and hit the goal. How am I going to do this? Using Asana effectively, of course. Follow me! 

The First Stage Of Asana Behind The Scenes Planning 

First of all, I go into my Asana and see what are my goals. I plan my year with a twelve-week planning system. Its principle is described in a book called The Twelve Week Year. Practicing the twelve-week planning helps me to improve my business with small actionable steps that I monitor every week to intentionally do activities to produce the results. 

As I mentioned before, I’m forty events away from my goal. That is why I need some intentional ideas to get my clients inspired because this is where it comes into the understanding of your target market.

To find the ideas you have to be proactively thinking about the things your clients may need. If you know your target audience you may know that they are, for example, more into brunches in springtime. You may go with some event ideas or some menus to specifically inspire your audience. You should impact and inspire your client base with your corporate event planning ideas. 

Where Do I Find Event Ideas? 

The first thing I do is to go to the website holidayinsights.com and go to March, for example, looking for new ideas. Holidayinsights.com allows you to see specific holidays that are happening on certain days. In March we have a Waffle Day. It may inspire you to create a special menu for your catering business or if you’re an event planner you can inspire your clients to hire you to do a waffle station. 

Before you choose any holiday you have to be sure what your audience likes and what fits it more. Every Holiday that I think fits my audience I add to my Key Holiday Tab in Asana. For each holiday I create different ideas because I have clients of different sizes. I try to create at least two to three ideas for each holiday. So when I do calls or send emails to my clients I already know their needs, their community, and can offer them a specific idea that fits their company the most. 

Research Potential Event Concepts 

I like the idea of Employee Appreciation Day on the first Friday in March. My event ideas for this day are: 

• Treat bags;

• Individual Charcuturie Boxes;

• Mobile Spa Day. 

After writing down these ideas I start to research potential concepts. Typically I use Google for it. If you’re not really a creative person you can just google the name of the holiday + “food” (or + “gifts” or “catering tips”) and research what ideas and pictures it offers you. When I googled request Employee Appreciation Day Food it showed me so many interesting ideas for the gift boxes with desserts and bakery. You can customize these ideas to your skills and your business features. For example, if you create amazing chocolate-covered treats you can create gift boxes for this special occasion and offer them to your prospects. 

Partner Outreach And Clients Pitching As An Important Part Of Event Planning Business

The next step is partner outreach. Because I have so many partners I usually think about them when I plan events. At this point, I ask them their availability and if they’re doing special offers for this occasion. 

Then I upload packages into a Honeybook and email the idea to the email list of my clients. 

It’s a very important stage because you can create the idea, but you have to be sure your clients know about it. You can use not only emails but also your accounts on social media platforms. Create posts about your offer to promote the idea between your customers and their friends. 

You have to be proactive and pitch your clients by yourself in order to develop and grow your business. With this approach, you can build long-lasting relationships with your clients, not a transactional business when your clients order just when they have a need. You can create needs by yourself. Pitching your clients helps not only retain them but also get new referrals from them. If they think you’re transactional — they think that you can serve them just in one way. Your goal is to build relationships and to ensure your clients that you can do more than a one-time event. 

Plan-With-Me Conclusion

I do this every month. I try to find what ideas I can offer to my clients to empower and inspire them with my ideas. But what is more important is not to wait until they find your business but you be proactive and show what ways you can serve your clients. This is why you have to know who your target market is. This lets you know how to really fill out their needs. Building relationships with your clients will provide you with always returning customers and new people as referrals to grow your business. 

Here is a video for a behind the scenes look at my monthly planning process!