Over 2.5 million people are employed in the planning and meetings sector, which is 4% more than the average job growth rate for all other US employment.
It's clear to see that the event planning industry is a competitive one, and the landscape can be hard to stand out in. This is why it's really important to stay ahead of event trends and do whatever you can to be the best event planner you can be.
Never fear; with the following event planning checklist, you can set yourself ahead of the rest, and keep reading to find out more.
The Best Event Planner Checklist
Event planning is a challenging task. With so many moving pieces, keeping track of all the minor nuances can be difficult. There are many things to think about, from picking a location and inviting speakers to write thank-you notes and doing a post-event debrief.
Without a defined roadmap or checklist, you're setting yourself up for failure while planning an event. An event planner shouldn't attempt to recall every little detail. To make sure you haven't forgotten anything, it's ideal to work backward from the date of your event and use an event planning checklist. Use the tips below to develop your event planning checklist so you won't have to start from scratch or to make sure you haven't forgotten anything.
1. Determine Your Event Goal
The first step in successfully executing any event is to define the event's purpose. Some examples of measurable outcomes are money made, press coverage, donations received, event attendance, product launches, and so forth.
Figure out what you want to accomplish with this gathering. That will facilitate the prioritization of tasks and decision-making.
2. Establish Your Event Team
Create a strong group of people you can trust to help you accomplish your goals and to whom you can confidently delegate responsibilities. Making an organizational chart can help clarify everyone's place on the team.
It's not enough to simply figure out who will be doing what during the planning process; you also need a method of keeping everyone communicating fluidly.
It is important to remember to schedule regular committee meetings to go over the progress of planning and address any issues that may come up. Create a schedule as you organize the event so you can keep track of the steps you need to take and the dates by which they must be completed.
3. Put Together Your Event Budget Along With Requirements
It's important to evaluate your available funds and ensure that they can cover all of the event's needs before you get started.
The following are the most common categories for allocating monies while planning an event's budget. Although the costs for some of these items may not be available, it is still important to estimate them as accurately as possible.
- Location costs include venue rental, damage deposits, parking fees, etc.
- Think about the cost of feeding, transporting, and lodging your personnel
- It goes without saying that you'll need food and drinks during your event
- Do you need live performers, a DJ, or keynote speakers for your event?
- If you want to decorate the event space with flowers, lights, and other props, you'll need to include the cost of those items in your budget
- Marketing should include any money needed to market your event, whether online or offline
- Audio and video gear includes things like microphones, speakers, Wi-Fi, cables, and projectors
Collaborate on the anticipated costs for your event by asking team members in charge of various sections to fill them in. Also, always check with your venue what items from this list they include in their hiring fee. For example, some venues include certain audio and visual equipment, tables and chairs, and basic decor items as part of their standard package.
4. Design Your Actual Event
The design of the event itself is the event planner's responsibility. This is essentially how your event will flow from start to end. How is the event going to feel? How is it going to look? What experience is it going to give attendees?
Here's the list of things that contribute to your event design:
- Your event program should be an itinerary with a build-up to the main event
- The layout of your event is everything from the entrance to the seating arrangement
- The theme of your event will lend itself to many moving elements so keep that in mind when setting it
- Create a list of sponsors or event partners to be approached
- How are you going to promote and advertise your event?
For example, if you search "Event Planner New York," then you'll find yourself on The Event Planner Expo website; this means one thing: the promotion of this event online is rather impressive and commands loads of traffic. So, the promotion of your event is key to your list of tasks!
5. Find Trustworthy Suppliers
The absolute key to any successful event is finding suppliers that deliver on their expectations. As an event planner, you should consider building your professional network of suppliers to include suppliers that you've worked with on numerous occasions.
You're going to want people like caterers, florists, decor hire, and audio-visual guys that you can rely on and ones that will come through for you time and time again.
Also, by establishing this network, you'll find that you can negotiate better rates and thereby offer your clients better rates too.
Be The Best Event Planner You Can Be!
A handyman is only as good as the tools he uses, and the same can be said for the best event planner!
This checklist should be part of your toolkit every time that you start an event, and you can build on it from there. Always start every event with the goal to exceed expectations and overdeliver, and soon you'll have a powerful reputation in the events industry and with potential clients.
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