Events Planning

1 Understand the planning process for events

• Planning and management cycle:
• ~Identify aims of event, to set success factors which can be used to evaluate the success of the event
• ~Research and identify means of delivering event aims
• ~Prepare detailed plan to achieve aims, so that key roles and responsibilities can be assigned, and that sequences of tasks can be set out and deadlines agreed
• ~Implement event plan, so that all involved can monitor progress against deadlines so that interventions may be made where needed to bring the plan back to target
• ~Evaluate event, so that success in meeting original aims is accurately assessed and used to plan future events
• Sources of information: e.g., internet, media, organisational records and reports, trade journals, local government records and reports, specialist event staff, security professionals, social media sites, customer surveys
• Innovation and creativity: e.g., help create a unique experience for guests, strengthens audience’s engagement, create an attention-grabbing hook, to adapt and overcome the challenges of change, to foster growth, to attract media attention, to enhance the organisation’s reputation, to gain new customers, to fulfil expectations of event sponsors

2 Understand how to prepare detailed plans for an event

• Aims, goals and objectives: e.g., Use of SMART objectives, 5 Ws of planning:
• ~Who, who is your target audience?
• ~What, what is the main take away for this event
• ~Where, where is your event going to take place
• ~When, when will this event take place
• ~Why, everything you do for your event will have a purpose
• Allocating financial resources: e.g., allocate budgets in line with the event plan, assigning budget limits for each heading based on research and information about the event estimate costs for each heading, adding in contingency funds and setting out headings for each key aspect of the event e.g., security, transport, equipment, venue hire, staffing, publicity, ticketing, sales,
• Events team: e.g., event coordinator, event operations manager, site manager, lighting technicians, sound technicians, electricians, retail and merchandising manager and support crew, catering manager and support crew, bar staff, security, health and safety officer, stewards
• Building a team: e.g., recruiting or finding the right event team, sources of staffing, selection of contractors, contracts, defining roles to ensure accountability, typical roles dependent on event e.g., project manager, venue manager, scheduler, creative design, marketing and communications, security, catering, and hospitality team members, establish lines of reporting, induction, and training, renumeration, motivation
• Venue: e.g., location, size, capacity, budget, transportation, parking, facilities series and amenities, on-site staff, thematic fit, contract flexibility, acoustics
• Cohesive brand experience: e.g., consistency in display, messages and graphics
• Importance of cohesive event branding: e.g., makes customers feel more confident and comfortable with your brand, can create a lasting impact on customers, provides better user and customer experiences
• Touchpoints: a point of contact or interaction, especially between a business and its customers or consumers e.g., social media, online content, ticketing, front of house operations, event day delivery team, the venue, post event activities
• Plan event programme: e.g., depending on event, keynote speaker, single or multiple workshops, networking, entertainment, food, and beverage breaks
• Sponsors: e.g., build a list of sponsors, conduct research to understand how sponsors benefit from participating in an event, create tailored proposals that highlight the unique benefits, create sponsorship packages
• Exhibitors: e.g., build a list of exhibitors, conduct research to understand how exhibitors benefit from participating in an event, share the marketing/communications plan, provide endorsements and testimonials from previous exhibitors
• Speakers: e.g., call for session submissions or proposals, personally invite speakers, manage communication with speakers
• Technology: e.g., increasing audience engagement, measuring success, communications, registration and ticketing, virtual events
• Marketing plan: e.g., target market definition, primary and secondary research, business environment assessment e.g., PESTLE, SWOT, 7P’s of the marketing mix: product, price, promotion, place, people, process, physical environment, unique selling points
• Promotional plan: e.g., elements of the promotional mix, advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, direct marketing, public relations
• Importance of measurable performance indicators: e.g., to monitor growth, to monitor progress, to make adjustments, to solve problems or take advantage of opportunities, to analyse patterns over time

3 Be able to research information and prepare a proposal for an event

• Initial research: e.g., primary, and secondary, quantitative, qualitative
• Type, scope and aim: e.g., the type of event, type of venue, specific requirements or features of the venue, date, time and duration, potential attendance, contractual arrangements e.g., contractor/sub-contractors to be used, health and safety requirements, ticketing, promotion and sales arrangements, staffing, security, access, transport, hospitality, and catering required
• Innovation: e.g., use of technology, unique venue design, using new promotional techniques or approaches, using new visual displays, digital marketing

4 Be able to prepare detailed plans for an event

• Goals and objectives: e.g., use of SMART objectives, 5 Ws of planning
• Budgets: e.g., prepare budgets for each key aspect of the event, e.g. security, transport, equipment, venue hire, staffing, publicity, ticketing, sales
• Teambuilding: e.g., recruiting or finding the right event team, sources of staffing, selection of contractors, contracts, defining roles to ensure accountability, establish lines of reporting, induction, and training, renumeration, motivation
• Venue: e.g., location, size, capacity, budget, transportation, parking, facilities series and amenities, on-site staff, thematic fit, contract flexibility, acoustics
• Event branding: e.g., ensuring a cohesive experience across all touchpoints, event name, theme, logo colours and typography, on-site décor, signage, company clothing, imagery, digital presence
• Plan event programme: e.g., depending on event, daily plan of event, timings e.g., registration, food, and beverage breaks, workshops, persons responsible e.g., events manager, scheduler, catering team
• Speakers: e.g., call for session submissions or proposals, personally invite speakers, manage communication with speakers, engage speakers
• Technology tools: e.g., registration and ticketing, mobile apps, live streaming or recording, engagement tools e.g., digital swag bags, social media
• Measurable performance indicators: e.g., timings, attendance, sales, expenditure