Event Planning 101: How to Get Started

Are you planning an event? You came to the right place. 

Event planning is a huge undertaking – whether you're hosting a small gathering or a larger-than-life party! Over the years, our LED dance floor experts in Clearwater, FL, have helped hundreds of clients transform their visions into real-life nights they’ll never forget. 

Find out the five steps for creating an event plan, regardless of the size of your event!. 

5 Steps for Creating an Event Plan

1. Work Out the Details

The first step to planning your event is establishing why you’re organizing this event. Are you throwing a party for a recent graduate? Hosting a corporate event to meet with potential business partners? Planning a conference to increase product sales?

Regardless of the type of event, defining your goals makes the planning process that much easier. Don’t worry, we’ll touch on each of these individually below! 

Some details you may want to consider include

• Event theme
• Location
• Date of the event
• Food
• Entertainment
• Guestlist 

2. Set Up an Event Budget

Setting a budget is one of the most important parts of event planning. By doing so, you’re avoiding any unwanted surprises, like running out of money or spending more than you’d like to. 

At Florida LED Dance Floors, we recommend mapping out an event budget ahead of time and updating it as needed. For the best results, abide by your budget as well as you can. 

A few crucial expenses you should factor into your budget include

• Venue -  This should cover the cost of the venue, as well as any insurance you’re required to purchase. If you haven’t chosen a venue yet, keep the maximum you can spend in mind before deciding on one. 
• Food - This is pretty self-explanatory, but the amount of food you can afford might dictate how many attendees can come to your event. Or, if the guest list is already set, you may need to look for more affordable catering options. 
• Entertainment - Entertainment can be anything you want it to be – whether it’s speakers or an LED dance floor rental! No matter what you choose, make sure you leave room in your budget to pay vendors. 
• Decor - Are you planning a laid-back event? Or a more formal one? Settling these costs upfront will help you know what you can afford. For example, if you would rather allocate funds towards the venue, maybe you could figure out some DIY decorations. 

Even the best-planned events may have surprise costs come up. Working ahead will help you account for them in your budget. That way, you’re not caught unprepared.

3. Set the Date

If this is a recurring event, there might already be a date set. However, if you’re planning something new, large or small, there are a few things you should consider. 

Keep the following in mind before deciding on a date for your event.

• Give yourself enough time - For larger events, like weddings, you should set a date at least 4-6 months before the big day. Smaller gatherings usually take less time to plan. 
• Be aware of holidays - For the sake of your guests, we recommend being aware of statutory and religious holidays – unless you’re planning an event around a holiday! Depending on the time of year, finding a venue with availability is also important. 
• Check with vendors - Before setting anything in stone, check dates with key participants, including food and entertainment vendors. 

4. Find a Venue

After you’ve worked out a date, reserve your venue! In many cases, you’ll need a date and venue before you let guests know about the event. That said, finding a venue should be completed as early in the planning process as possible. 

As you begin researching venues, ask yourself if the space is a good fit for your event. Consider your budget, event theme, and size of the venue before booking. Just think, a party for 50 people will need a different space than an event for 200. 

Additionally, if you’re having entertainment at your event, make sure there’s enough room for guests to enjoy it! 

5. Plan Your Entertainment

Once your date and venue are set, plan the agenda for your event! Is there a guest speaker? Will you need to rent anything to fill space or break up parts of the room? As you answer these questions, you can piece together how you want your event to run. 

If you want to create a unique experience for your guests, consider an LED dance floor rental for your event. Not only will a light-up floor elevate your event, but it can also get your friends and family up and dancing! 

Sound good? Here’s how renting an LED dance floor works! 

Contact Florida LED Dance Floors for a custom-built rental today! All we need to know is the size of your event space and how many guests you’re expecting. From there, our team of experts will send you a FREE rental quote for your next event!