Party Planning? 5 Pro Tips for Ensuring a Good Turnout Planning a party is exciting, exhausting, and stressful all at the same time. You might be excited to plan an event because it allows you to be creative. Or, maybe...

Planning a party is exciting, exhausting, and stressful all at the same time. You might be excited to plan an event because it allows you to be creative. Or, maybe you feel excited because you're anticipating seeing some of your favorite people. But even if you're feeling all this excitement, party planning is still no small task. On top of ensuring every detail is perfect, you should also do everything possible to ensure a good turnout.

Make sure your next party draws the crowd you expect. Here are five tips for ensuring a good turnout at a party you're planning.

1. Pick the Perfect Date

When planning a party, one of the first things you must do is pick a date. But the last thing you want to do is choose a day at random. Instead, pick a day when most of your guests will be available. You can check with them beforehand to get a general idea of which days work best.

You can have different conversations with every guest to figure out dates and times that work. But this can take a lot of time, and you'll get various answers. It can get chaotic quickly, so it's best to take control of the situation.

Another approach is to use a scheduling tool such as Calendar, Microsoft Calendar, or Google Calendar to send event invites. For example, pick three dates and send invites to your guests. You can name the invite something like "Possible Party Date #1," "Possible Party Date #3," etc. Ask your guests to respond "Yes" or "No" to indicate whether or not a date works for them. The date that'll have the highest attendance is the date you should choose.

Pro tip: Using shared calendars, you can determine with even more accuracy which dates might work the best. And it's less work on your part. You can view when people are available without bothering them with emails, texts, and calls.

2. Send Timely Invites

Once you pick a date, it's time to send out the formal event invite. As a party planner, you must do everything promptly. Pick the date plenty in advance so your guests can attend without conflicts or prior commitments. Also, formal invites should be sent out at the right time, so invitees have all the necessary information.

If you're sending invites out via mail, consider postal service delivery times. If you're sending an e-card or an online invitation, make sure you have the correct email addresses. Also, ensure that recipients will be able to open the invite. Ask friends if their invite went to spam or their regular inbox, ensure your settings aren't set to private, and so on.

Also, don't send formal invites too early; otherwise, people might forget important details. But they won't have enough time to prepare if it's too late. For example, if the party is BYOB (bring your own beverage), people need time to purchase the drinks. However, guests might forget this important detail if you send the invites too early. This could lead to chaos at your party. When sending invites, there is a sweet spot, so make sure you pick the right time.

3. Make Your Invites Informative

In addition to sending timely invites, you should ensure your invitations are informative. When writing and designing your invitation, be strategic. Include all of the necessary information, but don't overcrowd your invitation. Make it visually appealing so that people don't just feel excited but feel compelled to read it.

Make sure you include the appropriate amount of text on your invite. People may not read the invite if there's too much text, but too little information can also be problematic. You may receive many follow-up questions, and suddenly, you'll have to respond to them. This can cut into your party planning time. Also, if people don't know important details about the party, it may lead to a disastrous event.

First, gather all the necessary information for your party. This includes the date, time, location, and additional information. Maybe you want to inform guests about the party's appropriate attire. Also, inform your guests about any food or drinks served at the party. Once you have all the info, create the perfect invite with a party invitation website.

4. Follow Up With Invitees

It's crucial to follow up with everyone once the invitations are sent. As soon as you send out invites, immediately let recipients know so they're looking out for the invite. Then, follow up periodically to keep the party top-of-mind. It might be a good idea to set calendar reminders for yourself so you remember to follow up with guests. It's easy to forget things when you're busy, and reminders keep you organized.

After your initial outreach to invitees confirming they received the invite, maybe set two more reminders. The first reminder could be an email. In the reminder notes, you could have the email's body already written and ready to go. This will save you time when you're in full-party planning mode.

The second and final reminder could be a text. In the notes of this reminder, you could also include a brief sentence or two of the follow-up message. You could also include phone numbers for all the invitees (if you have them). If you're missing anyone's contact information, you can email them or try to get it. Specific calendar integrations can sync contact info to your calendar automatically.

5. Build Excitement for the Party

The work doesn't stop there once you send your perfectly polished invitations and follow up with invitees. Now, it's time to build excitement for your event. You want your guests to look forward to your event and not be surprised when the date arrives. You want the party to be highly anticipated and have a high attendance rate. This is why building excitement is so important.

Sending out reminders will build excitement, but maybe take it a step further. Whenever you send out a reminder, share exciting updates about the party. Maybe the original invite just said dinner will be served, but in a reminder, share what kind of food. Maybe you said drinks will be provided, but follow up by sharing exactly what guests will be sipping on. Saying, "We'll be having a taco bar with spicy margaritas," is a lot more exciting than just "food and drinks."

Another way to build excitement is to check the weather and see if you have any good news to share. If the weather is going to be beautiful, tell guests how nice it will be. Tell them about any plans you have to host the event outside. Lastly, ensure invitees can see who else is invited to the party. If guests see close friends and people they know, they'll likely be more keen on attending.

The anticipation of a big party can bring excitement and overwhelming joy. But party planning isn't all fun and games. Remember that being in charge of an event, no matter the size or occasion, requires meticulous planning. You must focus and pay attention to every detail to ensure the party is perfect. It may sound like a lot of work, but the result (e.g., enjoying the party) is worth it.

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Rosario Fernandes; Pexels

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