Top 7 Things to Check Off on Your Event Planning Checklist
Planning is the most critical component of executing an event successfully. More often than not, planners always have a back-up of resorting to plan B to avoid any last-minute stress or mistakes that might look like a blunder to the event attendees.
In this post ,we’ve have put together 7 things you need to check off while planning your event:
1. Know your budget
Money is always a factor when any decision is made. Therefore, it is important to know how much money you are willing to spend on the event. Also, it is important to keep some amount of cash as a reserve for unforeseen situations.
Once the budget has been drafted, the spending can be delegated into different categories so you don’t land up overspending in one area and less in another.
If your event is not completely a private affair, you could even lookout for sponsors to cover major costs related to the event.
Pro tip: There are certain areas when value is more important than just the cheapest price. These include a reliable event planning software that can automate a lot of the work for you such as automated matchmaking and event reporting, or hiring a professional event planner to get the job done right.
2. Select your location
Location, location, location. The location is of prime importance. If it’s too far away, attendees may not be able to make it, causing a loss in event registrations. Early on in the selection stage itself, ensure that you check the location in person.
Make a quick check for simple things that come to mind. For example, check to see if there are toilets for the disabled, the air conditioning is working, the capacity of the hall, the size of the doors and if your equipment for the event will get through it. Always be prepared with an alternative location as a plan B just in case you run into some issues with your first choice.
Pro tip: If you have to have attendees travel by road or fly to your event location, make sure to choose a location with ample hotels nearby and transportation easily available for convenience.
3. Keep logistics in mind
What your event is going to need in terms of equipment, food and activities is the key to many decisions for any event planning activity. First, you need to answer the pivotal questions: what food, entertainment and activities will be required at the event?
After that, you need to sit with the host to finalize the budget for different activities. If you need music, you have to hire a DJ and make sure he has everything necessary for his equipment. If you are serving food and drinks, you need to hire a caterer that does the job best.
Pro tip: Each event is different. Depending on the budget you have to work with you may decide to look for more sponsorships, or if your budget permits, provide free lunch to attract more attendees.
4. Chart out the agenda
An organized event agenda makes the event look professional in the eyes of the attendees. It goes to show that the event has been organized in a professional and timely manner. Time slots for each presentation, workshop or meeting, as well as breaks, guide the attendees where to go next and the duration of each activity.
If there are multiple events taking place in different areas at the same time, including a floor plan of where the event activities are taking place will also be helpful. Giving the program a presentable look will also reflect the attention to detail around the entire event.
Pro tip: Event planning software can help automate the process of creating an event agenda, and also automatically generate each attendee’s schedule for them based on what activities they registered for. By choosing an app that will enable attendees to access the event agenda and personalized schedule on their mobile phones, attendees can seamlessly navigate through the event for a much better event experience.
5. Delegate responsibilities
One person can’t overlook the entire event. Delegation is the key here. This can be done in two ways. First, delegate responsibilities by creating zones. For example, a particular team is responsible for facilitating with registrations in the main foyer, and another is responsible for stage management.
Second, delegate responsibilities as per function. For example, a team for greeting the attendees, another for general inquiries and help, and another in charge of overseeing the food.
Pro tip: If you’re working with a limited team you may find yourself and your staff multi-tasking. This is fine, as long as things are planned accordingly. For example, you and your host may decide to close registrations at 12:30pm, so the team can head over to make sure everything is properly organized for the lunch session.
6. Hospitality
As you choose your staff for delegation, ensure that they are kind and approachable. This might seem like a no-brainer, but the staff needs to be interviewed properly to ensure that they will provide quality service when treating the guests at the event.
Since your staff is the first to interact with attendees, they unconsciously create an image of your company or service and you need them to be helpful and enthusiastic.
Pro tip: Make sure to delegate more knowledgeable staff in areas that may require more customer support or troubleshooting, such as during the on-site event registration process or during a business matchmaker session. Someone who has more knowledge in this area can easily clear doubts to keep the registration line moving and the enable the matchmaking sessions to run smoothly.
7. Carry out a final check
Run a final check at least a day before the event. Go through the list of the attendees and make sure you have informed them how to get to the location and their individual schedules, if needed. Also, check the materials that will be going for distribution, be it printed, audio or video.
Additionally, make sure the content is error-free and there are no technical glitches. Hand a smaller checklist of delegated responsibilities to respective individuals. Most importantly have everyone connected via a single phone number so that they can communicate in case of an emergency or if there is any need to implement plan B.
Pro tip: When running your event, it’s critical to hire a professional event management company who can provide dependable software to make sure event registration runs smoothly, and can also be available either on-site or on-call to take care of any unforeseen technical issues or other situations that may arise.
With all the key areas of your event planning checklist checked off, you’re sure to have a successful event that will be remembered!
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