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HelpMARK YOUR CALENDAR: THIS IS THE IDEAL EVENT PLANNING TIMELINE
As popular as holiday party trends and event industry predictions have been, it’s always nice to have a refresher when it comes to the actual event planning process. Everybody wants to plan and execute the most talked about event of the year, of course.
But, where to begin? Here’s a timeline eventprofs can easily stick to:
6 MONTHS BEFORE THE EVENT
The secret to good planning is that you can never start too soon. During this stage, you’ll want to begin by consider the basic size and requirements of your event.
Outline your goals for the event and set deadlines. Pinpoint every step you’ll have to take in order to achieve those goals. And remember: allocate your budget accordingly.
Now is also the best time to reach out to potential partners and sponsors, and set up teams both externally and internally. Consider using internal social collaboration tools like Slack or Asana during the planning process—some studies say they can can reduce your email volume by 30%.
Oh, and start having fun by checking out venue locations. It’s best to have at least two options for venues, so you can compare quotes. If you plan on having any keynote speakers, breakout sessions or panels, it’s best to lock them in early.
4 MONTHS BEFORE THE EVENT
Now’s the time to create a custom event page, prepare your event email sequence (like your save the dates, invites, reminders and follow-ups), and start to curate your guest list. (Splash is an easy way to do all of this on one platform!)
If you want to start the buzz early, send out a save-the-date or an early bird special for valued guests. Peoplelove early-bird specials. This might be one of your most effective methods to fuel ticket sales, since 64% of event planners say that early-bird discounts are the best promotional method for an event.
2 MONTHS BEFORE THE EVENT
Event launch, blast-off. When you send out your invitations, which should be around this time, make sure that your press materials, content marketing, and social media campaigns are locked and loaded.
Choose a hashtag and start to use it on social. Prepare and promote a short promotional video. Post some#TBT Instagrams from last year’s event. Anything to amp up the excitement. The more you drive people to share your event, the better.
By now, you should also have confirmed who your partners and sponsors are and booked your speakers. Don’t forget to have a backup plan or two in case one of them can’t make it. Identify which guests are influencers and give them digital-high fives.
The logistics of your venue are at play here, too. Be in constant contact your caterer, your DJ or band, and photographer(s). Constantly look back at your budget: Food and beverages can easily eat up 33% of your total event expenses.
1 MONTH BEFORE YOUR EVENT
Keep up the engagement with your clients and guests, and schedule a series of reminder emails to those who haven’t yet RSVP’d. One strategy is to find reasons to update your guests on any interesting tidbit of information about the event: Like announcing additions to the schedule, highlighting select speakers, or hosting a giveaway. Here are some good reminder email examples you can steal.
Work on your backup plan. Look into any collateral you might need to obtain: banners, gift bags, decorations, etc. Determine the actual event schedule and confirm those plans with your partners and sponsors. See if there are any outliers in your budget, or room to splurge on extras. And get your on-site social media plans in order.
1 WEEK BEFORE
Be prepared to operate on everyone else’s schedule. Remember, most ticket sales and RSVPs occur the week before an event. So line up a series of countdown emails to announce the end of event registration and instill a sense of urgency. You might consider creating a last-minute incentive for guests that haven’t yet RSVP’d.
And lastly: confirm, confirm, confirm. Double check with speakers, your caterers, venue administrators, and others to make sure everything’s moving according to plan.
THE DAY OF YOUR EVENT
During the hours leading up to your party, ensure all event registration and check-in stations, live-stream stations, and devices are set up so that the arrival process runs smoothly.
Once at your event, encourage people to check into different stations and live-Tweet it. Have your hashtag ready and make it visible for your guests in more than one location. One of our favorite places to leave the hashtag is on the serving trays where it will catch your guests’ eye as they’re reaching for a delicious cocktail.
THE DAY AFTER YOUR EVENT
The day after your event is a time to relish in the satisfaction that all of your hard work in the months leading up to your party, absolutely paid off.
It’s also crucial to thank your guests for joining you the night before, and it’s recommended to send those thank you emails out within 24 hours, while the event is still fresh in their minds. A post-event survey is also a great time to gather intel from your guests on what was fabulous, and what you could have done better.
By following this simple timeline, your party planning jitters will be calmed in no time.
Author bio: Ben Hindman is the co-founder and CEO of Splash, an event marketing platform that helps event planners make their events look as amazing online as they do in person.
Keep up with the times and add this to your event timeline: The SELFIE BADGE. Start the experience right with iPad check-in kiosks and printable name tags:
