Chapter 02: Event Management Planning

CHAPTER 02: EVENT MANAGEMENT PLANNING

A. EVEN PLANNING  
Event management is the process by which an event is planned, prepared and produced. As
with any other form of management, it encompasses the acquisition, allocation, direction
and control of resources to achieve one or more objectives. An event manage’s job is to
oversee and arrange every aspect of an event, including researching, planning, organising,
implementing, controlling, and evaluating.

Event Planning is a process of creating, communicating and implementing a more

operational roadmap to guide the actions, policies and decision-making. It should align with
the strategic plan and assist in its implementation.

The plan of an event management company is simply the document which lays out the
resulting directions, actions and implementation schedule. It is typically focussed on the
short term operational horizon generally one to three year. These Plans are typically created
to guide the internal operations of an enterprise, and summarise its operational and
financial objectives for the near future and to indicate how these objectives will be achieved
and monitored. 

It provides a roadmap to guide actions and is continually modified as conditions change

and new opportunities or threats emerge. While it should be fundamentally targeted at
guiding regular operations, it should also be adaptable to account for new opportunities
and challenges

A.1. BENEFITS OF EVENT PLANNING

 To define and practically apply good event planning and financial management
practices in annual planning and day-to-day work.
 To provide logic and justification for prioritising different tasks and decisions over
others.
 To systematically define tasks, logic, roles and responsibilities, strategic alignments
(internally and externally), timetables, and budgets.
 To provide an opportunity for key players such as boards, staff, stakeholders, and
partners to be consulted when setting key objectives and methods.
 To provide frameworks for developing strategies related to manpower management,
marketing, competitor analysis and stakeholders. 
 Event Planning help us to Help to Eliminate
 Help us to think ahead and prepare for 
the future clarify goals and develop a
vision identify issues that will need to be
addressed choose between options
consider whether a project is possible
make the best use of resources motivate
staff and the community assign resources
and responsibilities achieve the best
results
 Overambitious projects unsustainable
projects undefined problems
unstructured project work plans

B. FORCES AFFECTING EVENT PLANNING

It is important for every event organization to interact and transact with its environment as
the business environment has direct relationship with the organization. The success or
failure of an organization is primarily established by the effectiveness of its interaction with
its environment. The enterprise has little influence on the environment and therefore, it is
important for the company to identify with the environment of its operation and devise its
policies in relation to the forces in that environment. The forces affecting external
environment of business are as follows:

 The political environment of any region or state influences the event to a larger
extent. This environment is influenced by the political organization, philosophy,
government ideology, nature and extent of bureaucracy and political stability. Event
organizer may get various concessions and benefits in hosting the event as per the
local government policies.
 In today’s competitive world the majority of people have an urbanized approach
towards celebration. There are many community events and festivals in the urbanised
world, celebrating their character of life. In India many festivals such as Durga Puja,
Ganesh Chautri and Dusshera are celebrated with enthusiasm and local participation.
This leads to emergence

of event management companies at local levels who promote organization of events with a
professional approach. 

 Technology is an important aspect in the world of special events, as everything from

planning to programming to great extents relies on technological solutions. Internet
provides new possibilities for communication, information resources, and is an
 efficient marketing tool. Staying current with technology is important for event
managers as consumers expect quick feedback from the organizers of events.
 Changing generations and cultural diversity in many communities has resulted in a
shift of values, which implies both opportunities and challenges for events. Diversity,
unity, and equality is emphasised. Environmental and globalisation awareness and
quality are emerging as important values for event management companies. In India
various events such as Jaipur Literature festival, various trade fairs and travel marts
promote the spirit of cultural synthesis.
 Stakeholders are groups, organisations, and individuals who have invested or keep
an interest in the successfulness of an event. Typical stakeholders of events are the
organisers, sponsors, partners, customers and the community Sponsors and partners
supporting an event, either by contributing financially or by providing in-kind
support, are also stakeholders. Guests and customers are stakeholders because an
event is organised for providing them a particular product, which is commonly
leisure, education, or other service. The local community provides many resources for
events, such as businesses, hospitality services and public places, staff and
volunteers.
 The other forces affecting Event management are the people interested in
participating in certain events as performers, the media, local tourism bodies, or
providers of facilities and infrastructure for instance. Moreover, there can be local
firms and businesses looking to improve revenue through events.

An event management company’s stability and profitability are interdependent on its ability
to quickly identify and respond to changes in the external environment. Change is inevitable
and having the flexibility to deal with unexpected market mutations can mean the difference
between survival and extinction for an organization.

B.1. CONDUCTING AN ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN

While external factors like government policy changes are sometimes unexpected, that
doesn’t mean one can‘t prepare for them. The most effective way for a business to prime
itself to be flexible and adaptive is to develop a framework for conducting an environmental
scan.

An environmental scan is the process of methodically gathering, analysing, and interpreting

data about external opportunities and threats. It’s a mechanism to collect relevant
information about the outside world, the competitors, and the market position of the event
management company.

One of the most popular methods used to perform an environmental scan is the PESTEL
analysis. This model is an external factor evaluation matrix that focuses on six spheres of
data:
  (P)olitical: The extent to which a government may influence the economy and
thereby impact organizations within a certain industry. This includes government
policy, political stability, and trade and tax policy.

 (E)conomic: How economic conditions shift supply and demand to directly affect a

company. This includes economic growth or decline, and changes in interest and
inflation rates.

 (S)ocial: Changes in the socio-cultural market environment that illustrate customer

needs and wants. This includes emerging trends, population analytics, and
demographics.

 (T)echnological: How innovation and development evolve a market or industry. This

includes automation, technology awareness and adoption rates, and new services or
products.

 (E)nvironmental: The ecological and environmental aspects that affect a company‘s

operations or consumer demand. This includes access to renewable resources,
weather or climate changes, and corporate responsibility initiatives.

 (L)egal: The current legal allowances or requirements within countries or territories

in which an organization operates. This includes health and safety requirements,
labour laws, and consumer protection laws.

After one complete a PESTEL analysis (sometimes known as PESTLE analysis), i.e. a thorough
environmental scan that identifies uncontrollable, external factors the organization should
prepare for. It‘s appropriate to have a plan of action for the items one think could actually
occur and have a material impact on the business. 

C. STEPS IN EVENT MANAGEMENT PLAN 

The steps involved in planning event management plan is studied in following subheadings:

 Starting off
 Feasibility

C.1. STARTING OFF 

The first thing to consider when starting the creation of a special event is the people who
will be involved. Secondly, they need to invent ideas for the event. Thirdly, a feasibility-
screen of the ideas needs to be conducted.  
The event may be organised by an already existing group, such as a committee of a club,
organisation or agency for instance, who already have structures and resources for event
management. In events an organising team needs to be formed, and the type of event
needs to be considered. Will the event be cultural, leisure, personal, or organisational, and
will the organisation be volunteer or professional, or both? The optimal size of a team is
said to be around six people in order to maintain good organisation. The team member
selection process needs to consider skills and previous experiences, as members should
complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Typical tasks within a team are
organising, financing, marketing, resource finding, health and safety, legalities, and
recording. The members’ levels of motivation and spare time need consideration as well.
Effective leadership is the key to the progress of the team’s work, as even a small amount of
team members can find it difficult to reach unity. Once the team has been formed, it needs
to start discussing and brainstorming around the event. 

Ideas for events can either come from somewhere else than the event organiser, such as
community networks, individuals, and special interest groups, or the organiser needs to
invent ideas. An occasion for brainstorming may be needed, and it is advised that
brainstorming also include consultation with stakeholders separately, or together with the
team. The discussion should result in some ideas for the event, creative ideas that according
to the customer expectations.

The ideas should next be feasibility tested. The key aspects of feasibility are who will
organise, attend, watch, participate in, and pay for the event is considered. This stage also
involves understanding of marketing, operational and financial aspects. All aspects related
to target market, competitor’s strategies, business operations and budgets need to be
considered in this initial phase of event management.

C.2. FEASIBILITY

 What are you trying to do and for whom? 

 What benefits to the participants can we build into our concept?  What are the
various plans to achieve this?
 What are the pros and cons of each concept?
 What is the best concept and how will you get there?

D. OPERATIONAL PLANNING
An event can be successful with the result of careful, structured, and logical planning, which
decreases uncertainty, centres attention to goals, and makes operation effective Planning is
probably the most important phase of organising events, as it is directly linked to the
successfulness of the event. Planning can be a tool for better coordination, focus, and
ahead-thinking, as well as a means of evaluating and controlling the progress and outcome
of the event. 

A draft plan should be created during the brainstorming process with the important team
member. To systemise the draft plan, the outcome of the feasibility study should be
incorporated, along with key focus area, namely the purpose of the event, people involved,
what are the various activities that  will be happening, as well as how, where, and when the
event will happen.

At this point in the planning process, ask these key questions: 

 Who are the key representatives from within the stakeholders to champion our
event? 
 What is our action team committed to? 
 What particular strengths and experiences do our committee members bring? 

During the planning process the team needs to envision possible problems and create
courses of action for urgent situations. In order to foresee such possibilities an analysis
should be carried out in order to analyse the internal and external environments, including
available dates and times, competing events, demand and capacity of the market, and
potential venues and staff.  The material gathered during this assessment should be used in
the setting of strategies.

E. FINANCES AND THE BUDGET 

It is essential that all team members are awareness of what has to be spent financially for
planning and managing event. For a public event, the financial matters become more
complex the larger it i, involving studies on financial feasibility based on various financial
techniques. Regardless of the complexity level, the financial plans need to match the
objectives of the event.

The expenditure should be estimated through an identification and assessment process. The
variable and fixed costs need to be identified in order to make clear where the point of
break-even is reachable. In terms of events, fixed costs involve the hiring of venue, staffing,
marketing and insurance for instance, while variable costs are e.g. catering, entertainment
and accommodation. At the completion of the total costs it is important that all fixed,
variable, and other possible costs are calculated and included, in order to give a genuine
picture of the cost side of the budget. Budget items to consider:

 Staff time 
 Marketing expenses (design fees, printing, postage, etc.)
 Transportation 
  Venue 
 Guest accommodations (if applicable)
 Food and beverage
 Entertainment and recreation 
 Audiovisual equipment and production cost (Security: Police etc.)
 Special needs (interpreters, etc.)
 Taxes and gratuities, service charges, etc. 
 Contingency fund for unanticipated, last minute expenses

Income can be generated in several ways, such as admission fees and activities that
generate revenue like games, brochures, food and sales stalls, merchandise, transport
services and car parks, and selling rights for broadcasting for instance. Moreover, events
organised by governmental agencies may depend on a budgeted part of tax money, and
funding for events can be sought at governmental agencies or official bodies, or sponsors.
Public agencies and private foundations can make a grant to support a cause. Local
governments may give grants to events that advance community spirit and unity.

E.1. SPONSORSHIP

Special events may attract sponsors if they have target markets in common. Sponsorship is
an effective tool for promotion of products or services for businesses, and they may get
opportunity to be exposed in media. Continuation grants from private foundations: Funding
from private foundations can be used to support ongoing projects and programs.  

 State Funds
 Colleges/Universities 
 Partnerships

E.2. SPONSORSHIP DEVELOPMENT PLAN 

Step 1 – Brainstorm: Create a long list of businesses or organizations that would align well
with the event.  Those who may have access to funding and tend to be highly involved with
community functions should be included 

Step 2 – Determine Purpose: There are two ways to work with a sponsor. 

1. Sponsor provides a monetary contribution to the event

2. Sponsor and organizer agree upon a trade value 

An example of this would be a media sponsor running ads for the event through their
outlets and the organizer would provide credit to that sponsor through including their logo
on advertisements, social media mentions, event announcements, etc.  
Step 3 – Outreach: Once the list of potential sponsors is finalized its time to start outreach.
It is important to be prepared for the conversation of what an event manager may expect
from the sponsor and the benefits that they meant.

Step 4– Agreement: It is important create and execute some sort of agreement between
the event planner and the sponsor. This agreement should include the terms discussed
during outreach. 

Engaging Sponsors:  Once an event planner has secured a sponsor than it is important to
stay in touch with the sponsors throughout planning execution, and wrap up of the event.  

During the pre-event phase the event planner need to consider the terms in the
sponsorship agreement. This could include things like logo inclusion on marketing materials
or social media mentions. 

Not all sponsors choose to be present during the event, but if they would like to be
included, here are some options for the event planner such as Providing a tent area for the
sponsor’s guests to gather, Hang signage (typically provided by the sponsor) somewhere
visible on the event site and allow opportunity for the sponsor to handout free branded
materials.

Sponsorship can be sought in different ways as there are contacting agencies working to
match sponsors with causes in need of sponsoring, and bodies related to trade and business
whose aim is to endorse commercial organisations in their relationships to seekers of
sponsorship or benefaction. An agreement that ensures benefits for both parties, stating the
objectives, people responsible, marketing statements, and budget, as well as an evaluation
part for measuring the outcome and impacts of the event is needed.

With the budgeted revenue and costs prepared in detail and approved by both clients
identify any deviations from the and organising management, serious preparations can start.
Effective control system should be designed to rectify the deviations from the standards.

E. ORGANIZE A TEAM 
No matter the size, a special event takes a concerted team effort to handle all of the details.
Where possible, the stakeholders involved with activity should be invited to participate on
the planning committee.  Depending on the type and scope of your event, one may
consider identifying an Event Manager or Event Chair as well as individual Chairpersons for
subcommittees, such as:

 Venue, logistics & catering management (selection, contracts, permits, insurance,

etc.) 
  Guest management (invitations, RSVPs, greeters, registration, seating arrangements,
etc.)
 Speakers/presenters (selecting, confirming, logistics, management, etc.)
 Activities/entertainment
 Publicity/promotion (Web presence, events calendars, printed programs, media
relations, signage, social media, etc.)
 Sponsor/partner management
 Transportation 
 Volunteer management

G. BLUE PRINT OF FUNCTIONAL AREA 

Finding the location and venue is important for the development of the event. There may be
several attractive choices of venue, in which case the organisers need to check each venue
and spot which of them matches the requirements of the event best, is best priced, and is
professionally managed. Attention is to be paid to appearance and aesthetics, sound, smell,
and cleanliness of facilities and equipment’s.

The selection of venue where the event is to be held will also depend on the purpose,
concept and theme of the event. It is the responsibility of the event planner to ensure that
the chosen site is suitable for the intended event and that all relevant information and
approvals are obtained for the event.

When deciding on a suitable venue the following needs to be considered:

 the anticipated size of the event and expected visitors

 entrances and exits and car parking provisions
 indoor versus outdoor requirements related to activities
 requirements of people with special needs
 access to infrastructure - power, water, communications, washrooms, etc
 risk management and occupational health and safety

G.1. SITE PLAN

A site plan is an overall framework indicating the ground layout of the event. Typically event
site plans will indicate the site boundaries, street accesses, stalls locations etc.

All key stakeholders can use the site plan as part of the planning process, with consultation
as to its final layout. 
A site plan should be easy to interpret and in case of large event, be posted strategically
around the site for use by patrons. The site plan can be used by staff and volunteers in
setting up the event and is also invaluable as a reference in an emergency situation.

H. SAMPLE SITE PLAN

When drawing the site plan it is essential to use a simple format and include surrounding
streets and landmarks. The site plan must be clear and show all important event features.

 all entrances and exits

 Information centre 
 paths used by vehicles 
 paths for pedestrians only 
 food and other stall holder locations
 stage and temporary structure locations
 seating arrangements 
 shade and/or shelter 
 emergency access routes
 entertainment sites ie rides, jumping castle
 toilet facilities 
 waste bins/refuse sites 
 first aid posts
 drinking water sites 
 approved liquor consumption areas 
 non-alcohol (dry) areas 

H.1. SECURITY CHECK POSTS 

Another very important consideration of special events is crowd management. A first step in
this endeavour is estimating the number of attendees in order to develop a sound
monitoring and control plan. It is very important that you understand the characteristics of
the expected audience; the need to evaluate different crowd management controls for
different types of events.

A comprehensive security plan is a must to properly control event the protect attendees,
and provide a fun and secure environment. A good security plan will assure the right
number of law enforcement and security personnel. It will address training, logistics and
scheduling. Maps of the event area and surrounding areas should be developed. The
security plan should involve everyone associated with the event. The security plan should
address the possible adverse behaviours of individuals or groups. Large events should
consider a command post that coordinates all event activities. This post should be open
before the public enters the event area and should operate until after the event is
completed.

H.2. POWER & LIGHTING

 It is essential that the Event Organiser reviews and make necessary arrangements for the
supply and installation of any electrical/power requirements for the event, such as the use of
generators, extension cords and cables. 

It is important to ensure that adequate safety guidelines are followed so that electrical leads
do not create trip hazards. Lead joints and connections are not to be accessible to the
public or exposed to damp conditions, temporary electrical leads must be flexible cables
and double adaptors and piggy-back plugs are not to be used.

H.3. WATER

Water is required for multiple uses such as catering, entertainment or cleaning purposes
before, during and after the event. 

All taps located within the selected venue should be checked to ensure they are in good
working order prior to the event. Where any deficiencies are identified they are to be
reported to the concerned management at the earliest possibility to enable the problem to
be repaired prior to the event.

H.4. SANITARY FACILITIES 

It is the responsibility of the Event Organiser to ensure adequate sanitary facilities are made
available for participants.  The number of toilets to be provided will depend on a number of
factors including: 

 anticipated crowd numbers 

 the gender of patrons (women require more     facilities than men) 
 the duration of the event
 are the toilets accessible to people with limited mobility and parents with small
children
 to ensure toilet supplies are restocked and for safety and cleanliness regularly 
 wastewater management
 availability of a plumber throughout the event for repairs and blockages
 Temporary Structures & Staging  
 Tents, marquees and portable stages all qualify as temporary structures and if being
used at an event should be marked on the Site Plan. 
H.5. RISK MANAGEMENT 

Risk management is the logical and systematic process of eliminating or minimising the
adverse impact of activities which may give rise to dangerous or damaging situations. This
requires the development of a framework within which risks can be identified, evaluated,
treated and monitored. Successful event management requires a dedication to risk
management. There are four main categories of risk which face organisations conducting
events. Understanding the general types of risk facing an organisation can provide a better
understanding of the actions required to minimise exposure to risk. The four main
categories of risk are:

 Physical risks involve injuries to people or the damage or destruction of property.

 Financial risks affect the financial situation of an organisation or event and could
include increased insurance premiums, cost overruns or costs associated with
injuries.
 Moral or ethical risks involve the loss of quality of participant experience and
confidence, adverse publicity and damage to an organisation or event's image or
reputation.
 Legal risks are losses and costs arising from legal actions for breach of a law,
standard or guideline or breaches or statutory duty of care. For example, a kitchen
facility or food stall which doesn't comply with local government regulations for food
preparation

These risks should be treated with suitable action plan for avoidance and control. An
emergency should   be designed. The aim of an Emergency Plan is to minimise the threat to
life and damage to property.

Therefore, the risk analysis should be integrated into the event plan. Precautions range from
first aid staff to cleared emergency access routes, to comprehensive disaster plans,
depending on the complexity of events

Good atmosphere can make an event very successful in the same way as negative
atmosphere can cause an event to fail. Good ambience is created through good and
sufficient stimuli of visitors’ senses and therefore the physical environment of an event is
important, which together with the physiological, emotional and cognitive reactions among
the guests, become the ambience.

I. MARKETING 
I.1. CELEBRITIES IN EVENTS 
When brands throw parties, trade show or brand launch events, one of the best ways to
grab media attention is to have celebrities attend. To select celebrities, the following factors
should be considered:

 It is advisable to make a list of celebrities you would like to have at the charity event.
 Once make a list of potential celebrities to contact should be willing to shorten the
list.
 Should make a list of potential celebrities whose personal interests and favourite
causes are similar or matches the interests of events 
 Need to make a plan detailing three methods of how to get into contact with the
celebrity.
 It may be a good idea to reach the celebrities publicist when doing a charity event.

Organizes bring in celebrities to events because:

 Celebrities get media to attend and cover the event.

 Celebrities provide photo opportunities that will later make the event appear even
more exciting – especially the sizzle reel.
 Celebrities can impact their fan bases through social media and raise awareness of
the event.
 Celebrities are PR friendly, providing content for public relations story development.
 Celebrities excite other event attendees, whether they are distributors, C-level
executives or the public.

When the plan is in place, and the event management team has agreed upon a general
budget as well as type of celebrity to approach, it is time to create an Offer Letter outlining
the deal points. The letter states what the talent is required to do (social media, red carpet,
meet-and-greets, product photos, interviews, etc.) as well as what time they are committed
to arrive and stay until.

I.2. PROMOTIONAL TOOLS 

Each special event will be marketed differently depending on its individual purpose,
objectives, and markets. Marketing needs to be aimed at the target market, meaning the
potential attendees. The team needs to determine whether the target market is a specific
group or the general public, and whether groups of special interests can be attracted. The
physical area and the population from where an event may attract visitors, is called the
catchment area. The importance of an event usually determines the catchment area of the
target market, which grows in relation to the size of the event and links the complexity of
the marketing directly to the complexity of the event. Knowledge about the target market
enables the organisers to reach and influence it, in terms of raising awareness of the event
and convincing potential attendants to go. Various strategies for event promotion are used
to attract the potential customers. Awareness should be created through campaigns,
advertising and Public relations with the stakeholders.

  Website –  Every annual event should have a website which gives essential details.  This is
an excellent source for advertising and promotion.

  Newspapers – Local and regional papers will usually publish feature articles on events –
especially if they are well written and have photographs attached.   It is important to email
articles and photographs as attachments so that they will not have to be retyped. 

Radio Stations – Many local radio stations have early morning talk shows which welcome
event celebrity as a guest.  What a great way to promote at no cost.  Stations will often
trade sponsorships for advertising spots.  It is important to establish a good relationship
with station officials putting vendor applications online, photographs for media, and
updates

Television Stations – Most television stations have community calendar spots on air and on
their websites.  

  Posters – Posters are a most for most events and festivals.  Many festivals design an annual
logo to reflect their theme and use it on their posters and t shirts.  Posters come in all
shapes and sizes and should be placed in high volume traffic locations.

J. PREPARING THE EVENT OPERATIONS 

As the day of the event approaches, people, equipment and supplies should be in order.
Everybody who is part of the workforce needs to be appropriately briefed right before the
event so they can be efficient in their job. The leader of the team needs to be good at
communicating and delegating as the situation can be in a constant state of flux. The team
members should be equipped with mobile phones, so they can reach each other at all times.
A controlled system for delivery acceptance should be established.

J.1. MANAGING CHIEF GUEST  

Many Chief Guest and celebrities enjoy spending time with their fans and have no issue with
interacting with fans.  Many celebrities will have events where they invite their fans to come
to, to meet the fans, sign autographs for the fans, and take pictures with the fans.  Here are
a few events where celebrities will interact with their fans:

 Special Events where the celebrities will stop on the red carpet to sign autographs
and take pictures with fans.
  Awards ceremonies or Awards shows is also a place where celebrities will stop on the
red carpet to interact with their fans.
 Celebrities will invite fans to their book signing events and record release parties to
meet fans in person.
 Celebrities will even invite their favourite fans to VIP parties to interact with them on
a certain level.
 However, many celebrities are very cautious when it comes to allowing fans to get up
close and personal because some fans become obsessed with the celebrity.  Here is
how celebrities take precautions when interacting with their fans:
 The celebrity will have security guards to protect them while out and about to deal
with hostile and crazy fans.
 The celebrity will have a publicist who is the go to person if a fan wants to contact
them personally.
 The celebrity will ensure not to put too much personal information on their social
media pages to make sure fans do not have access to such information.
 The celebrity will have staff who will check and monitor their social media activities
to ensure there is no hacking of their social media accounts.

J. 2. EVENT ENTERTAINMENT 

In order for an event to be memorable, it requires special entertainment.  Usually the

entertainment matches the theme.  Festivals are known for providing continuous
entertainment, which cover the entire kaleidoscope.  Event entertainment may include: 

 Amusement Rides
 Pony Rides  
 Vocalists 
 Dancers  
 Parades  
 Crafts Fair 
 Food Fair 
 Street Dances  
 Magicians

K. CLOSE-DOWN, EVALUATION, AND LEGACY

A close-down of an event has both physical and administrative aspects. The physical close-
down will involve the taking apart and removing of the equipment, whereas the
administrative side of the close-down will involve filing, completion of accounts and paying
bills, and collecting feedback.
The administrative side of the close-down will involve picking up comments and noting
down verbal feedback, but also the settling of accounts and bills, acquittal of contracts,
along with an evaluation of how contractors and suppliers have done their job. The
outcome will show the successfulness, in financial terms especially.

K.1. EVENT EVALUATION TECHNIQUES

Conducting surveys or providing feedback forms during and after the event to gauge
attendee satisfaction. Evaluating your success against the aims and objectives you identified
at the beginning of the event planning process. Preparing a SWOT analysis to examine the
strengths weaknesses, opportunities and threats associated with your event.

 SWOT Analysis: Your SWOT Analysis should be conducted upon receipt of completed

surveys and individual feedback from event attendees. The SWOT Analysis firstly examines
the strengths and weaknesses of the event, which should be determined with consideration
given to the original event aims and objectives.

Strengths of the event may include:

 Strong attendance numbers

 Wide range of food and beverages available 
 Satisfaction with entertainers 
 Ten new members recruited as a result of event

Some examples of event weaknesses are:

 Too few volunteers

 Limited media coverage
 Expenditure exceeding income

A SWOT Analysis also reviews opportunities and threats associated with the event.
Opportunities are future prospects for improvement and threats are potential future
impediments. Opportunities for improvement could include:

 Increasing attendance at future events 

 Obtaining more sponsorship assistance 
 Continuing future events into the evening to attract a wider range of attendees

Future threats might include:

 Event disruptions due to inclement weather

 Loss of key organising personnel, leading to a lack of direction for future events 
 Inability to cover event costs due to limited income
Events are often celebrations of creativity and cultural uniqueness, local customs, lifestyle
and talents, and can thus have significant cultural impacts. Preservation and revitalisation of
unique cultures and traditions can be promoted by events. Some events leave social legacy
or intangible impacts. The image and awareness of an area or tourist destination may be
enhanced. Social integration of an area may be improved and wellbeing, confidence and
pride of a community may be boosted.

L. EVENT PLANNING TIMELINE

L.1. HIGH-LEVEL PLANNING: SIX MONTHS AHEAD OF EVENT

 Establish event objectives 

 Recruit event committee, solicit Trustee representative, select event manager or
chair, and establish sub-committee chairs 
 Select date
o Identify venue and negotiate details 
o Develop event master plan and set theme for the event • Get cost estimates
(e.g., room rental, food & beverage, equipment, speaker fees, travel, etc.) and
create a budget
o Create communications plan (ensure staff and/or volunteers are identified to
manage specific tasks – e.g., media relations, VIP coordination, printed
material design and printing coordination, online /social media, etc.) 
o Identify and confirm speakers/presenters/entertainers
o Determine sponsorship levels/amounts 
o Identify and contact potential sponsors/partners 

L.2. FOUR MONTHS AHEAD OF EVENT 

 Determine VIPs and create RSVP tracking document (e.g., spreadsheet) 

Speaker/Presenter Liaison:

1. Finalize presentation/speech topics 

2. Request bio information, photo o 
3. Make travel and accommodation arrangements 
4. Have Legal review contracts, obtain signatures as appropriate, etc.

 Venue/Logistics: 

1. Investigate need for any special permits, licenses, insurance, etc.

2. Determine and arrange all details regarding menu, A/V equipment, facilities, parking,
signage, etc.
3. Review security needs/plan for the event with venue manager Communications Plan
 4. Request logos from corporate sponsors for online and printed materials o Develop
draft program
5. Create draft event script (e.g., MC, speaker introductions, thanks, closing, etc.)
6. Develop media list and prepare media alert/release, backgrounder, and media kit
materials (e.g., speaker info, photos, etc.)
7. Create event page on Web site
8. Create social media accounts/pages as needed o Consider developing a promotional
video for YouTube and Facebook page 
9. If you are hosting a public event, consider registering your event on a variety of
online event calendars, such, Rotary Club, etc.

L.3. TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO EVENT

 Send reminders to contact list regarding registration/participation

(Presenters/Speakers)
 Confirm travel/accommodation details
 Request copy of speeches and/or presentations 
 Sponsorship: Follow up to confirm sponsorships and underwriting (Publicity) 
 Release press announcements about keynote speakers, celebrities, VIPs attending,
honourees, etc

L.4. ONE-TWO WEEKS AHEAD

 Schedule a meeting for all committee chairs to confirm all details against Master Plan
– and ensure back-up plans are developed for any situation (e.g., plans for bad
weather, back-up volunteers as VIP greeters, additional volunteers for registration or
set-up, etc.)
 Finalize event script • Brief any/all hosts, greeters, volunteers about their event duties
and timelines 
 Final seating plan, VIP place cards, etc. Ensure that all Trustees that will be in
attendance are included in stage seating or in front row reserved seating, as
appropriate. 
 Provide final RSVP numbers to caterer
o Make print and online copies of any speeches, videos, presentations, etc.

 L.5. ONE DAY AHEAD 

 Confirm media attending 

 Ensure all signage is in place 
 Ensure registration and media tables are prepared and stocked with necessary items
(e.g., blank name badges, paper, pens, tape, stapler, etc.)
 Ensure all promotional items, gifts, plaques, trophies, etc. are on-site. 
L.6. EVENT DAY 

 Appoint someone to arrive early to attend to important event details 

 Ensure you have copies of all instructions, directions, phone numbers, keys, extra
parking permits for VIP guests, seating charts and guest lists with you
 Check-in with each Committee Chair to ensure their team is on track 
 Bring water for speakers • Bring an emergency kit (Kleenex, Band-Aids, safety pins,
etc.)