One of the primary reasons that events fail is inefficient planning or a complete lack of it. Events fail because a lot of important factors are not taken into account while making the decisions. A lot of questions are often left unanswered, only to be discovered when it’s all a mess. Therefore, it is very important to ask yourself a set of questions before you finalise an event. Answers to these questions will help you have a better understanding of your event, you will be able to take the right decisions, and your event will be nothing but successful.

Q1. What is the nature of your event?
‘Event’ is just a word. But it’s extremely inclusive! An event can be a conference, a seminar, a workshop, an exhibition, a fair, a concert, a meetup or a competition. From a silent gathering of a dozen people, to a raucous throng of thousands, an event can be anything. It’s important to understand which category, or categories, your event is going to fall in. It may not fall in any of them and rather be a kind of it’s own. What is important, is that you should know what your event is all about. It will help you get answers to many other questions.

Q2. What will be the ideal dates for the event?
Sometimes, the dates of your event can be the difference between it’s success and failure. Even worse, dates once decided are extremely difficult to change. You can, but it can sometimes have serious repercussions. Therefore, an intensive research needs to be done before you zero down on a date, or dates, for your event. Take up a date which best suits you, and then look for these: Are there any other similar events, or any sort of event, in your area around the same date? Does any festival and/or holiday fall on that date? The questions may vary from event to event, but what is important is to time your event correctly.

Q3. How many people will turn up?
It’s important to have a rough idea of the number of people who will be ready to attend your event, beforehand. This will help you plan the things better. You need to know the number, because this very number is what will drive every other aspect of your event. You will have to quote it to the sponsors, to the invitees, to the caterers and the infra people. So do a little research, and come up with a realistic number. I said realistic, because it matters. You may go overboard and fancy a larger than life number, but that doesn’t help later on.

Q4. What will be the right venue for the event?
Picking up the right venue for your event is another thing important. A lot of this decision depends upon your answers to the question 1 & 3. Regardless, take help of your conscience and deploy some common sense as well! An open space with huge parking would be good if you are planning to host a concert, where as a well-furnished hall or a banquet might be ideal for an exhibition. There are certain essentials to check out for, while deciding the venue: adequate and well-managed parking space, public amenities, infrastructure available and provisions for makeshift, approachability and location of the venue are all important.

Q5. How much the audience will be ready to pay?
The best way to zero down on a ticket price is to conduct a survey. Launch a google form, and post it on facebook, or wherever you want to. Ask people what they would be ready to pay for an event of your kind. Don’t give them options, for they will select the lowest one! Set your price according to the responses you get, and that will be just the correct price for your event. This exercise will not only help you decide a price but it will also publicise your event, will be considered a goodwill gesture, your audience will trust you, and will feel privileged. Win, win, win!

There are certain events which just can’t be held in a closed place like an auditorium or banquet; events like book fairs, exhibitions, and concerts fall in this category. Open air, vast and expansive spaces are required for such events. Although we have a lot of open spaces in Chandigarh, most of these are not very suitable, or rather are not open to organising such events. However, there are some such open and expansive places here in Chandigarh, to go about organising an event.

Leisure Valley, Sector 10
True to it’s name, the lush green Leisure Valley located in Sector 10 of the city beautiful is just the ideal place to hold any sort of leisure activities. You can organise musical evenings, fashion shows, concerts, fests and fairs at this beautiful place. Just opposite to the rose garden and adjacent to Matka Chowk, the place is very easily approachable. The best part is that it provides a very good ambience that’s ideal to organise cultural, fun activities and events. Some of the events that are regularly held at the Leisure Valley include the annual Chandigarh Carnival, Le Faria Flea Market and Dog Show, among numerous concerts and musical performances.

Parade Ground, Sector 17
The Parade Ground in Sector 17 hosts trade shows and expos very frequently. And it is the perfect place for such events. In fact, this ground is ideal for any event which asks for restricted entry, as it has a walled boundary. You can employ makeshift infrastructure in the ground, and have all the facilities that are generally available in an indoor location. Just next to the ISBT 17, Parade Ground is again at a very approachable location and has an adequate parking space. Apart from the annual republic day parade (from which the ground gets its name), the Parade Ground in Sector 17 in the past has hosted the CII Trade Fair, Agro Exposition, Destination North East Fair, and the Digi Dhan Mela.

Plaza, Sector 17
The Plaza in Sector 17, which is the city’s central commercial complex is just the ideal place to hold promotional events and activities. The open area in the middle of the four-storied commercial buildings is the hub of activities, and attracts great crowds. The place is also well suited to hold musical concerts and rock nights. Many such events are already being held at the plaza regularly. Such events are generally open to public, but it is one of the most lucrative places to hold promotional events.

Sector 34 Ground
Also known as Exhibition Ground or Fair Ground, the vast piece of land in Sector 34 is just the right place for exhibitions and fairs. The ground area can be conveniently manipulated, and adequate infrastructure can be deployed to meet the requirements of your event. It boasts of an easily approachable location, adequate parking area, and minimal restrictions in terms of the space and its use. The annual Diwali Fair and the Chandigarh Book Fair is held here, along with many other big and small exhibitions.