How Event Planners Use Print

The life of an event planner is a busy one, fraught with last-minute changes and crazy schedules. One of the main things they need to keep on top of is the print media they use for each event. Whether it’s wedding invitations or party promotion flyers, any event planner worth their salt will use print in order to pull off a stunning event.

So, how can a savvy event planner make the most of print to promote their party, create a seamless wedding experience, or throw a dashing awards dinner?

Notebooks And Diaries

Any serious event planner will have a paper diary, alongside numerous productivity and organiser apps on their smartphone. A planner can include diary pages, lined or blank pages for notes, and a contacts section to keep all those important people in one place.

Some event planners also choose to give branded notebooks to their clients as part of a welcome pack. This is a lovely idea to help customers feel like they have control over their event and can easily keep track of everything. It’s also a great bit of marketing, as the planner is likely to be pulled out at meetings with suppliers, shown to friends, and seen by passers-by as they write up notes over a coffee. Thanks to the seen-everywhere element, an attractive, custom branded diary planner is a handy marketing tool without being too ‘salesy’.

Wall Calendars

As well as a pocket diary, a wall planner or calendar makes for an easy at-a-glance organisational tool that can be seen by anyone. A good event planner will include a wall calendar in their office, hung in pride of place, so that customers can quickly see how busy their schedule is – a great way to implement a scarcity marketing tactic! If people think you’re very busy, they’ll think you’re also very good – and will be clamouring to have you as their event manager!

Promotional Flyers

Event planners aren’t just for weddings and private parties! Most event promoters are trying to sell tickets to festivals, club nights, or exhibitions, or want to tell people all about a product launch event.
In this case, it’s important to have high-quality flyers for distribution – people will pick them up and keep them or pass to their friends. Being budget-savvy doesn’t mean you have to have cheap-feeling flyers – choose a thicker paper stock with a smart laminated finish to stand out from your competitors.

Printed Tickets

Of course, with club nights and events for the public, event planners are going to need tickets to give to people!

You can print tickets in any size, on any type of paper – from business card size up to a DL flyer that includes an event programme on the reverse. The options for designing a ticket are endless!

Even if the event is free, tickets can help keep track of attendance and how successful the promoter has been. A colour-coded ticket, or a unique, promoter-specific code on the tickets will help you to keep track of who has sold the most. This is useful for two key reasons. First, you can learn the sales techniques the top promoter used, to improve for your next event. Second, you can see which demographics were most interested in your event.

For example, if one promoter sold twice as many tickets as another, because he was selling them to university students, you’ll know that – for your next event – it’s important to target that demographic to ensure success.

Invitations, Save-The-Date, And Thank-You Cards

For more formal or private events, such as weddings and awards dinners, it’s important to use print to create a good impression AND bring a practical approach to event organisation.

A save-the-date card lets people know that the event is coming up, so that they can book the date out in their diary well in advance. Not much more information is required, unless you’re looking for sponsors (in which case, include contact details!) – so you can send a simple postcard as a save-the-date teaser to your customers or event invitees.

Next up come the invitations, which can be sent in the form of a greetings card, a high-quality flyer, or a personalised letter. Whichever route an event planner chooses to take, it’s essential that all contact, event, and venue information is included – otherwise there’ll be lots of time-wasting with attendees asking lots of questions!

After the event, some event planners will use thank-you cards to send to their customers. This is good etiquette, as it is a nice way to tie up the event and thank people for choosing you as their event planner. You can also include a few business cards in your envelope, in case your customers want to recommend your services to their friends.

Seating Plans

A formal event may include a sit-down meal, which can be a logistical nightmare for an event planner. Not only will they have to consider the politics of who can – and can’t – sit at the same table together, they’ll also need to keep track of any people with dietary requirements. Knowing where they’re sitting makes it much easier to deliver a seamless table service, with the correct meals going to each person.

A seating plan solves the problem of people sitting wherever they like! Printed on a high-quality A1 poster, a plan can be positioned at the entrance of the dining area. Most event planners choose to print at least two, to avoid a bottleneck around the seating plan once dinner has been announced.

A super-organised event planner might also choose to use folded business cards to create bespoke table placecards on which they can write each name, so that people will be able to sit exactly where their hosts want them.

Remember, for a sit-down meal, you might also need menus and drinks lists! These are a particularly useful tool if your event is being sponsored, as it provides additional exposure opportunities.

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