| One you have decided why you are holding your | | | | client. |
| event, and have investigated its feasibility, as an | | | | Unless you really have never done an event of this |
| event manager, you have to start putting a plan | | | | type before (in which case I seriously suggest you |
| together. There are many factors that have to be | | | | find a freelance manager who has) you should be |
| taken into account when planning even the simplest | | | | able to look at the planning that took place and use |
| event, there are staff to arrange, venues to find, | | | | many of the ideas and techniques from the last |
| equipment to source and tickets or invitations to | | | | event. |
| send out. | | | | Not only will this help you to save time in the initial |
| First things first - all good event managers make lists | | | | planning stages (as you will have a pre-determined list |
| Over the years - one of the most effective tools I | | | | of all the things you have to do) but it will also help |
| have come across when planning for an event is a | | | | you to ensure you do not miss any of the elements. |
| simple, handwritten list. Although these days I use my | | | | At the end of every event you should evaluate what |
| computer to schedule my tasks, sometimes it is still | | | | you did - which will allow you to learn lessons from |
| easier to collect my thoughts together with nothing | | | | previous events. |
| more than a sheet of blank paper and a pencil. It | | | | These lessons should be both positive and negative - |
| doesn't really matter how you organize these | | | | remember for every one thing that went wrong, ten |
| thoughts, it may be chronologically or it may be by | | | | things will have gone right - so learn from the good |
| section of the event. | | | | as well as the bad. |
| The Event Management Framework | | | | Who is going to do what? |
| Once you have established the initial plan of action, | | | | Once you have decided which activities have to take |
| you should start to fill in the gaps and add detail to | | | | place, you need to decide who is going to do them. |
| each of the sections. At the same time you can start | | | | For a small event, it may be that you manage many |
| to put the action points into an order of priority - | | | | of the elements on your own - but on the day of |
| with the most important elements first, followed by | | | | the event it is usual for many more people to get |
| the less important ones. | | | | involved. |
| This planning document will start to form the | | | | When planning for you event, you need to see which |
| framework which will help you through the event | | | | skills you require, and recruit the right people for the |
| planning process, and will guide you through how you | | | | right tasks. |
| are going to run the event successfully. This plan will | | | | Once you have the right people in place, you not only |
| be with you through the entire event planning | | | | need to let them know what they have to do, but |
| process, the live event and the evaluation stages. | | | | when they have to do it, where they have to do it |
| It is important to cover as many areas as possible in | | | | and why they have to do it - so that they can see |
| this first instance, as the more thought you give to | | | | where their part of the planning process fits into the |
| the event at this stage, the more successful and | | | | overall event planning process. |
| stress free your event will be. | | | | Planning is one of the most critical elements of event |
| Have you managed this event before? | | | | management - and the management of the planning |
| Many events occur on an annual basis, or are at least | | | | process is even more important. Knowing that every |
| similar in some ways to events that have happened | | | | aspect of the event is covered will make the event |
| in the past? A conference for one client will have | | | | run a lot more smoothly, and be a lot less hassle for |
| many similar attributes to a conference for a new | | | | all event management and production staff. |