Event Planning (don’t be afraid to ask for help)

 To successfully ensure your event runs smoothly, you will need help. Even a small-scale event runs better if you have help.

If you are planning a small afternoon tea for an executive group, it might be as simple as booking a table at a café and advising the date and time, plus any dietary needs, as well as advising tea/coffee preferences and who will be paying the invoice and how.

Larger events can run more smoothly if you enlist the help of others, whether paid staff or volunteers.

Some help you may need:

• A person assigned to the registration table to ensure delegates/attendees are registered and given any items for the events (program/sponsorship promos),

• Someone to collect speakers/presenters from the airport/train station, etc,

• Someone to help you oversee the final preparations of accommodation, catering, and staging (decorating).

• Someone to help you ensure permits/insurance and advertising are met.

Tip: Communication is key!  Ensure you provide regular communications to registered attendees, staff (and volunteers), sponsors, and your managers.

Ensure you keep invoices, receipts, and financial paperwork and continue to update the budget to reflect what is taking place.

Have your paperwork ready and together so that all agreements, insurance, permits, risk management and incident reports, etc. are easily found, should you need them.

Tip: write up a post-event report and note what was successful and what could have been better.  If asking attendees for comments, take note of both positive and negative comments for future planning.

Event Planning (so you have an idea)

So, you have an idea!  That’s great.  How do you execute this idea from simply that, an idea to an actual event?

When tasked with ensuring a successfully planned event, what are the first steps that you need to undertake?

Timeline and initial planning -

• What is the event for and who do you want to invite/expect? Will the event be open to the public, is registration required and is there a cost?

• What do you expect to achieve from this event,

• Budget and reporting - cost of event and costs to plan and execute event? How will you fund this event?

• Venue for the event (Risk Management and insurance, technical equipment required, staging of the event, security, permits (e.g. RSA),

• Date/s and time/s of event,

• Presenters and speakers – what is their availability and what needs do they have regarding accommodation, catering, transportation and health.

• Staffing requirements: will you have paid staff or volunteers, or a mixture?  What crews are needed for planning, set-up, working through the event, and then pulling down/tidying up.

• Advertising (Print/social media/website) and invitations – printed/online/ticket sales/registration),

• Required travel and accommodation – is access easy to transport people or park vehicles, will people need to fly or drive, can they use public transport?

• Catering for the event (food and beverages).

Whilst there is much to be considered and undertaken, with some forethought and proficient follow-up and planning, a successful outcome can be obtained.

Firstly, set up a timeline leading up to the event itself.  When is the event to be held – and what do you need to ensure that this will be a successful event?

As you will require funds to ensure a successful event, begin researching on costs of venue, catering, insurance, travel, advertising, staffing, registration, staging the event (how it is presented), technical equipment, cost of presenters/speakers, time needed for ensuring each person involved knows what their role is and how to undertake that role, etc.

Tip:  Have a “Plan A” and a “Plan B”