With lots of moving parts to get in place before your attendees arrive, pre-event anxiety is a serious hurdle. Event planners can minimize that stress, though, by focusing on backup plans, customer satisfaction, and logistics for a successful event.

“Have a plan A, B, C … and X, Y, Z,” writer Tracy Kosolcharoen explains in a blog post at Eventbrite. “As much as you plan, you never know what might happen.”

Kosolcharoen, who interviewed master event planner Sharon Sperber, noted that it’s best to start planning early. This includes paperwork, preparing venue requirements, and backup plans. Thoroughness brings a level of relief to every event planner.

Sperber is founder of the successful film and food truck festival, Eat See Hear, which attracts thousands of festival-goers across the Los Angeles area. Dealing with a crowd that size means usually a few may be dissatisfied, which is why Sperber recommends being liberal with refunds.

“People sometimes have unrealistic expectations. If and when they complain, it’s absolutely worth giving them a refund,” Sperber said. A refund may hurt, but it doesn’t hurt as much as negative backlash and reviews on the organization or the event itself, she added.

Ultra-clear communication on logistics is extremely important, as well, she said. Laying out every single detail for attendees, partners, vendors, and sponsors on the website and in follow up emails, no matter how redundant, will help the event go off without a hitch.

App of the Day

Looking for a complete event app? Read our review of Goomeo https://t.co/6bIsV84DCj #review #eventapps #eventtech pic.twitter.com/vzJtPP48Dp

— Skift Meetings (@SkiftMeetings) June 16, 2016

There’s always another app around the corner, but the latest one hits upon (almost) all the requirements for a slam-dunk event platform. Goomeo—which has versions for Apple, Android, and Windows—boasts networking features and interactivity. Check out Becki Cross’ extensive review at Event Manager Blog.

Links, Links, Links

Volunteering can often be pushed under the rug in our day-to-day responsibilities and tasks. At the VolunteerMatch blog, Basil Sadiq explains how it could help boost your career.

Scheduling meetings in Outlook can be a drag. Fortunately, though, it’s about to get a little easier—thanks to Starbucks, of all companies. With the coffee giant’s new add-in feature, you can find and share a location to meet up or send a gift card to a colleague—all in the confines of your email client. Check it out.

“Take a step back and focus on your customers and what they need,” David Hillis suggests in a CMSWire post. The vice president of business development at Ingeniux says that digital transformation should revolve around customers and their experiences.

(iStock/Thinkstock)