The 7 Stages of Planning an Event
When we work with new clients, especially those who are creating a new concept or event - they ask us a simple question…. What are the stages or steps in planning this event? The question is simple, but the answer is not. Below are the 7 stages of planning, in our humble opinion. Each event is unique, so some stages may not be applicable to you - or, you may need to do them in a different order (or simultaneously). Always evaluate your specific situation and adjust, as needed.
7 stages of planning an event
Pinpoint Your Objectives. This is the very early stages of deciding you want to host an event. You should pinpoint your objectives, including identifying who your target audience will be, what you hope to achieve from/for this event, how you will measure your success, and your lead time for executing. You’ll also want to identify your initial budget estimate in this phase. This is the hardest phase, in our opinion. There is a lot of unknown that needs to be fleshed out in this phase.
Pick a Location (and Date). It’s as simple as it sounds. Once you’ve outlined your objectives, you’ll need to pick a date and a location. Your budget will help set the tone here, but so will your objectives. And, you can’t move on to phase 3-7 until you have a date and location.
Plan! Let’s get busy! This is where things really take off. In this phase you’ll plan the entire event. From vendors to invitations, registration to audio visuals, guest speakers, aesthetic, swag, accommodations, food & beverage, and SO much more! This is the longest and biggest phase of producing an event. Invest good time in this phase - what you do now can make or break your event on show day.
Pre-Production Work. This is the final phase before the “big day”. Here you will advance all of your vendors, send event comms to attendees and all stakeholders, final prep for speaker slides and Run-of-show, review everything. And then review it again. You’ll finalize all event assets in this phase - timelines, floor plans, site maps, rehearsal schedule, parking plans, and more.
Prep & Set up. It’s almost show time! In this phase you are on site for load in, set up, rehearsals, and more. This is where the pieces start to come together, and where you’ll make final tweaks before guests arrive.
Party on! Doors are open! All your hard work will come together and you’ll get to see the magic happen! This phase is a lot of troubleshooting and putting out fires. Pat yourself on the back, you’ve pulled off a successful event!
Post-Mortem. We always suggest having a debrief after any event - whether you plan to do it again or it was a one-time event. This is where everyone can provide feedback on all aspects of the event. You can problem-solve for future events, or take notes for personal reference.
Of course, there are so many steps within each step above. Lots of moving parts and pieces to ensure a successful event. But, this should give you a good outline. What do you think? Are there additional phases you would include in your list?
Need help with any phase of your planning? Click the button below to schedule a discovery call so we can chat about your event, needs, and plan of action.