Anne veck's tips for running salon events

Whether it's to reward staff with a company awards night, show off your team's creative skills with a hair show or convey your company's ethos via a conference, the ability to organise events is a must-have skill for salon managers. The scale of such an event will depend on the size of the business, but certain strategies are always important. Anne Veck, partner in Oxfordshire-based Anne Veck Hair, has been the brains behind a number of large-scale events. Here are her key pieces of advice for any salon owners or managers planning an event

• Have a clear idea of what you are hoping to achieve - "You need to have a clear view of the purpose of the event, what outcome you are looking for and how it will benefit the business."
• Start planning - "For a larger event, for example, a staff conference for 100 people or more, or a high-profile catwalk event, you will probably need to enlist professional help. Organising a large event is a specialised business and it is not worth taking risks if you haven't got the experience in-house."
• Check every last detail - "Check out the venue in advance, including the stage, acoustics, sound system, choice of music, timings and so on. You may be responsible for all this yourself if it's a small show, or you may need to enlist the help of a professional stage director and MC. If you are planning to use specialist help, make sure you organise this well in advance."
• Move on to the next event - "Once the event is finished, start planning for the next one by asking someone you trust for feedback. You should make sure you have someone in the audience who you can rely on to give an honest opinion."