9 things to have in your event kit

Behind the scenes of party planning, you can go from working at a computer to setting up a venue pretty quickly. Bump in days can start early, and if unorganised, become a frustrating and time consuming blur of trying to bring your concept into fruition whilst troubleshooting the aspects of set up you might have glazed over in your mind. I've been caught out before (rushing to 7/11 to try and buy command hooks for a DIY outdoor cinema night on Christmas Eve 2015), and have since been compiling what has fast become my new best friend - my event kit! Almost comparable with a zombie survival kit, I won't delve into the depths of my event bag, but instead offer 9 items for you to consider purchasing that'll make your next party set up run so much smoother (and they're just as helpful around the home!).

image via Brooke Lark

1. Command hooks An absolute must! These suckers are discreet for items like bunting and won't damage the walls (which is particularly important if your at a hire venue!)
2. Scissors Trust me - no one has them when you need them. And if by any miracle they do have an extra pair, they'll either take too long to get them or be incredibly blunt.
3. Tape Literally every kind you can get your hands on- Washi, Gaffa, floral, Double Sided. I'm not playing around when it comes to tape as each becomes useful in its own circumstance.
4. Zip Ties My second absolute must! Zip Ties are a great intrusive free option to secure huge foliage installations or signage. And even if your not responsible for those elements of the event, you'll always be surprised how the people responsible for them forget their gear (or run out).
5. String or Fishing Wire For those times when you wish the paper fan was hanging 10cm lower, or the bunting stretched just a smidge longer.. A little extra length has the ability to completely transform how the space feels.
6. Succateurs For when you want to bring a little garden to plate, or forage a few flowers to present on a table. They also cut through zip ties like butter and are a great back up when someone walks off with your scissors.
7. Balloon Pump 'Only schmucks blow balloons up with their mouth' I once had my retail store manager proclaim to me after a red SALE balloon exploded and rubber landed in my eye. Back then I thought he was crazy - but now I've got to agree with him. It's much safer to go with the ballon pump, and saves your lung capacity for more important things, like signing or busting a move with your family on the dance floor later that night.
8. Lighter Another one of those items that 'someone there should have', but just as your preparing the cake turns into a scavenger hunt. Do yourself a favour and cut out the middle man
9. Wet Wipes For that post event chaos, or to tidy the bump in mess. Even if you're at a venue wet wipes will come in handy more frequently than you'd expect, and allow you to clean up some of your other tools if you can't gain access to water easily.

What couldn't your event kit be without?