January 30, 2014 Jane Carter

Ideas are worthless. Execution is everything. You might have the greatest idea for your event but it means nothing if you don't take action. No one remembers the person that had 100 unique event ideas. Everyone remembers the organizer who took the risk and put together an amazing event.

Execution is everything. You might have the greatest idea for your event but it means nothing if you don't take action. No one remembers the person that had 100 unique event ideas. Everyone remembers the organizer who took the risk and put together an amazing event. Don't let fear stop you from doing. Planning an event can be hard. Especially if it is your first time doing it. Don't let those initial fears and hesitancies stop you from diving into the planning process. Be confident in your abilities to pull it off and lean on your team for support. Acknowledge your fears and keep executing. There's nothing stopping you.

Planning an event can be hard. Especially if it is your first time doing it. Don't let those initial fears and hesitancies stop you from diving into the planning process. Be confident in your abilities to pull it off and lean on your team for support. Acknowledge your fears and keep executing. There's nothing stopping you. Stop consuming and start planning. You can only read so many guides and party planning checklists like this one. The experts in the event space provide some great tips but don't spend the majority of the time reading what we have to say. Start planning now and revert back to consumption only when needed. You'll do more awesome stuff because of it.

How to plan your event

4-12 Months Before Event Date

3-4 Months Before Event Date

Ticketbud, we know that events come in all shapes and sizes so feel free to tweak this checklist to your specific needs. Look at this as an event planning template to help kickstart the process. Before we dive into it, below are a few motivational thoughts to establish the right mindset for you to jump right into the planning process.Determine the identity of your event and what you want to achieve by organizing it.Select a dateChoose a location/venue that is available on the date you've selectedDetermine expenses and projected revenueCreate an event budget based on above projectionsOrganize your team. Find the right people and assign roles and responsibilities.Establish a master agenda and timelineCreate and launch marketing planContact and determine speakers/entertainment/vendorsResearch and contact sponsors/partners

Sign contractual agreements Get bio information and professional photo (for speakers/entertainment) Arrange for travel/lodging Gameplan presentation topics and/or performances (introduce speakers if part of group discussion)

Meet with venue management to review permits, licenses, security, limitations etc. Gameplan on-site registration setup, parking, equipment, layout etc.

Determine your registration pricing and setup online event registration Determine sponsor tiers and create collateral to send to prospective sponsors/partners

Determine channels to allocate your marketing budget towards Create content to supplement your marketing channels (blog posts, ad copy, design assistance, radio/tv commercials,PR copy) Create invitations, programs, posters etc. Curate media list to reach out to and prepare media kit materials Setup social media accounts for event promotion Gather speaker/sponsor image assets to add to your website Integrate event registration into your website Push event to event listing websites Supplement marketing efforts through promotional discounts

1-2 Months Before Event Date

1 Week Before Event Date

Day before Event

Day of Event

Post Event

Send invitations to contact listFinalize sponsorship and partnersVerify status for all speakers and entertainmentConfirm participation from all vendorsCirculate press releases to all media list and affiliatesContinue marketing cycle and make any adjustments when neededConduct final site-walkthrough with venue and teamReview master agenda and finalize back-up planBrief team members/volunteers/contractors on responsiblities and timelinesProvide registration numbers to vendors/sponsors/partnersMake copies/data backups of all presentations, videos, materials etc.Confirm venue setup is completeConfirm registration tables are prepared and stockedConfirm all signage is setup properlyCheck in with team members to ensure that everyone is on the same pageCheck registration area and make sure those involved understand the check-in process Keep tabs on master agenda and make sure your attendees are having a great timeBreak down venue and clean upReview budget with updated revenue and expense #'s after collecting all financial dataSend acknowledgements to all of those who helped make your event a success

Include post-event data to ensure their participation for next time

Reflect with team on your event's successes and how you can make the planning process smoother

Leverage attendees by conducting post-event surveys and reaching out to see what you can improve on

Set initial date to kick off planning for your next event]]]]> ]]>