Event Managers?

A couple of days ago we were discussing about event management people who make a big buck and don't do such a great job as per expectations.

Which brought us to the neighbours telling the two of us who organised events for the flat day and the last couple of birthdays of our kids and the independence day 2010, that we will do a much better job if we ventured into this. With a big shock I remembered that I never got around to posting the pictures of the last event that happened in August.

Anyway, the principles that we both use during organising these events or games for our kids' birthday parties are..

- activities should be centred around movement. All of them racing, gathering, running around and all that.. Like the potato gathering relay race below

...Events have to have an element of challenge and not very easy peasy- like the filling the bottle with water gathered in the palm relay race.

We noticed that the races around brain work application- solving jumble, maths olympiad were not a big hit.

...For older kids we like to have some thinking and application though- the importance on being able to learn something apart from some fun.

We gave them products and ask them to make a marketing plan. They did a brilliant job of the same.
...Similarly, we need to make stuff exciting for the kids below and focus on stuff they know well.

Like the bead threading race or bean sorting race

.... or something very very fun. Like gathering toffees in their boxes. Ojas gave the last few toffees he collected t o Tejas and Tejas emerged the winner.

...More adding variety to a standard running race by introducing stuff to gather on the way to finish line.

Like getting ready for school- carry the basket, tiffin, bottle, napkin and rush to finish line.

...Of course, not without talent show for them too.

colouring competition

...Involve the adults too.

Really getting them involved through badminton matches

Rangoli competitions by the ladies . (pictures pending!!!)

...or active games done by select people- like ice cream feeding, potato peeling or done by teams like newspaper costume making or treasure hunt.

...Not repeating events else they become boring

...Keep gathering ideas and place them in a file

...My favourite- Lists, lists, lists. Excel sheets that tell what items are needed for each game.

....Being Organized- gather items for each game in a single bag

....Get help- request people to be the judges, or stand on finish line, or help for organising the items needed.

...Gather people, make them participate- it takes very little to get people involved. After the initial inertia is tackled, their own steam takes them through- like the kaaoke event that I was hosting- I selected some songs on my own and allotted them to each team. Once the starting trouble was overcome, they began doing their own thing.

...And above all, add your unique touch. Each time, it has to be different!