Creating an Event Planning Checklist to keep things on track
Planning an event is the perfect situation for disaster; it is very easy to overlook an important detail and realize it too late. That is why we would like to show you How To Create the Perfect Event Checklist! The problem isn’t that people are careless; the problem is that there are so many factors involved in planning an event that it is very easy to miss one of them. We have become experts at events since our inflatable obstacle courses are so popular these days and we see this happening again and again. Something vital gets missed and then the organizer goes around stressed and calling people up trying to get the missed item done. You can make sure that you do not miss anything by setting up an event checklist.
It Takes Time
The secret to running a perfect event is simple; you have to time it right. Do not expect to be able to pull off a successful event with just a month of planning; if you only have a month left it is already too late to properly plan a major event. Just cut your losses and do whatever is possible. Ideally, you should start working on a major event 6 months before the event date. This might seem like a long time but this is how the professionals do it. For major conferences the planning often takes even more than a year.
How To Create the Perfect Event Checklist: Starting 6 months before!
We are assuming you are planning a community event; you will not need more than a year, 6 moths should be more than enough time to put up a dazzling event. The reason that you need to start so early is that there are some factors which need to be determined this early. You also need to make your checklist according to the timeline of the activities that need to be performed. Some things need to be looked after 6 months before the event date while there are others which need to be looked at much closer to the event date.
6 months out
You first need to make a checklist for all the things that you need to start thinking about 6 months away from the event. Without finalizing these items you will not be able to move on to other things which need to be dealt with closer to the event date.
Theme
You need to determine the theme of your event. Is it a fun community event with a great fun area for kids? Is it a fundraiser for families? What is the event about? These are all questions you should have the answer to before doing anything else. The venue, the date and time, the recreational activities, the marketing, and everything else will be affected by the theme, thus it needs to be figured out before we can move on to the other items.
Budget
There is no event without a budget. Until you know exactly what the budget is you cannot plan anything. You need to know 6 months in advance how much you have to spend so you spend the 6 months working only on realistic ideas. We always feel bad when we learn of an event that has to downsize due to budget issues; it is better to plan only for the budget you have instead of stressing about it later on.
Attendees
You need to know your attendees. What age groups will be coming? Do you need to provide entertainment for adults only or will you also need to arrange bouncy castles for the kids? Do you need to rent an inflatable obstacle course? Do you need to set up a bar? All these questions are dependent on the type of people the event is for. If you are organizing a community event this step is easy because you can target the offerings according to the community.
Legal Work
There are two items related to legal work which you need to clear up as soon as possible. The first issue is getting a Municipal License; there are many places where you cannot hold a large event without first getting a permit to do so from the local government. If you want to ensure that your event is not shut down by the government you need to study the laws regarding such events in your area. You do not have to do the research yourself; you can just call up the local government and ask them if you will need a license.
You also need to know if you will need public liability insurance for the event. There are venues and areas who do not allow events without insurance. Getting insurance is a good idea because it shields you from accidental expenses which can be very high at times.
Marketing
Ideally the marketing for your event should start 1-2 months before the event. This means that you need to figure out a marketing strategy as soon as possible. It can easily take a month or two to come up with a marketing strategy and to get everyone onboard. Then it can take a month to design the relevant marketing materials such as posters to stick around the walls or images for making social media posts. Thus it is a good idea to start early with marketing.
Team
You need to start recruiting people who will help you run the event. It is better to start early so you aren’t scrambling around to recruit people at the end time.
Venue
You need to book a venue as soon as possible; most venues have waiting lists for more than a month and you will end up missing out on your favorite one if you wait too long.
Checklist for 6 Months
- Decide the theme of the event
- Finalize the budget
- Analyze the attendees
- Take care of the paperwork
- Start creating a marketing strategy
- Start recruiting a team
- Get a venue booked
4 Months Out
If you have followed the 6 months checklist, this part will be easy to do. Once you are sure of the basic details of the event you can then flesh it out into a fun and memorable gathering. When there are 4 months remaining you need to get the following items ready
Tent / Stage
Will you be requiring a tent or a stage? We have excellent tents of varying sizes, so we have you covered. It is recommended to book these rentals as early as possible because evens have seasons too. It is entirely possible that there are many other events happening at the same time as your event so it is better to get the rentals booked before anyone else gets to them.
Vendors
Getting vendors to sell their merchandise at your event is a win-win situation. You need to decide what you are going to charge them and then ensure that you get enough vendors attracted towards your event.
Equipment
You need a lot of equipment to run an event. You will need electrical appliances, lights, stage lighting, fans, audio/video equipment, and much more. You need to make sure you have everything you need; looking for things at the last moment is a recipe for disaster
Publicity
You need to start your marketing campaign. Get other community organizers involved to get the word out. See if local publishers are interested. Make sure your event has social media presence.
Delegate
Remember that team you recruited? It’s time to give them some work. Assign people to different tasks depending on their skills and keep following up with all team members.
Children’s Fun Area
A children’s fun area is often the most important part of a community event. Community events are geared towards families so you need to have something which keep the kids busy and the adults social. Having a great fun area can also be a great way to ensure that the people who come to your event stick around. We would recommend our inflatable obstacle courses; ids love climbing the inflatable rock climbing wall we have. Also, no children’s area is complete without a bouncy castle to jump around in.
You’ll be able to get most of these things directly from us. We have a wide variety of inflatable obstacle courses so we will be able to provide you something which will fit the theme and size of your event. You can also look at other forms of children’s entertainment like clowns or balloon experts.
4 Month Checklist
- Tent
- Stage
- Vendors
- Equipment
- Publicity
- Team roles
- Children’s fun area
Day of the Event
Remember, the most important thing is not to panic. Just go step by step on the list below to make sure everything is covered
- Venue
- Vendors
- Tent
- Stage
- Children’s Fun Area
- Team work
- Equipment
- Supplies
- Attendees
Post Event Activities
The best way to make sure people are happy with your event is to make sure that you thank all the people who made it possible. Write up a blog detailing the contributions of the people who helped make the event run successfully. This ensures that the people who worked with you will be up for working with you again for more events.