Making magic as an event planner takes a lot of behind-the-scenes action. After months of planning, the final piece is pulling off a smooth setup and breakdown. It can be a lot to juggle, but with the right strategy, you and your team can make it all happen. We gathered a group of experienced planning professionals to give you their top tips on event setup and breakdown for an unforgettable event.
1. Confirm Your Game Plan
Successful event setup starts long before load-in. Whether your team arrives on-site early on event day or huddles a few days before, make sure everyone is fully set on their roles and responsibilities. Tara Tonsetic, Founder of Modern Meets Vintage, recommends putting together a detailed list of everything that needs to be done and who is in charge of making it happen.
“Typically, at the start of an event, I will huddle the team together to review the event, the timeline, all the things that will be taking place,” Tonsetic explains. “They will be given their assignments for set-up, during and post-event so everyone is on the same page. I make sure to give them a typed out handout of all they are responsible for. This really helps to keep things on track…It’s [also] imperative to know what each vendor will be doing day of.”
Knowing everyone is on the same page when event setup officially begins is critical. Sabrina Ramos, Founder and Creative Director at Pop Spark Agency, highlights the necessity of being able to work in sync as a team.
“Events are about creating moments for connection and memories. Empower your staff to contribute to those goals, no matter how small the action may be… I always start with clear communication about the client’s expectations,” Ramos says.
“Once the staff knows the game plan, it’s up to me to trust that they know their job. We always emphasize smooth progress over messy, frantic breakdowns. Once a team has worked together over a number of events, it becomes like a well-choreographed dance. I let my team know that I trust them to make the best decisions they can if I’m not around.”
2. Draw a Map
Knowing the lay of the land is pivotal to keeping things running smoothly and on time during both setup and breakdown. Ramos encourages event planners to give their team a detailed visual of the event space beforehand.
“Have a plan in place to maximize staff efficiency. A venue map and layout will help clearly communicate the plan with staff.”
Sharon Smith, Director of Business Development with Working Women Connection, also advises studying the space ahead of time, so you know what’s covered and what gaps you’ll need to fill.
“I think site survey is key. Go and understand what are your strong points, how you can get into the space, and maneuver quickly. So, if you walk into a space and they have absolutely no storage or very little storage for you, then you need to come in with everything prepared, set up, and ready to go.”
3. Organize Your Supplies
For a smooth event setup, have all of your materials in order and ready to go. That includes the supplies you know you’ll need, plus a few extra things to handle any hiccups that might arise. Kristin McFarland, Founder and CEO at The Source Marketing Group, recommends putting together your own event emergency kit.
“This is your lifeline at events — it is literally a box or tub of whatever you have: staff badges, safety pins, cords for tying down tarps or banners, pens for writing to check guests in if tech fails, business cards, S hooks for hanging banners at trade show booths, etc. It’s the easiest way to ensure you are prepared for whatever the event space throws at you.”
Additionally, if any particular items need a little extra care and attention after the event, prep ahead for a hassle-free breakdown.
“Anything that is fragile, expensive, needs to be returned to rental companies, etc. gets tagged and staged in pre-set zones,” says Ramos.
4. Prioritize Your Client’s Vision
You want every guest’s first impression to reflect positively on your client. Whether it’s delivering someone’s dream wedding or a well-run corporate conference, using custom napkins and tableware that reinforces their brand image is one of the best ways to keep clients happy.
“When a host walks into the room, they want to be able to feel exactly what their guests are going to feel when they walk through the door. Having it on brand makes a difference,” Smith says. “They want to be able to see their colors, be able to see their signage, and everything set up in place.”
Smith emphasizes that keeping things on brand comes down to every little detail — especially how you set your client’s table.
“When the guests walk in, especially if it's a paid event, they want to feel like it's worth every dollar that they spent for the ticket. and that starts right there at the place setting… Since it's a direct reflection of the host, I love it when I can find great linens or something that I can have monogrammed that has their specific logo attached to it.”
5. Clean As You Go
You don’t have to wait for the end of the night to start the breakdown process. In fact, tidying up throughout the event is one of the best ways to ensure a quicker exit.
“If you have a tight schedule for breakdown, cleaning and organizing must be done continually throughout the event,” Ramos recommends. “Any item that is no longer needed for the event should be hauled away once used. If there is an opportunity to move attendees to other smaller areas in a venue, work with the whole production team and the client to build that into the schedule. This way, you can clear away whole sections while the event is still running. This is a great time saver. Clean events always feel upscale.”
6. Expedite Clean Up With Single-Use Linens
Want to save effort when it’s time to clear the table? Our experts agree — single-use napkins and tablecloths give your team precious time back. Smith explains that when it’s so common for events to run over their allotted time, high-quality disposables save you and your team a ton of stress.
“90% of the time the host is going to run over, which means you have [only] minutes to get out of the venue before the contract says that you need to be out,” Smith says. “To be able to scoop it up, put it away, and not have to worry about — did I put it in the right place? Are there any stains that we have to be worried about the client having to pay for later on? All of that is off the table.”
It’s not just the time it saves you at the event, either. With single-use linens, you’ve got less on your to-do list both pre and post-event.
“Single-use linens are the bridge between luxury feel and economical execution… Using single-use linens expedites breakdown at events,” Ramos says. “It also minimizes preparation time because you don’t have to coordinate a drop-off and pick-up time with a linen rental company. If purchasing your own linens, you don’t have to coordinate for washing, pressing, storage, and cataloging. This is time better spent on other more complex needs in planning an event.”
“The speed factor is huge,” adds McFarland. “It saves steps days after the event too where you might be communicating with someone to get them back to your office. We’ve had to use reusable linens for beer events, and it creates a lot more work post-event when you are exhausted and ready for the tasks to finally be done.”
7. Designate Breakdown Areas
You don’t always have the full venue space to pack up at the end of an event, especially if back-to-back events are happening. Setting up zones out of the way where your team can easily load everything up is a must.
“Sometimes venues book events directly after yours,” Smith explains. “So, not only is their staff coming in to flip the room, but your group is trying to put everything back together so that you can return it to your client intact…. Have a specific area for everything, so that at breakdown, you're just pulling it out of your stackable storage, loading it up, putting it in the van, and heading back. [Be] as organized as you possibly can because it makes a huge difference.”
8. Embrace Flexibility
Planning ahead is the foundation of good event coordination, and that includes having contingencies ready in case of any mishaps or mistakes. Being able to go with the flow is vital if you want a calm and collected event team.
“I think in events, we always have to think about a Plan A, B, and C,” Tonsetic says. “Even with proper pre-planning, things could go wrong and a shift needs to happen. I think sticking to the plan is the best plan, and knowing that if something does come up, to access, think about how to pivot and fix it, and then execute that. Not getting upset or stressed is the best course of action. We are all human, and things happen from time to time. As an event planner, you do need to have flexibility and have the skills to adjust when needed, not taking it personally. Just fix it and move on!”
9. Motivate Your Team to Finish Strong
Encouraging your team to end on a good note goes a long way when it’s time to break everything down. Tonsetic recommends even including a little reward for a job well done.
“I love to incentivize my team,” Tonsetic says. “Let's work fast [and] efficient so we can end the evening sometimes earlier and on a smooth note. I often give extra monetary tips [and] gifts for team members who give it 110%. We all work as a team and everyone pitches in. Everyone is valuable [and] has a role to play in the event. Empowering people is key.”
10. Have Fun
It’s not just about setting a beautiful table and ensuring everything is in the right place (although that’s certainly our favorite part at Naptec). You and your team set the tone of the room. If you want to deliver a great event for your clients, Smith says, keep the mood fun, light, and easy.
“Put it in your mindset that this is going to be a great event in the very beginning and work toward that,” Smith shared. “I think setting the atmosphere, creating the energy starts with the people who are already in the room. And the first ones in the room [are usually] the event staff. So if you start off with good communication, pulling together a great team, and having an organized strategy to get everything set up, it makes a huge difference and it creates a better atmosphere for the host, for the guest, and for the entire event team.”
Simplify Event Setup and Breakdown with Naptec
You don’t need to add one more thing to your to-do list at the end of the night. Naptec’s single-use napkins make cleaning up fast and easy. With our high-quality linen-like products, your event still feels elegant without the hassle. Shop our family of four unique brands — Bloomingoods, Servietto, Lintext, and Naperee — when planning your next event. You’ll be glad you did when event day arrives.
