How to Plan & Execute a Professional Event – All Things Considered!

If your business conducts any event planning, you may already be familiar with all the multifaceted planning that is involved in pulling off a great event. If you are just entering into the world of event planning, then welcome aboard! I’d like to share with you a few tips on planning and executing your next event so that you can launch your business to the next level.

Know Your Theme, Target Audience & Consider the Number of Expected Guests

Knowing your theme & target audience is the first step! Will this be an event for business partners or clients? Employees or the community?

How many guests do you expect, and will you set a limit on tickets available? We’ll talk about invitations and RSVP later in this post, but there are many event ticketing programs that you can use to set the prices for tickets, and set a limit on the number of tickets available. These options are helpful to use depending on the type of event.

You need to decide on a theme for the event. Is this a client appreciation event with inflatables or other fun activities, or a business professional party or networking event? The theme & target audience will inform the venue and requirements of the event.

Choose a Date & Venue

Now that you have decided on the theme and target audience, you have a better idea of what you’ll need to look for in a venue. Maybe a classy hotel ballroom, or a lakefront cookout gazebo. Depending on the season and type of event, you’ll need to choose a date and time that would allow your target audience to attend. If it is a business professional event, consider hosting the event in the evening after business hours so that more professionals will be available to come. If it is a family oriented event, consider a Saturday afternoon to allow families with children to come (uninhibited by bedtime schedules).

Write a description of your event, and consider any special incorporations to your event.

Will you invite a Keynote Speaker? Or have inflatables for the kids to play on? If this is an awards ceremony, what kind of awards will you be presenting? At this stage of the planning process you want to consider these questions, along with a possible description of the event. You can use these unique selling propositions and description in your advertising efforts.

What are your budget & expected costs?

Will the event be free to guests, or will there be a ticket charge? You’ll want to run an estimation of all costs (marketing, food, decorations, etc.) and consider the return on investment for the event so that you can provide yourself with a financial guideline as you continue planning.

How much are you willing to spend on the event, and do you need to consider asking Sponsors or Affiliates to Participate? Perhaps a business affiliate could sponsor a raffle or catering for the event.

What is your marketing plan, and preference for invitations and RSVP?

Now that you have a proposed budget, you should have an idea of how much you can spend on advertisements and invitations. Maybe you’ll decide to do mailout flyers, boosted social media posts, Newspaper ads, email blasts, phone calls, and more to gain attention for your event.

Will your budget require you to print and mail invitations yourself or utilize a printing service to design and mail invitations for you? You can decide what would be worth your time and resources within the bounds of your budget. You can also set up an Eventbrite page for RSVP & ticket sales. I really like using this platform for events, it streamlines the process and keeps the details in one place for you.

What are your resources and catering needs?

What kind of food or appetizers will be served, and will the venue provide these? What kind of decorations, games, gifts, or prizes do you need to consider? Will you have a photo booth or other activity booth?

Are there are insurance considerations you need to obtain from a vendor at your event, or from your insurance to host the event?

Write your plan for preparing for the event (giving deadlines for certain tasks) & itinerary for the flow of the event.

This plan is very helpful to create an outline of all the tasks needed to be completed for the execution of the event – especially with deadlines that can be built into your to-do list and calendar.

The itinerary is also a helpful tool to use the day of the event to make sure that everything flows accordingly. If you will be making announcements or hosting the event as the keynote, you’ll also want to write announcements and a script (if necessary) for the event.

Delegate tasks for Implementation and Execute the Plan!

Saving the best for last! Now that you’re through with the planning process, all you have to do is follow through with the plan you have built, finish the tasks by their deadlines, and run a wonderful event. If you will have volunteers or partners hosting the event with you, you can consider delegating certain tasks to best execute the plan… And good luck on hosting a great event!

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