Are you in charge of planning an event? You can follow several steps to make the process easier, which include:
Developing event goals and objectives
You need to start by coming up with event objectives and goals. Why are you organizing the event? Do you have a specific objective or goal in mind? Whom are you organizing the event for?
Without this first step, you cannot go any further in the planning process because you have to choose the type of event to know whom to invite. If you are organizing a going-to-college party, the ideal attendees should be youthful.
Determine administrative processes
How are you going to keep track of your registration, budget, and guest lists? If you prefer to use the internet for almost everything, you should consider using an online event management system. This will not only organize all your content in a central location, but also prevent it from getting lost.
Create a master plan
Once you’ve set your goals and objectives, you are ready to get started with the planning. Don’t forget that planning an event is more than the event itself. Your master plan should encompass all parts of the event, from pulling a team together, assigning areas of responsibilities, and ensuring smooth communication among all stakeholders.
Consider an online event management system, or an easy to use app such as Teamup Calendar to keep everything in one place that is accessible anytime anywhere to anyone with customizable access permissions.
Organize a team
To plan any event successfully, concerted team effort has to exist. When you come up with a team of members that you think you can work with, choose an Event Manager as well as individual chairpersons for subcommittees: sponsors, entertainment, volunteer management, and speakers.
Make sure that your team can access the online tool you choose easily and be able to share their availability or update task status directly without relying on emails back and forth.
Set a date
Although the event date might be preset, you need to consider the following before confirming your date:
– Avoid school holidays because they are the busiest
– You should be aware of religious and statutory holidays
– Check dates with the key participants
Brand the event
Do you want the event to stand out? You should choose a compelling and timely theme that makes your event stand out from the rest.
– Bring your team together and brainstorm possible names by thinking about the message that you want your event to convey.
– Once you come up with a name, you should create a tagline that is short, memorable and describes your event properly.
– The final step involves designing a logo that will represent your event.
Plan the event details
As the saying goes, the devil is in the details. Plan your event details carefully. They include:
Registration – payment and tracking, online sign-up and on-site sign-in
Catering, logistics, and venue management – this includes dealing with permits, insurance, and contracts
Promotion and publicity – this includes online and offline promotion such as online and webpage promotion.
Identify and establish sponsors and partners
Are there any organizations that you can collaborate with or ask for sponsorship to increase potential participation and clear the costs? When you involve other groups or people in your event planning, they will have a stake in helping you to spread the word and turning your event into a success. Consider the following:
– Partner with community organizations that might give you a venue or help you to organize the event.
– Seek corporate sponsors who can fund a part of your event.