Contents

Executive Summary.....................................................................................................................................2
Introduction..................................................................................................................................................3
General Planning Guidelines.......................................................................................................................3
The Event Proposal......................................................................................................................................4
Project Scheduling Tips...........................................................................................................................5
Critical Information for Event Management...............................................................................................5
Purpose and Goals of the Event...............................................................................................................5
Project Team and Partners.......................................................................................................................6
Audience..................................................................................................................................................6
Type and Size of Event............................................................................................................................7
Location...................................................................................................................................................7
Date and Time..........................................................................................................................................8
Marketing and Communications Planning..............................................................................................9
Road Blocks and Potential Hazards.........................................................................................................9
Plans B and C...........................................................................................................................................9
Follow-up & Evaluation........................................................................................................................10
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................10

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Executive Summary

Special events can be highly effective in generating public and news media interest in your organization.
But how do you make sure your event goes well? Planning a successful event is, at its heart, planning a
successful project. If you follow the steps of effective project management, you will plan a successful
event.

Critical information for Event Management includes:

 Purpose & Goals of the Event
 Project Team and Partners
 Audience
 Type & Size of Event
 Location
 Date & Time
 Marketing & Communication Plan
 Road Blocks & Potential Hazards
 Critical Path
 Plan B & C
 Follow-up

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Introduction

Special events can be highly effective in generating public and news media interest in your organization.
But how do you make sure your event goes well? Planning a successful event is, at its heart, planning a
successful project. If you follow the steps of effective project management, you will plan a successful
event.

This guide is designed to be a working tool. It does not contain solutions to every situation that may be
encountered in various types of events. It does provide a foundation of information to guide you in your
event planning activities.

General Planning Guidelines

 Understand the event you are dealing with.

Every event has its unique language, culture, and organizational structure. Likewise, they all
have unique audiences or groups of followers. Some cater to sophisticated audiences while
others tend to attract a down-to-earth following. Some attract adults only, while others tend to be
family oriented. You can never know too much about the activity you are dealing with.

 Have clearly defined goals and objectives for the event.

As with any project or program, events must have clearly stated objectives that are measurable
and understood. These objectives should come from the organization’s overall goals and
objectives. Just like in any other project, goals should be specific and SMART (Specific,
Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound).

 Determine the scope of the project.

Decide what you want to do, what you want to accomplish, and the target audience you want to
reach.

 Operate from a written action plan.

The key to success for executing any event is a written action plan that outlines the objectives,
responsibilities, timeframes, and logistics. A well-written plan will contain these items and help
everyone work towards the planned goal. Develop plans in several forms (written, outlined,
diagrams)

 Involve the event sponsor from the beginning.

By taking the partnership approach, both the team or event and the organization benefit. By
involving all of the partners from the beginning, this mutual benefit becomes obvious and
ownership is created. Early involvement also avoids wasted efforts on aspects of the activity that
may not be possible.

 Understand the benefits to the partner(s), as well as to the organization.

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 As in any partnership, there must be mutual benefits to all parties involved. For the team or
event, the enhanced public image created by association with event or simply the general
promotion of the activity may be the major benefit. Your organization may obtain increased
visibility or possible funding assistance from the partnership. Whatever the situation, the benefits
must be clear and mutual to all parties involved.

 Have adequate staff to execute the event.

The complexity of activities associated with an event may vary with each event. The number of
people needed may also vary.

 Allow adequate lead time.

The amount of lead time to get ready will vary with the type of activities planned. Allowing lead
time in the planning stages allows you flexibility to deal with contingencies (emergencies).

 Plan for contingency actions.

Things don’t always go as planned. You should have alternatives for the key components of your
program.

 Focus on quality rather than quantity.

It is better to do a few well-planned activities than many poorly planned. Start small and add
activities as the event manager becomes more experienced. Variety is a key to an effective
program but should not be achieved at the expense of quality.

 Plan an evaluation and follow-up.

The courtesy of thanking participants and helpers may help cement a relationship for future
events. A formal critique and evaluation of each event is necessary to determine the effectiveness
of the event and identify any needed changes.

Most importantly – remember that in any event, things will go wrong, no matter how well you planned.
Value the success of the event over being “right” about the details.

The Event Proposal

The event you are planning will determine who needs to be contacted. This could be the local grade
school principal, the city administration, a local sports team, and so on.

When presenting your idea, be clear and concise. You will have more success in selling your proposal if
you are organized and prepared. The following presentation basics should be considered:

1. Always make sure the purpose of the presentation is understood by everyone in attendance.
2. Begin the presentation with a statement of purpose and what the expected results will be.
3. Develop an agenda.
4. Don't try to accomplish too much at any one meeting or presentation. Have no more than one or
two major objectives.
5. Prepare carefully. Prepare both the material that will be used and the presentation techniques.
6. Outline in detail everything to be covered.

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 7. Use visual aids, flip charts, overhead transparencies, etc.
8. If a model or example is prepared, it should closely resemble the final product.
9. Rehearse the presentation.
10. Take charge and stay in control.
11. Reach closure by the end of the presentation. Obtain some action or response to make it possible
to proceed to the next stage of planning.
12. Summarize as the presentation draws to a close.
13. Set the stage for the next step, which will be the formal program presentation for final approval.
14. Be flexible.

Project Scheduling Tips

 Prepare a schedule of specific starting and completion dates for each task, working backwards
from the date when the plan is to be completed.
 Determine when each task must be started and completed. The best way to do this is to apply
basic scheduling procedures.
 Determine the steps necessary to complete each task as well as the key component activities of
each.
 Arrange the tasks sequentially, noting wherever unrelated tasks can be carried on simultaneously,
but always making sure that all tasks are arranged in the proper order so that activities that need
to precede others are placed early in the sequence.
 Prepare a chart of the activities so that you can visually check your progress, determine if the
overall schedule (timeline) is being met, and spot potential problems and their impacts before
they occur.
 Identify the expected specific outcome of each planning task.

Critical Information for Event Management

 Purpose & Goals of the Event
 Project Team and Partners
 Audience
 Type & Size of Event
 Location
 Date & Time
 Marketing & Communication Plan
 Road Blocks & Potential Hazards
 Critical Path
 Plan B & C
 Follow-up

Purpose and Goals of the Event

As the meeting planner and coordinator, you may or may not be involved in the actual planning of the
program content and format or in setting the goals and objectives, but your role of logistical support will
be a critical one.  The recommendations you make about location, venues, menus, function space set-up,
etc., will have a significant impact on the success of the event and how it is perceived by those who

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attend and those who sponsor it.  Goals and objectives should be multi-pronged in consideration of the
needs of various types of participants. Make sure:

 The purpose for the special event is important enough to merit the time and expense needed to
properly stage, publicize and evaluate the event.
 Carefully match the type of event that is selected to the purpose that it serves. Do you want to
reach out to new users or thank your supporters?
 To identify what needs to be done.

Project Team and Partners

Decide who will be responsible for each task. For every task, an individual must be responsible for
completing it. In planning your event, it is essential that you do the following:

 Secure management support –Without this from the beginning, any special event is unlikely to
succeed.

 Include key co-workers and partners from other agencies or organizations – Your team
might include representatives from other resources that are interested in participating. If you are
holding the event in conjunction with other agencies or organizations, ask them to name a
representative to the planning team. Keep the core planning group as small as possible—it will
be much easier to make decisions and get things done.

 Solicit volunteers – Select as many enthusiastic assistants as possible to help with everything
from setting up to cleaning up on the day of the event.

When selecting the Event Planning Team, the following should be considered:
 Pick competent people. Be sure the people selected to carry out a task have the ability and
resources needed to do the job.
 Provide specific objectives.
 Follow-up.
 Reward good performance.
 Outline specific responsibilities for each person

Partners
Identify your critical partnerships and involve them in the planning process. Make sure that you cultivate
strong working relationship with key players in which you have successfully communicated needs and
expectations.

Audience
Decide who it is you want to reach when staging a special event. Many special events are geared for the
entire community and focus on reaching the general public, but you should consider, as a minimum, the
following:

Target audiences:

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The Media
Homeowners
Vacationers
Local Government
Community Organizations and Associations
Local Businesses

Audience characteristics:
Age
Gender
Income
Education
Occupation
Marital Status
Family Size
Attitude

Type and Size of Event

When planning your event, the purpose and goals will determine the type of event you are to have. Some
examples include:

 Athletic Event
 Reception
 Mix and mingle with a brief presentation
 Open House
 Event open to the public with a large variety of activities and opportunities
 Board Meetings
 Round Table Discussion
 Conferences

Location
When determining where an event is to be held, there are a number of logistical elements to consider.
Ask yourself the following questions:

 Do you have the appropriate facilities? Once you have determined which activities will take
place during the event, you will need to evaluate the following:
o Capacity
o Accessibility to everyone
o Convenience/locations of entrances and exits
 Do you have enough parking?
o Parking space for event vehicles – Your parking area should be pre-determined.
 Do you have the support of any organizations associated with the event? Have you obtained all
necessary and appropriate permits and permissions to use the space?
 What are the costs, contract obligations and liability for your organization?
 Is it easily accessible for those traveling to the event?

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Other items to keep in mind include:

Food Management
Communicate location and availability of food. Decide what food, if any, you will offer and how much
you will charge for it.

Concessionaire booths
Locate your activities and displays where they will not interfere with other concessions and where your
efforts will not be overshadowed or disrupted.

Banner space
Potential spaces for hanging banners include public entrances, grandstands, fences, etc. Look for high
traffic, high visibility areas that do not conflict with other advertisements. Hang banners and posters
neatly and remove promptly after the event.

Event Security

Attendees are confident and relaxed when they see ticket taking, crowd control, door monitoring,
ushering, and staff that is working barricaded areas, etc.

Adequate staffing, supervision, advance planning of security strategies and thoughtful emergency
preparedness are all components to ensuring the well being of participants at your events. All this and a
little common sense constitutes a well organized event.

Equipment/supply needs
The type and quality of supplies and equipment that you will need depends on the activities you have
planned. Some basic items will include:
 Promotional materials
 Banners
 Tables and chairs
 Cameras and film
 Video camera and tapes
 Staple gun and tape
 First-aid kit

Date and Time

When will your event be held? It is important to ensure that it does not conflict with other events,
holidays, or vacations. Make sure you know what potential conflicts exist when planning the date and
time of your event. Consider whether the dates/times convenient for the following:
 Guests
 Staff
 Community
 Event location

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Ask yourself – Are the date and time appropriate given the purpose and goals of the event?

Marketing and Communications Planning

How do you plan to sell your event to your target markets? Make sure you put together a comprehensive
marketing and communications plan with associated timelines, tools, and all of the information you need
to effectively communicate your event. Such a plan includes methods to reach both your external
audience and your internal audience, and can utilize the following tools:
 Print / Mail
 Internet/World Wide Web
 E-mail
 Social Media
 Local Bulletin Boards
 Community Leaders
 Event schedules
 Important dates & deadlines
 Reminders

When putting together a marketing and communications plan, make sure that it aligns with the goals,
objectives, and marketing strategies of your organization.

Road Blocks and Potential Hazards

All events have potential road blocks, or things that are beyond your control that can affect the outcome
of the event. Make sure you are aware of all of these, and have contingency plans in place in case they
should occur (for example, rescheduling the event, having a back-up venue, etc.). Some examples of
potential risks/road blocks include:
 Conflicting community events
 Conflicting regional or national events
 Weather
 National & Local Issues (gas prices, national security)
 Funding
 Community Support

Plans B and C
In case of emergency….
 Always have an emergency plan for the entire event.
 Make your staff and guests aware of what to do in an emergency.
 Keep your emergency contact list with you at all times.
 Expect the Unexpected

Always have a back-up plan – what to do in case of an emergency. Listing emergency information in
appropriate places at your event can help reduce confusion and prevent emergencies.

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Follow-up & Evaluation
After your event is conducted, it is always helpful to follow up with your team, partners, sponsors, and
audience to follow up to determine what went well, what could be improved, and what lessons you
learned from the process. This is also a good opportunity to celebrate your success!

Conclusion
Conducting a successful event is about teamwork and working together. It’s also about helping each
other. Successful event management is also about rolling with the punches. Although no two events will
ever be the same, learning from one's mistakes by keeping a report of names, locations, invoices,
number of participants, final costs of each element of the process, copies of marketing materials, lists of
competent staff and volunteers, suppliers, goals and objectives met, etc. will all serve as valuable
ammunition towards your next event. The more organized your final report, the better head start you will
have for future events

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