Planning and delivering an event is one of the most rewarding and satisfying things that you can do, if not a little daunting before you get started.
Here at Fen Regis Trophies, we are consistently working with customers planning events of all shapes and sizes. From large-scale corporate staff awards to small kids’ football presentations and everything in between, we have seen it all.
To ensure that you have everything covered for your event, whether you are a novice or highly experienced when it comes to organising an event, we have compiled our complete event planning checklist.
Clear Objectives
This one is simple – what are you hoping to achieve with your event? And who are you hoping will be there?
Make sure you have a clear objective in mind before anything else. If you are planning an office awards night, consider whether the presentation will be open to employees only or if there will be plus-ones to cater for. Will your event be adult-only, or are you hosting a family-friendly occasion requiring activities suitable for a range of different ages?
Finally, is the overall objective of your event to reward staff for their hard work and achievements or to raise money – if so, who for? Or are you planning an event purely so that everyone in attendance has a good time, possibly while handing out some glass awards along the way?
Time Management – Set Realistic Deadlines!
This cannot be stressed enough, especially for those who are new to planning events. Allow yourself ample time to plan and deliver your event, and do not leave everything until the last minute as that is how things get missed and mistakes happen.
Create your event planning checklist (like we have) to work through what needs doing and set realistic deadlines. Forming a committee and holding regular meetings, getting everyone together and making sure that everyone is on the same page is advantageous.
Plan and Delegate
Leading on from forming a committee, you must make use of the help available around you. Do not fall into the trap of trying to do everything yourself, especially if you are planning a large-scale event. Even the most experienced event coordinators know how to delegate responsibility – after all, not even Eddie Hearn plans a major boxing show at Wembley Stadium on his own!
Form a team early in the process. Get them together and delegate responsibility, giving everyone ownership of their part of the event. Most importantly, play to their strengths!
Make use of the talents within your team, and if you don’t know what everyone specialises in, then ask them! Look outside of their job title when considering skills – working on a project, such as planning an event, can often highlight talents that otherwise may have remained overlooked.
Venue
If you are holding your event away from your place of work, finding a suitable venue is a must. Consider the expected numbers attending your event, ensuring you book somewhere of adequate size, and whether you want the venue to take care of things such as décor, refreshments and any equipment you might need.
For example, if you are looking for somewhere to hold a work’s Christmas party, where you might be looking to present office awards, many venues offer food and entertainment. All you need to do is book your spot, turn up and have a good time!
Health and Safety
Have a health and safety plan in place and carry out a risk assessment if necessary. If you are holding your event at a venue that will handle things for you, this will be something they will have covered – saving you a job!
First Aid
First aid will fall under the realms of health and safety, but it is still good to make sure this forms part of your event planning checklist and that you are aware of who will be responsible for first aid should it be required. In the UK, workplaces have a legal obligation to ensure first aid arrangements are in place for their employees.
Transport – How will Guests Arrive?
This won’t be applicable if your event is at your place of work, but it is certainly something to consider if it is at an outside venue. When choosing a venue, it is good practice to think about its accessibility in terms of public transport, because not everyone drives, as well as car parking facilities for those who do.
On invitations, make sure that the venue’s address is clear, as well as the date, start and end time of the event. This will save a lot of hassle of fielding questions about where the venue is and how to get to it. If you are planning to provide transportation, either by carpooling or hiring a coach, this should also be stated.
Accessibility
Consider the accessibility of your guests. The last thing you would want is to plan a fantastic event and/or award presentation, only to overlook the needs of any disabled and/or wheelchair users.
Make sure your event is inclusive and caters to the needs of all those in attendance. Everyone deserves to be able to enjoy the event!
Children’s Activities
Will your event have children in attendance? If you are hosting an event where family is welcome (such as a BBQ etc…) then you may be opening the door for children, and potentially lots of them.
Even if your event isn’t designed to be a children’s party, making sure the little ones won’t be bored will save a lot of aggro. It should also help to keep the adults about for longer, which is ideal if your event is a fundraiser.
You don’t need to go above and beyond for children’s activities at your event. Simple things like pens and papers, garden games and inflatables can entertain kids without breaking the bank and cutting too deep into your budget.
Photographer/Videographer
Make sure to take plenty of pictures and videos of your event, not just to remember the day but also to share on your digital platforms. Sharing content from your events helps to add a human element to your company, showcasing the people within the business – remember, people buy from people!
Quality pictures and videos can also be shared with local/national media, thus increasing your company’s exposure and reach. It may just be worthwhile finding room in the budget for a professional photographer to come down and take some pictures of the event.
Awards/Mementos
Naturally, we will mention the importance of awards and mementoes for your event. Whatever sector your business operates in, your staff want to be recognised for their efforts and achievements. As well as the more formal categories, you might also wish to think of some other creative staff award ideas that add a little personality to your event.
Here at Fen Regis Trophies, we stock a wide range of stunning glass trophies and awards on our website to suit all budgets. That means that not only will your event go down as one to be remembered, but the hardworking men and women in your team will recognised properly for their contribution.
Marketing Your Event
Who do you want to reach? What is your target audience for your event, and what channels should you use to reach them?
Will marketing be mostly digital, print or a combination of both? Consider the audience you are aiming to reach when deciding where to base most of your efforts/budget. The marketing channels you plan to utilise, as well as how and when, should be included as part of any event planning checklist.
Make use of social media, creating event groups on Facebook (if relevant to the audience) to keep those attending (and those yet to decide) in the loop with event details, as well as serving as a gentle reminder of the event as the date gets closer.
Reach out to local media such as a newspaper, radio and newsletters – let them know about your event. Supply free, ready-to-use content they can fill space with. Also, consider whether it is worth buying advertising space if the budget allows.
Branding
Make sure your event and marketing material are on brand – decide what your brand looks like (if you haven’t already) beforehand. Décor to match – i.e. table cloths in brand colours.
Contingency Plans
Consider what could go wrong in the lead-up and day of the event, and form a plan B. For example, if the sound system doesn’t work on the day, can you provide an alternative?
It may seem pessimistic to plan for such instances, but it is just good practice to have a contingency plan in place. More importantly, make sure everyone who needs to know is aware of what that contingency plan is.
On the Day
It is one thing to know how to plan an event, but delivery is just as important. Make sure everyone knows their roles and that all members of the team are supported. Tracking money in and out at the event. Do you need a rota/schedule for the event and your staff to ensure everyone gets a break, especially if the event is over a full day.
Welcome guests and get feedback from all involved. Get pictures/videos of the event, and make sure they are of good quality if you plan on using them for marketing material post the event.
Equipment
Make a list of all the equipment you will need for your event for your planning checklist. This may include, but is not limited to:
- Microphone/PA system
- Computer
- Screen/monitor
- Lighting
- Staging
- Extension cords
- Signs and banners
- Backdrops
- Gazebos (if holding your event outdoors)
Budget
Taking costs into account for the event as a whole helps to avoid nasty surprises, work out pricing for tickets if applicable and sponsorship to break even/make a profit.
- Venue
- Marketing
- Equipment hire
- Decorations
- Entertainers/speakers
- Prizes, refreshments, face paints, art materials
- Transport
- Insurance
- First aid equipment and volunteers
- Fees for licences and permissions
Financing the Event
As part of working out your budget for the event, you need to consider how it will be financed. Is the event covered as part of your company’s marketing budget? If so, how much budget is being given for the event and who is the decision maker for it?
Other means of financing the event can include:
- Tickets – pricing and how will they be sold/distributed?
- Sponsorship – who to approach and how?
- Raffle
- Refreshments – will refreshments be complimentary or will you look to make money on sales?
- Stalls – could your event invite exhibitors to buy space at your event?
- How will you keep track of incomings and outgoings? Who is in charge of finances?
After the Event
Once you are finished planning your event and its delivery, it is then time to review the success of the event. Was it a success? Be honest with what went well and what didn’t. Consider what you would do differently next time.
If your event is a charity fundraiser, you can announce how much money you have raised for your cause through your channels, as well as through press coverage (releases sent to local/national media). Count takings – count takings from different areas (refreshments, ticket sales, raffles, stalls etc…) separately so you know what made the most money.
Lastly, make sure to thank staff/volunteers for their help. You might consider gifting them a memento as a keepsake in recognition of their support.
Things to Consider
There will be some things you may need to consider when planning your event, though they may not apply to you. The need for public liability insurance, licencing and permissions may be areas that you will need to consider depending on the size and location of your event.
Any event organiser will tell you that no two events are the same, but it makes for an incredibly rewarding experience. Whether you are planning an internal corporate awards presentation or a charity fundraiser, you can now rest assured that you are more than up to the job with our complete event planning checklist.
Good luck, and we are confident your event will be a success!
