Although everyone is bound to run into a few roadblocks now and again, there are some mistakes that should not be made when organise an event. In order to make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible, follow a checklist to ensure you haven't overlooked one of the major areas of event planning. Don't let one of these common (and easy to make) mistakes ruin your event for you and your guests!

1. Before signing a contract, make sure your event doesn't clash with any major holiday or sporting event. Also look into public school holidays, as many parents may plan to take their families out of town during that time. It is essential that you run the final date by all parties one last time, just to be sure everyone is on the same page.
2. Make a visit before committing to a venue. It may be hard to get away from the office to do an on-site visit, but this really is a necessity. By visiting your venue before the actual event, you ensure that what you imagined is what you are really getting. It will also help assist you in designing meeting room breakdowns, creating accurate maps and directions for your guests, and getting to know the staff that you will be working with on site.
3. Market your event. In order to get the most people to attend your event, you need to do a good job of marketing it. This means giving people plenty of notice ahead of time with good publicity that lists the exact times and dates of the event, and a catchy logo or phrase that will remind people it is coming up.
4. Never sign a contract without specifics. When making up a contract with a venue, never leave specific details out. It is not good enough to merely expect vague words to mean the same thing to both parties. Whenever possible, include all dates, times and agreed upon prices in the contract. If a building is undergoing renovation, state clearly the progress that is to be made by the time your event is to be held.
5. Plan ahead. Make up a plan early in the process of organising an event and stick to it. Have several back up plans in case your original idea just won't work with the budget or timing. Never assume everything will work itself out. Go over all details at least twice and make checklists to help keep you on track.
6. Check references of all parties involved. Not all venues are created equal; although they may look the same on paper, they could be vastly different in terms of quality, value, and service in practice. When enquiring about a venue, get the names of the last companies to use the venue, and then call them personally. Be sure to ask the company's management if they would consider using the venue again. If not, you should keep looking. This goes for the catering and decorating as well, if they are outside hires.
7. Never leave important details to the last minute. The more rushed you are to get something together, the more likely you are to let a little detail slip by that could cost you a lot. Only leave simple things to the last minute, if you have to leave anything at all, and make sure you always follow checklists to avoid overlooking something.
8. Keep control of the planning. If you don't have time to organise an event yourself and decide to hire a professional planner, don't assume your work is over once you have hired this outside help. Although they will now be doing the hard work, you should always know what they're working on and what it's going to cost you. Keeping an eye on things early on can help avoid a big surprise right before your event!
9. Always have a backup. Chances are something will not go quite according to plan. Hopefully it will be a minor thing, but if not, be prepared. Don't get caught off guard by anything. Be especially prepared for various weather situations, as it is hard to predict months in advance what the weather will be like.
10. Don't pinch pennies. When trying to stick to a mandated budget, it is entirely too tempting to make venue decisions based solely on price. However, it is very difficult to find great quality at a discount price. If the venue costs a lot less then other places, you have to wonder why. If you do find a great price cut, just make sure you thoroughly check all references.