Planning an event can mean spinning multiple plates, and attempting not to drop those plates by juggling several open spreadsheets while fielding requests from partners and stakeholders.
How do you keep track of what you’ve done and what’s still to be done to deliver the best event for your attendees?
An event planning checklist can become your best friend. Whether you're an experienced event planner or just starting out, a checklist acts as a comprehensive guide to your event and will help you stay on track.
Event planning checklists are essential for keeping track of all the tasks needed to plan a successful event. A checklist will help you stay organized; make sure nothing is forgotten and allow you to manage your time effectively. By following a checklist for planning an event, you can both reduce the stress of event planning and ensure your event is a success.
What do you need in a checklist for planning an event?
If you’re not sure where to start when creating your event planning checklist, here are ten building blocks for creating an effective and helpful event management checklist.
1. Define your event goals and objectives
Before you even begin to write your event checklist for event planning, it's important to define the goals and objectives of your event, and define what success looks like.
What do you want to achieve? Who is your target audience? Defining clear goals will guide your planning process and help you make informed decisions on key elements such as your location and venue, and the partners you choose to work with.
2. Choose a date and venue
Include the date and venue of your event in your checklist. These will be the two main pillars of your event and can guide the rest of your checklist. Your venue might have deadlines when they need certain decisions made by, and your suppliers might be the same.
Having a deadline, the day of your event, in your checklist will influence the rest of your decisions and when you need to make them by. As well as the order you need to put those decisions in.
Choosing the right date and venue is crucial for the success of your event. You will need to consider factors such as the availability of your target audience (try not to plan your event around busy times in the chosen industry) and the size of the venue. And you should also consider any po
tential conflicts with other events when you create your event management checklist.
3. Include your event’s budget
An event budget is a critical component of any event organizer checklist. Outline all potential expenses, including venue-related costs, catering and your marketing budget. As well as any budget you have for activations, speakers and event staff.
Allocate funds for each category and track your spending to stay within your budget. Having this as a main feature on your event checklist acts as a reminder to check and track your costs against your budget.
4. Develop an event master plan
Your event master plan is a detailed timeline of tasks and deadlines. Use your master plan to assign responsibilities to team members. You can then make sure that everyone is aware of their roles and responsibilities ahead of the event. And that your team knows exactly what tasks need to be done and when.
5. Arrange sponsorships and speakers
Reach out to potential sponsors and speakers early in the planning process to make sure they’re available to take part in your event. Who you reach out to can be decided by referring to your goals and KPIs (key performance indicators).
By including the sponsors and speakers you’d like to contact in your event organizer checklist, you’ll be able to make sure you reach out to them in good time. And avoid unnecessary stress later down the line if they’re unable to attend.
6. Open registration or start selling tickets
Once you have your date, venue and speakers confirmed, you can open registration or start selling tickets to your event. You can use an online registration system, using event tech companies such as Cvent, to make it easy for attendees to register or buy tickets, and for you to track registrations.
It’s important to define what you need to know from your attendees during the registration process. Do you need to know their dietary requirements, what their job titles are or how they’re traveling to your event?
A robust registration process can help you to build a picture of your attendees such as:
- Their behaviors
- Preferences
- Job titles and seniority
- What they hope to gain at your event
Which can, in turn, help you tailor and personalize your event design and communications.
7. Plan your event logistics
Event logistics can include transportation of your team and attendees, accommodations and on-site arrangements. These are big tasks to organize. However, by including all parts of your event logistics in your event planning checklist, you can eliminate any surprises or blind spots such as missing equipment or ill-prepared staff.
Using a checklist will help you ensure that all the necessary equipment such as AV is available, plan the layout and seating arrangements, and much more ahead of time.
8. Promote your event
Developing a marketing plan to promote your event should be on any event organizer’s checklist. How are you going to reach the right audience for your event? Or communicate to your attendees what will happen at the event?
To reach and engage your target audience you should use several marketing channels including:
- Social media, such as a LinkedIn event page, or Instagram
- Community marketing platforms such as Gleanin
9. Organize your event materials
Your event materials include name badges or event tickets, programs, educational materials and signage. Plus, you should consider any handouts or materials needed for particular sessions or meetings to ensure that your attendees have all the necessary information.
10. Build in time to gather feedback and assess your event’s success
It’s important to reflect after your event and collect qualitative feedback from your attendees. This feedback and reflection will help shape your next event so you can learn from what went well and what you could improve. After analyzing the results—which should also include quantitative data such as attendance numbers, registration against people through the doors and revenue—you should share your findings with your stakeholders and team. You could even create a post-event report to summarize key outcomes and achievements.
When you're planning an event checklist, it’s important to build in flexibility and time to stop and think about the event you're delivering and if it’s serving your attendees. With careful planning and attention to detail, you can create an event that leaves a lasting impression on both your attendees and your stakeholders.
