Organising a corporate or social function can be a difficult, particularly for people who do not do it on a regular basis.  Whether it is a birthday, wedding reception, bucks, hens or corporate event, there are a few common mistakes made by organisers that can be the difference between a night to remember and a night to forget.  The implications of this are such that doing a bit of research into planning and organising a function is very worthwhile.

Here are a few common mistakes made by function organizers, which if avoided, will definitely go a long way to making your function a huge success.

1. Not Enough Notice.

As a general rule, give at least a month's notice.  This ensures people have time to make sure they are not double booked, and also builds up anticipation.

2. Invitations

It is crucial to give a lot of thought to who you invite to your function.  Whether it is corporate or social, you need to be mindful of people and their friends/colleagues.  The last thing you want is rumours to circulate about "why this person wasn't invited."  This can detract from the event as some people may take offence and not come.  It is for this reason you should specify in the invite the purpose of the event.

3. Getting Too Involved

So often, function organizers get so caught up in their function, they lose sight of the fact that to most people, it is not as important to them.  As such, if people can't make it or a slightly complacent about attending, do not take it personally.

4. Doing Too Much

Many function organizers lose sight of what is critical to a function being successful, and have a habit of spending too much time on little things that do not matter.  The cliche of a bride spending weeks trying to decide on the flowers at a wedding is an apt illustration of this.  If you are an inexperienced function organizers, focus on the function venue, food, drink and people.  Everything else is secondary.

5. Burning Out

It's not uncommon for function organizers to throw their hands in the air and say "I've had enough."  Organizing a function is supposed to be fun.  Enjoy yourself and remember if something goes wrong, it is not the end of the world.

By Ben King

About the Author:
Ben King is writer/editor for www.barsandnightclubs.com.au and www.functionroom.net.au