How to plan an event: Tips, tricks and a checklist
Do you want to learn how to plan an event? We can help you plan a large event such as a conference. This blog will cover all aspects of planning an event. It includes tips, tricks, and a checklist.
What is an Event Plan?
A plan for an event company Manchester how it will be carried out. It covers all aspects of the event, such as the start and finishes dates, budget, venue and marketing, attendees, and other details.
The event’s size and complexity can affect the plan, but the basic challenges are the same. Many people have experience in planning events, whether at work, home, or in the community. Let’s concentrate on large events in this article.
Many people have experience in planning events, whether at work, home or in the community. Let’s concentrate on large events in this article.
Conferences are a very common type of large event. Let’s look at a TEDx conference we attended to show how you can plan one. This is a great example of how to plan a large event. It also shows the challenges and benefits of event planning software.
ProjectManager’s Gantt charts Free will help you plan your event down to the last detail.
The Key Elements of Event Planning
When planning an event, the first thing you should consider is the date. This is an anchor that cannot be changed. It is also important to estimate the attendance. These two crucial elements will guide you in all aspects of event planning.
Let’s look at the other components that go into setting up an event. These components are listed below:
- Event: You must first have an event to plan. This event will require many responsibilities that revolve around its operation, legal, and accounting obligations.
- Budget: Calculate all event costs and make a budget. The event management decisions you make, such as the venue, marketing and advertising strategies, will be influenced by your budget.
- Location: An event must take place somewhere. This includes logistics management and food and beverage as well as decor.
- Marketing: After you have chosen a venue, it is time to draw people to it with a marketing plan that may include email, social campaigns, and print work.
- Advertising The marketing department works hand in hand with advertising.
- Advertising can be done on radio, television, and in magazines.
- Volunteers To get a large event off the ground and running smoothly, a lot of people are needed. Volunteers are responsible for writing contracts, defining roles, setting up meetings, and determining their schedules.
- Speakers: To attract an audience, you must have a keynote speaker or group of speakers. Contracts, curators to choose the talent, a programme, bios, and rehearsals are all part of this process.
- Sponsors This all costs money and is covered by the sponsors of a large event. Again, this will require contracts, marketing, and logistics.
- Production: This production will involve you creating contracts while you create an audio-visual record of the proceedings as well as sound and video broadcasts during the event.
- Stage: An event is held at a particular venue. On that venue is the stage where the event will take place. This usually includes a projector and screen, microphones, internet connection. Batteries, cables, and other equipment.
- Attendees Remember the people coming to the event! Communications are required to notify them about event information, payment methods to collect fees, emails to stay connected, directions, badges, and access points.
We’ve just covered a lot of information about event planning. Let’s now break it down into specific steps. These steps will help you to plan your event. Let’s continue our conference example.
- Step 1. Set your event goals.
- Step 2. Assemble your team
- Step 3. Create an event budget
- Step 4 Select a date and venue
- Step 5. Choose the speakers
- Step 6. Marketing & Advertising
- Step 7. Create your event
The whole process becomes much easier when you break it down into manageable steps. There are some things you should keep in mind as you plan your event.
Event planning and organization are made easier by online task lists. Get It Free
Planning tips for events
There are always variables that you cannot control such as weather delays, delivery delays, technical problems, and other possible mix-ups. You cannot change the date of an event. Therefore, it is important to be prepared for any unexpected issues or risks that might arise on the day.
Checklist for Event Planning
Planning an event is a complex task. It’s essential to make a list of all the items you will need in your event management plan. Here’s a checklist that will help you start planning your event. Your event checklist will be more complete if you ask as many questions as possible. You are free to add your unique responsibilities or tasks.
Objectives and Goals
- What is the purpose of your event?
- What are the expected goals of this event?
- What are your revenue goals?
- Who are you targeting?
- What number of people will be there?
- What is the cost of ticketing?
- Where is it being held?
- Create an event schedule.
Event Budget
- Calculate the cost.
- You can use an existing budget to establish a baseline if you are planning similar events.
- What ticketing software and registration software will you use?
- Finalize sponsorship contributions
- Set ticket price.
Date and Venue
- When will it take place?
- In case of emergency, keep a backup copy.
- Is there a better location?
- Is the venue suitable for your expected number?
- Decide what infrastructure is needed: capacity, wifi, bathrooms, close shopping, restaurants, etc.
- Hire caterer.
- Make sure you have the right equipment.
- What security measures do you need?
- Do you need permits, licenses, insurance?
- Make event signage and a communication plan for attendees.
Speakers
- Find speakers that you like.
- Make a list of speakers you are interested in.
- Make a pitch for speakers.
- Pitch speakers.
- Finalize speaker selection, take bios and headshots, and arrange travel and accommodation.
- Create a list of potential sponsors.
- Look for sponsors that have previously partnered with events similar to yours.
- Reach out to potential sponsors
Website
- Design signoff.
- Make a new site or update an existing one.
- You must ensure that the site is able to handle the expected traffic.
- Mobile-friendly sites are a must.
- Event Marketing and Advertising
What is your message?
- Use social media platforms and digital tools to coordinate.
- Add the event to your online calendar.
- Blog posts, video ads and other promotional tools can be used to market events.
- Notify all parties at least a month in advance of the event.
Finalizing, Last Steps
- Schedule
- Caterer
- Speakers and scripts
- Location
- Equipment
- Decorations
- Contracts
Tip: There’s so much to plan and coordinate. This is why you need project management software with the right features for event management. It offers a single portal where you can track tasks and costs with automated alerts. It can also be used as a communication tool and collaborative platform, which reduces the number of unnecessary emails. Software organizes all files and reduces stress.
ProjectManager.com helps you plan events
ProjectManager.com, a cloud-based software designed for event planning, is ideal. Our tools can help you organize all aspects of your event, including managing vendors and promotions.
Our planning tool allows you to keep track of all elements that make up your event. Online Gantt charts allow you to manage your schedule by arranging tasks in a timeline, linking dependencies, and being able assign tasks.
Gantt charts allow your team to collaborate on event management. They can attach and comment on important documents at each task level. There’s no need to comb through email for vital data. All data is available right from where you are working. The software is simple to use, and you can access it from anywhere, on-site or at the office. You can keep all parties involved in the project in touch and collaborate in one place.
Timesheets simplify invoicing for all your events. You can submit them and have them approved by pressing a single keystroke. You can also view the software from a list, a calendar, and even a Kanban board. This helps you to visualize your workflow so that you can keep on track.
Get a 30-day free trial of ProjectManager.com to see how it can tie together all the strings for your event in a beautiful bow.
Learn More about Planning an Event
It can be difficult to plan an event. There are many balls to consider. You can start by downloading our event planning template to get started and then watch our experts plan your next event. Jennifer Bridges, PMP has many years of experience. She uses that to show you the basics of event planning in this video.
Transcription
Today we will be discussing how to plan an event. Most people are involved in planning events at work, home, or in our local communities.
Today, however, I want you to think about larger events. Think about conferences. The example I will share with you today is a TEDx conference. It was one of my most memorable experiences.
Let me talk about the structure. I will discuss some of the challenges you may encounter at events, how we solved them, and how software helped us.
First, you need to understand that there are many components to an event. This is how I will approach it. We have the event at a high-level. It’s all about discussing the show, including any type of legal or accounting operations.
Next, we will discuss the venue. The venue is the final step.
Next, we will talk about marketing. We have a website, social media, email marketing and any type of print. Advertising is another option. Radio, TV, newspapers, magazines, and radio were all used.
Then we had to plan volunteers, which was also a lot of work. We had to create contracts, lay out the roles and responsibilities, plan meetings, schedule the work and provide contact information.
We then had speakers for the TEDx event. We had to create the contracts. We had to search for speakers, go through curation, vet them, and then work with them to create their program, their bio, and do a practice run-through.
We had sponsors. We had contracts with them again. They could get any marketing collateral they wanted from us, and we would need from them.
Then we had production. More contracts. Also, more contracts were needed to plan for audio and video. There were many components.
Then there were the attendees. Communication with attendees, receiving their payments, sending emails, giving directions, badges and any other access.
There were many more, but this is a very high-level scope. As you can see, it is complicated when an event occurs. You can see how complicated it gets with all the people involved: speakers, volunteers, sponsors, attendees and stakeholders.
We ran into many challenges, such as the fact that the event date can’t be changed. This means that if something happens, derails, or goes wrong, the date cannot shift. This is true for most events. If you are putting on a conference, it can’t change. This can also cause stress.
It’s not just the sheer volume of people you have to deal with. Even though the event is smaller, it still presents challenges due to the sheer number of people involved. There are also variables you cannot control. Think about the weather and how it might affect you, whether it is snowing or raining.
The delivery of new equipment, food, or beverages may then be required. It’s not possible to deliver the items on time. It is important to consider all possible plans. Then order mix-ups. You can order different marketing materials or food, and it will all go wrong.
There are many communication options. It’s a lot of work communicating with different people.
We created a framework and a foundation. Then we implemented project management software. This was huge because it provides a common platform for all involved.
They can go to the site to receive real-time updates about what’s happening. You can also track task and cost. You can then set up alerts to notify you when tasks are complete or late. Also, you can determine when certain items need to be paid and if they have been late.
It’s also very important to have communication and collaborations. There’s nothing worse than going through so many emails trying to find the right information. It’s great to collaborate and communicate through this portal if someone sends you something, a document, or something similar by email.
It also serves as a central repository for all your files. This could include marketing materials. It could also be contracts. It could also be invoices. They’re all there.
It also allows team reporting. It allows you to share real-time information with your vendors partners or volunteers. This not only improves efficiency but also reduces stress.