A Checklist for a Successful Event

We sometimes focus too keenly on the goal that we tend to miss the details of the actual journey, which can sometimes directly be correlated to the quality of the finished product. In all of what I do, the most common compliment I often hear is how resourceful I am. Some call it “hustling” but in the professional world it is: “resourcefulness”.

Here is a quick guide that can help you make sure that you have exhausted all that you can to create a better finish product. The checklist below may work best for event planners and/or marketers but I wouldn’t be surprised if it will work for others, too.

1. Start with your  community – how can your project help the community and how can the community help your project? Look for organizations, who would be interested in attending or participating.
2. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel – most things already exist. Some things can use modifications while others should just be left as is. Google anything you are thinking of doing and it’s most likely already on the internet. Study how it was done and how you can do better.
3. Keep your eyes on the prize – do not forget the main purpose of the project and apply it in as many aspects as you can: promotion, networking, sponsorship solicitation, post marketing etc…
4.  Apply as many types of bait for participation as you can: raffle prizes, door prizes, giveaways, contests etc…
5. Contact Companies that could most likely benefit from your crowd and convince them to participate by giving donations for your raffle or giveaways. If they say they are out of budget, at the very least, you can invite them to be at the event to offer valuable information.
6. Promote your event at least two (2) weeks in advance; however, one (1) month of promotion is ideal. Send an e-mail blast one (1) week prior the event and start promoting everyday on social media five (5) days before the event. Ask your friends to post your event on their page.
   1. Promotion on Facebook should include different wall postings of who’s coming, who’s supporting, and who is featured in the show. Be creative!
   2. For a more effective mass emailing system, try http://www.constantcontact.com/index-new.jsp
7. Write a Press Release and send it out at least 10 days before the event. If you are not familiar with press releases, go ahead and google a few examples.  Press Releases are sent to your media or city contacts. You can also purchase a list of media contacts online. For a quick “how to guide” visit: http://www.publicityinsider.com/release.asp
8. Prepare a “Day Of” schedule of events. It’s important to list all the duties of all your volunteers or staff on the day of the event. List the specific times that each activity/event needs to happen to make sure that you are on schedule.  Schedule a pre-event meeting at least 2 hours before your event.
9. Label all your staff/volunteers. Prepare IDs for all staff including Press, Volunteers, Security, Performers etc… Preparing proper credentials will contribute to the overall “look/organization” of your event.
10. Do not underestimate the power of post marketing. After the event, there are still more work to be done: posting pictures, sending thank you letters/certificates of appreciation, filing paperwork and jotting down notes on how you can improve for the next event. Tell the world how successful your event was!

I want to conclude this with the last and maybe the most important thought: As the producer of the event, it would look great if you get to actually sit down and enjoy your event. This means you are organized enough to have sufficient volunteers/staff to take care of the whole event. You can concentrate on mingling and thanking your patrons and guests instead of running around behind the scenes. That’s how you become a SUPERSTAR :)!