This section of the site contains information about event planning and event management.
Good event planning is an aspect of event management that is critical for the success of any event. Planning can be broken down into four key areas:
- human resources - managing staff and volunteers
- critical path - developing a time-line for event preparation
- budgeting - planning for the revenue and expenses of the event
- marketing – making sure your event is a sell-out
- sponsorship - getting sponsors for your event
Each of these aspects of event planning and management is explained in a section on this page.
Human Resources - Organizing Staff and Volunteers
Events are usually labor-intensive. In order to be cost effective, fundraising events require the participation of numerous volunteers. Usually a staff person or contractor can be assigned the role of event manager, but other roles may be done by volunteers. The key to making sure the event runs smoothly is to assign everyone a specific job. Volunteers can be recruited to do specific jobs. The manager can work with these people to run through the event, making sure everyone knows how to do their job.
Listed below are some tips for organizing and managing volunteers for an event:
1. Develop an organizational chart
Start an organization chart by drawing boxes for the broad areas of responsibility, like ticket sales, food service, security and so on. Then fill in each area with the names of people assigned to those jobs. Each area of responsibility should have a point person or supervisor. The chart should show the reporting structure of each of those responsibility areas. Each volunteer should know the objectives of their area of responsibility and have a specific job description.
2. Develop job descriptions for each task
Recruit volunteers with a specific job description. The job description should not only include the tasks you want the volunteer to perform, but also the time that will be required, the duration of the job, the training that will be provided and any benefits they will receive.
3. Recruit the most suitable people for each job
There are a variety of recruitment strategies that can be used to find volunteers:
- Word of mouth – pass the word in the local community that you are looking for help, ask your staff, your board and even your donors to help you find volunteers,
- Advertising - post ads online on free services like Kijiji and Craig’s List, and use flyers pinned to bulletin boards in your workplace, churches, community centers and supermarkets,
- Contact the volunteer center in your community,
- Recruit through organized groups like seniors’ organizations, women’s clubs, corporate employee and professional associations.
Once you get some expressions of interest, interview candidates for volunteer roles in a similar way that you would interview potential employees.
4. Provide your volunteers with information and training
Send each of the volunteers selected an email confirming their job description and a copy of the plans for the event, including the organization chart. Hold an orientation meeting. If there is a time lag between recruitment and the date of the event, maintain contact with your volunteers. Use the organization chart to make sure information is being passed on to the right people. Use the time-line to make sure tasks are being done on schedule. As you get close to the event, do a dry run of the event to make sure everyone knows their role before and during the event.
Typical Volunteer Roles for an Event
Listed below are some of the volunteer roles needed to organize an event:
- Project manager or event coordinator
- Bar and beverage service coordinator
- Valets and parking lot attendants
- Set-up and clean-up
- Decorations committee
- Standby crew trained for a variety of jobs
- Entertainment committee
- Money managers
- Venue liaison
- Food service coordinator
- Marketing committee including graphic design, printing, tickets
- Media liaison and spokesperson
- Patrons/head table coordinator
- Applicants for licenses and permits
- Logistics coordinator to secure city permits, union clearance and insurance
- Security personnel
- Direction signs and assistance
- Sponsorship committee
- Swag bag supplier
- Special arrangements coordinator to look after access for the disabled, child care, etc.
- Technical manager to coordinate sound, lighting and visual display equipment
- Program committee to arrange for MC and speakers
- Ticket sellers
- Ushers/hosts/hostesses
Scheduling
Successful events usually take several months of planning and preparation. Many tasks must be done six months to a year ahead of time. Major conference organizers must book their hotel meeting rooms up to five years in advance. Some events can be organized quickly; however, excessive haste is often an invitation to disaster.
The length of time needed usually depends on the type of event you are hosting. No one schedule can cover all situations. Here are some tips on how you can develop your event’s calendar more accurately:
1. Set a date that gives you adequate time to prepare
Sometimes the date for an event is imposed by an anniversary, a holiday or the availability of a venue. If possible, try to work within the restrictions imposed. If you have a choice, make sure you have at least six months to prepare. Ideally, a year is needed to adequately plan for an event.
2. Design a critical path and time-line
Develop a critical path or a detailed schedule of when key event planning activities need to take place. Some of these key deadlines may be determined by others, such as the date when a deposit for the venue is due. Other deadlines may be based on your past experience or your knowledge of how long it takes to accomplish certain tasks. Always allow some extra time for unforeseen delays.
3. Involve other people in the planning process
Look at your organization chart and identify key people to involve in the planning process. Invite these people to a brainstorming session to develop the critical path. During the session, have teams of people identify of all the tasks required for their area of responsibility. Identify situations where one committee cannot begin their preparations until the work of another committee has been completed. Itemize all the tasks on a spreadsheet or Gaunt chart.
4. Estimate the time required to complete each task
Enter the estimated number of hours to complete each task that is on the spread sheet. Also note on the number of people required to do the job. Don’t underestimate the amount of time needed. To be on the safe side, you may want to increase your time estimates by at least 20%. Anticipate delays by allowing a few extra days between tasks. Note tasks that are dependent on weather and other variables.
5. Email everyone, staff and volunteers a copy of the critical path and keep them updated
After the critical path is developed, email everyone a copy and keep them updated with progress or changes. Make more detailed sub- time-lines for each area that requires attention. Usually a week by week time-line is best and as you get closer to the event, you may want to identify tasks that need to be done on a day by day basis. You may want to use online tools like Google docs and calendars or set up a wiki to share this information.
Establish deadlines for essential tasks. Mark these dates and make everyone aware that if these tasks are not done on time, you will cancel the event. Establish contingencies for less critical tasks. If A doesn’t happen, then we can’t do B, but instead, we’ll do something else. Anticipate problems and work out all the alternatives in advance.
6. Continually review your plan
The responsibility for reviewing and monitoring the plan can be assigned to one person or a committee that meets and reviews progress regularly. Both options depend on good communication from the people assigned to the tasks. Coordination is key because some tasks cannot be started until others are complete. As an example, invitations can't be printed until the venue is secured. Even if committees are assigned the work , every crucial task should have one person who feels personally responsible for completing it. Have "trouble-shooters" on standby to fill in if any task is not being completed by the people originally assigned to it.
7. Anticipate the work required after the event
Often the people who work on making event happen are worn out by the time the event is over. It is a good idea to have fresh volunteers ready for both the physical work and the administrative work required to wrap-up the event.
Some post-event tasks to plan for include:
- clean-up
- counting proceeds and making a deposit
- returning rented and borrowed equipment and supplies
- sending receipts for donations and thank-you letters
- sending thank-you letters to volunteers and supporters
- updating your database with new contacts and guests/donors
Some tasks can be prepared ahead of time. Communicating the success of the event is important to all volunteers and attendees. Doing this will help you insure that the next event is equaling successful. Also, have appropriate recognition ready for all the event volunteers.
Event Budgeting
There are a few different methods used for fundraising events to try to insure that the event will make money for the organization producing the event. The first step is to calculate a detailed cost estimate for the event. Itemize all of the expenses that will be needed for the event. A good starting point is to anticipate that everything will be purchased. If you plan on breaking even with a budget with everything purchased, then each donated item will provide a profit for the event. In order to establish a ticket price, you may want to divide the cost of the event by the number of attendees. That will give you a break-even price. You may then double the break-even price and establish a ticket price that will give you a 50 cent on the dollar return, assuming all tickets are sold. Another method is to keep the ticket price at the break even point and seek sponsors who will provide the added income for the event. Adding extras to an event such as silent auctions, live auctions, door prizes and other money makers will increase the return for the event. Whether you choose to have a higher ticket price for an all inclusive event or a lower ticket price with added fundraisers during the event depends on knowing your audience and you sponsors.
