Download our Event Planner Notebook Part 1 using the above button to access our EventMploy tips and tricks to plan your next event. We have included planning resources and tools for you to fill in as you plan. This Three-Part Series will help you break down your Event planning tasks into digestible goals, and support you in brainstorming, contingency planning, and problem solving.
Throughout history our communities have come together to celebrate, to learn, to enjoy theatre, music or sport.
Event management therefore is as old as civilised society however it remains a small industry of unique individuals who have a huge range of skills and who at times have to work under an enormous strain to ensure that the “show must go on”; people who forego their own weekends, nights and public holidays to ensure the enjoyment of others. That said it is so much fun.
Event management can be broken down into seven elements – why, what, when, where, how, who and how well. Following this process can help what seems like an overwhelming list of things to do become more achievable.
The 7-steps
The 7-steps process while simple can really help identify what needs to be done in order to create and manage a great event. It doesn’t matter if you are someone volunteering to run your first school fete or sporting club family day or your cousin’s wedding, a product launch or a conference by using the processes detailed in this book, the checklists and the suggested activities you will have all you need to manage your own event.
One of the most challenging elements of event management is focus! Events are time specific therefore you don’t get the gift of time, all the way through the process you will choose to complete one activity over another competing activity. Sometimes these will be choices you make and other times they will be forced upon you by suppliers or circumstance. Using a tool like this book will help you keep on top of the huge number of decisions you must make and tasks you must complete or delegate.
Event managers need to be the calmest person in the room because things can and do go wrong, by planning and using the processes outlined here you will be in a much better position to deal with issues as they arise and still put on a fantastic event.
How this book works
The first section of the book combines information about the 7-step process along with tasks you need to complete. The second section of the book has all the actionable items repeated so you can use these to manage another two events.
Before you start let’s get the creative juices flowing by thinking about events you may have been to in the past.
Let’s get started!
The 3 Best Events I Have Attended
Event 1 ____________________________
What made it great?
What would have made it greater?
Event 2 ____________________________
What made it great?
What would have made it greater?
Event 3 ____________________________
What made it great?
What would have made it greater?
Let’s talk about vision
Why are you running your event?
Events are about make an emotional connection and you need to be very clear about what you are trying to achieve. Is it to raise money, give back to the community or celebrate an important event in your life. The Why is critical to the eventual outcome.
People do and buy things that make them feel good. Your event must tap into something special inside each of your attendees. A good example of this is if you are running a school fete. A great way to connect with the attendees is to get their kids involved. Parents love seeing their kids in the spotlight!
A vision creates understanding about what you are trying to achieve, the purpose of the event and the principles that drive your decision making along the way.
Sometimes you will be the event manager not the event creator so if you are it is even more important to understand why the event exists, this understanding will drive everything you do and help you connect with volunteers, suppliers, customers and any other stakeholders.
It might seem a bit of an overkill to create a vision for your event, however, with all of the competing priorities you will face when creating and managing an event along with everything else in your work and personal life the vision will keep you anchored in what you want to achieve. When you feel a little lost come back to the vision and remind yourself why you began the event in the first place.