Event Planning Checklist
When you're organizing an event, it can be difficult to think of everything. Truth is, you probably won't! However, this checklist should give you a better overview of some of the most common things event planners need to consider and can be used to help you arrange your event.
Timelines indicated below are suggestions only and may need to be adjusted based on the scope of your event.
Know your event - Select your planning team
The size of your event will help determine how many you need in your team. The structure of your committee will also depend on your event you may decide to give your team titles, have a chair person and a treasurer.
First things first
Ask yourself the following questions to help your establish why you are having an event. What do you want to achieve by having this event? Is there a current need or an interest in this program area? Has a similar event been held in the past? If yes, what was the response? Are your members enthusiastic about organizing this event? Is there enough time to thoroughly organize, publicize, and promote the event? Will this event be open to the public or exclusively for the company ?
This Leadership Resource Sheet will help you or your team
Plan and implement an event and organize necessary tasks and responsibilities chronologically based upon good business meeting tips. Use your answers to the above questions along with any direction you have from your team to create event goals. Goals will make decision making and planning priorities clear.
Two months before the event logistics
Determine your event date. Think about your target audience - what else will they be doing? Avoid choosing a date that will conflict with other national events such as the ones put up by the Government of your chosen destination.
Develop a budget. Your budget should be feasible. Include expenses, anticipated revenue, sponsorship, and any donations in kind. The event budget should be approved by the sponsoring organization.
Estimate your attendance.
Be realistic consider minimum attendance required for the event to run, maximum event capacity and try to use past event attendance to project your numbers.
Choose an Event Venue
One that is based on your budget, projected attendance, and space requirements.
Marketing campaign
Develop a marketing strategy. Will your event have a theme? If so, how will it be incorporated into your marketing efforts?
Create a visual image
(logo, colours, text styles, images, etc.) and stick with it. A consistent message throughout your promotional material will help your event stand out.
Draft posters and banners, build a website etc.
Have the designers bring them back all drafted posters, banners and website design to the planning team for review and input.
Contact printing companies.
If applicable, to get quotes on poster printing costs
Build the event website and include the sponsors with information about your event.
Human resources
Check in with all members of the event planning team. Does everyone understand his/her role and responsibilities within the team?
Set up a meeting/planning schedule
Do all team members know where, when, who and how those are involved in the event. and why you'll meet? Send out a meeting schedule or planning timeline.
Incorporate some team building
Organize this into your first few meetings. Focus on team leadership & involvement and create team motivation
Circulate a contact list (name, responsibilities, email, phone, etc.) to all event planners
Book guests, performers, and keynote Speakers.
If you're inviting a speaker or entertainer to your event, the earlier you research and book, the better. Usually, you'll want to know your event date, theme, and venue before contacting a guest. Depending on how important the guest is to the functioning of your event you may need to let your guest's schedule determine your event date.
Request a quote from all guest speakers you will need to contract. If a guest is not contracted, it's still a good idea to have the arrangement in writing to help avoid any misunderstanding.
Six weeks before the event
Logistics
Finalise an event schedule. Start by breaking down the day into 15-minute segments indicating who should be where, when. Your event schedule may change as the program comes together, but having a clear schedule is crucial to effectively plan for volunteers, speakers, caterers, etc.
Marketing campaign
Ensure that marketing resources are in place. Develop a plan for distribution. You've created great posters where and how will they be circulated? What are the best locations and times to distribute leaflets or which medium to use for marketing the event
Human resources
Revisit the goals for your event. Is your team moving toward these goals? If not, the process or the goals may need to be re-evaluated.
Check
Regarding progress on assigned tasks and responsibilities. Does anyone on the planning team need help with his/her assigned tasks?
One month before the event
Marketing campaign
Implement your promotions campaign. Get the word out! Now is the time to distribute your promotions.
Licensed events.
If you're having a licensed event at the chosen venue, which would be a non-hotel based venue, do you need to obtain a Special Catering licence? Check with your venue to see if they have prefered caterers.
Consider dietary needs.
Will you have a selection of alternative options for dietary needs
Two weeks before the event
Logistics
Confirm venue, catering, keynote speakers, guest's, bands, the DJ, or any other service or individual you've contracted. Check to ensure that you have enough assistants. Are all the volunteer roles covered? Have you allocated enough help for each task? As the event planner and organizer, it's usually a good idea to leave your self out of the task list as much as possible.
Week of the event
Prepare event signage. Make volunteer thank-you cards or gifts. Purchase supplies needed for the event
(snacks, nametags, decorations, etc.). Review the event schedule and volunteer schedule and circulate this information. Arrange any necessary training for your volunteers
Day before the event
Have a brief check-in meeting with the key event planners. Review the event plan/schedule and ensure that all members have the resources they need. Leave time to pick up time-sensitive or perishable supplies, guests from the airport, etc.
Day of the event
Arrive early. Double check that tables, chairs, a/v equipment, food, signage, etc. are as required. Decorate and/or put up signs and directional information. Clean up - it's one of the toughest parts of scheduling an event, but one of the most important if you're hoping to use a venue again in the future! Ensure you've scheduled plenty of volunteers to help with clean up.
After the event
Plan a volunteer or planning team thank you (dinner, small gift, card, etc.). Plan a wrap-up meeting. As a planning team, discuss successes, challenges, and recommendations for the future. If you evaluated your event formally in any way (surveys, etc.), this information should also be considered. Reconcile the budget and present an overall event budget back to your club or organization. Prepare a report or group evaluation for use by future event organizers! This report should include:
Recap of the event (who, what, where, when, why)
- Evaluation comments
- Recommendations for future
- Contact information for services resources that were used
- Final budget
- An attached file containing sample promotions, task lists, photos
For further information please contact Theresa Delia at Business Meetings Malta, the free conference venue finding company and DMC