Hosting an event comes with a never-ending checklist.
Let’s look at how to bring some order to the chaos.
Always start off with the WHAT? As in what’s the purpose of the event?
Then ask yourself, who would benefit from attending? Answering this question is the start of defining your target audience.
Next, you must list the reasons why your target audience should be bothered to come. Don’t be selfish! If your event doesn’t have great outcomes or key takeaways, they are not going to attend.
Most importantly, you need to do a competitor audit to ensure you have a unique selling point and that your outcomes differ from similar events.
Now you know what, who and why, it’s time for location, location, location. Choosing the right venue is so important to improve the chances of an event’s success.
We recommend sourcing at least 3-4 quotes, and your venue options need to be accessible and cater to all dietary requirements.
Don’t forget to check if the venue is easy to get to via public transport and for nearby accommodation. Better still, look for venues that have accommodation on site – they will often be able to coordinate a group booking and manage the accommodation on your behalf, leaving you with one less detail to worry about.
Once you know your venue pricing, you need to look at other expenditures such as:
- Guest appearances
- Goody bags
- Marketing
You can now form your event budget and ticket prices.
Pro tip: If you are charging an attendance fee, consider setting aside a budget for ‘OOPS’ moments.
In other words, a contingency plan. We recommend adding 5% of your projected income as a cost line. If your numbers fall slightly short, or you incur an unexpected cost, you have a buffer.
The lead-up to the event is the most fun, apart from the actual event itself. This time should be spent getting people through the door.
Always give yourself a minimum of 6 months to market and create lots of noise about your event. Does your marketing content make people feel like they will miss out if they don’t attend your event?
Is the event registration process easy and user-friendly?
In your itinerary, always allow time for socialising and networking. You might want to use some of these ice-breaker ideas www.imagovenues.co.uk/go-perform/10-effective-ice-breaker-ideas/
When your event is finished, the work isn’t done! You should have a post-event comms plan to keep up the hype, get feedback and distribute resources. This will bode well for planning future events and give you a pool of people who are more engaged.
Here’s some apps to help you keep organised
Effortlessly draw mind maps, mark up PDFs and more. Handwrite all over the page and experience limitless note-taking on the iPad.
The social media planner with the best free version available.
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