Participants in the annual Elevate Conference joined in the conversation with coaching and event consulting available during this two-day hybrid event designed to help nonprofits uplevel their fundraising events. Courtesy of Samantha Swaim

Planning an event of any kind can be an overwhelming, intense and ultimately a satisfying undertaking. Staging functions that offer valuable content and opportunities for meaningful connections are two of the most rewarding aspects of the job.

There are several steps — both large and small — necessary to take an event from conception through conclusion. It’s the event planner’s job to oversee the execution of them all. Doing it all flawlessly can be daunting, especially when planning that first big event. It’s easy to get mired down in the long list of details. Another way for new planners to approach executing an event successfully and staying focused is to go in the opposite direction. Start by going broader and getting clear on the big picture.

Create a Blueprint

“The first thing you want to do is set a goal — what are you trying to achieve with the event?” says Erin Scholes, CMP, CSEP, CMM, DES, founder and CEO of SD Meetings and Events in San Diego, CA.

“Are you looking to educate, celebrate or motivate? Determine the actual purpose of the meeting or gathering before you determine a date, time, location or budget.” Scholes also suggests identifying your key stakeholders. “No event is planned by one person or entity. Identify the stakeholders and ancillary people you bring in for an event. You want to have partnerships where you can have honesty and trust — if you trust them and they trust you, it will go much smoother,” she says. Think like-minded organizations who may be open to sponsorships, trusted vendors, and other entities who can leverage their strengths and resources to bring an event to life.

Samantha Swaim, fundraising event consultant at Swaim Strategies in Portland, OR, says it’s important to ask some key questions: “Who are the guests? What is our purpose? Why does gathering a community together have impact? What will we achieve by gathering these people together?”

“For instance, a corporation may want to sell a product. A nonprofit might want people to feel deeply connected to their mission, and the impact is the direct mission. Be thematic. Focus on the stories, the people and their experiences,” says Swaim.

The next step is developing a roadmap and benchmarks to measure success. Setting a clear goal also means setting a clear way of measuring success unique to the client and event. Whatever your benchmark, develop a system to track the event’s effectiveness.

“If your goal is to increase engagement, how will you measure that? Are you measuring how many ‘likes’ you get on Facebook, or how many follow up appointments you schedule with your stakeholders?” asks Aurice Guyton, owner and lead planner for Aurice Guyton Events in San Francisco, CA. She stresses being clear on the client’s intention to make tracking the results that much easier. For instance, if the event ties in with a new product launch, have samples available. Set up well-lit stations around the space and invite attendees to interact with the product — give them the sensory experience of looking, hearing, tasting or touching it, and the chance to pick it up and/or try out its various elements.

All About Location

With the budget, goals and benchmarking set, start looking for a venue. This is key for a great attendee experience. Set timelines and stick to them. “Venue and date booking is very competitive,” Swaim says. “In the event world, a lot of vendors who were doing catering or production really thinned out and many haven’t come back. It’s important to make some decisions about venues, food and AV, as they are key elements you want to book early because they’re competitive and thinner on the resource side.”

Large events like conferences, trade shows or annual meetings are typically scheduled one year in advance; galas, fundraisers and dinners, about six months out. “Conferences have a lot of moving pieces,” Guyton says. “Printing, signage, time to schedule speakers, figuring out what type of sessions, how many days … there can be a lot of back and forth, so leave enough time for that.”

Event timelines are built “a little from the front and a little from the back,” says Scholes. “Look at key deliverables and milestones, and the timeline is built from that. Think about building a house. “Start with the foundation and a blueprint of what you want to have at the end. Then there are the other elements — walls, roof, exterior, paint and the final touches you see.”

Clear communication at every step is critical. “You have to talk to the company and make sure you’re on the same page with executing their vision. I heard from a client another planner went off and did what they wanted to do. Even if a client’s vision doesn’t make sense to you, at the end of the day, it’s their event,” Guyton says.

Review all elements of the event and go over each budget line item. Sometimes, companies have unrealistic expectations about pricing. “Be clear when you order and confirm with your client you have exactly what they want,” Guyton says. “Make sure everything is approved. Go over the budget because clients don’t always know what things will cost. Make sure you are communicating every step of the way so there are no surprises when the bill comes.”

Keeping Track of it All

“Organization” is a two-fold concept when planning an event. There is the organization — the company holding the event — and the actual organization, keeping track of it all. Both are critical.

“The organization perspective starts when a revenue and expense path is set, and developing a theme and story. Once we have those two elements identified, the rest of the pieces are easier,” says Swaim. “The food aligns. Every decision starts to coalesce around the bigger picture.”

Then there is getting organized — the meticulous tracking of each and every detail included in the event. “One hundred percent of event planning is organization,” says Guyton. “There are so many details, and if you drop the ball on one little thing, it’s like dominoes falling.”

Event planners truly have to think of everything. For instance, the electric capabilities in the venue you’re using. You not only have to know where the outlets are and how much electricity you’ll need, but if the venue’s power grid can support the amount of power you’ll be using.

“If you have a lot to plug in, or your program is very AV heavy, you may need to bring in a good AV team that can handle it. So, if you’re bringing in a lot of lighting, tech equipment, screens, you may need another power source. If you don’t look into that, or have a vendor who can read a power grid, you’re going to have a lot of issues,” Guyton says. Review everything on your client’s behalf. Even one small thing that might seem insignificant could mean the difference between a good event and a great one.

When working in a “new-to-you” venue, or if staging your first event, reach out to the venue’s staff or other planners who have used the space and ask for their candid insight. “Ask them what you need to be aware of,” Guyton says. “Asking other planners who have done events in that space helps you determine what can go wrong so you can take some preventive measures. Gather resources for details to assist your own planning.”

Using whatever method works best for you, track those resources and every element of the event. “You should put a system in place to execute the event properly,” Guyton says. “To organize the event, you want to make sure you have a system to keep track of the tasks.” Guyton uses Google Docs, which she divides into various tabs. “One is a task list, another is rentals, another has vendor information. Google Suite is great because you can share it.”

Setting the Agenda

While working on the event program, one lesson Swaim has learned over the years is to not schedule every minute of each day. Instead, give attendees some breaks to recharge and network informally.

“Something that’s really important now is that social connection time. Some people over-program their events. Those with more social time have gone much better,” she says. Plan shorter, more impactful breakout sessions and presenters. “Our attention spans are less. Have great content delivered in a shorter time. Sitting in a room and listening to someone speak for hours doesn’t work anymore.” Schedule speakers for no more than 60 minutes, and of course, include plenty of breaks between sessions.

The Final Countdown

There can never be enough notes, according to Alana Andersen, head of private events at Soho House in Miami, FL. She says, “There’s never a too-detailed run-of-show. Some people do things right down to the minute, and really, there can never be enough details. It’s helpful for your team to follow this. The more time you have to set up, the less stressed you’ll be.”

Tracking and staying organized is important, but as Swaim says, “Event planning often goes into the land of spreadsheets and checklists and away from what we want to achieve. Make those lists have meaning.” Stay focused on the big picture and the goal of the event — make the checklists part of the roadmap to reaching that goal.

When plans have been finalized, tracking systems are in place and the pieces come together — marketing, registration and little details — it’s time to focus on the days leading up to the event and then the day itself. Stay in touch with the kitchen staff to ensure they have an accurate meal count and can accommodate any dietary needs.

“For any event that requires food and beverage, you want to have all selections to the kitchen about 10 days in advance,” says Andersen. “The kitchen doesn’t always have everything readily available, so this will give them enough time to order what they need. Make sure you have enough staff — again, the 10-day mark is usually good for that, too. Some places schedule their bartenders and servers one week out, so it depends on the venue.”

As the event draws closer, give yourself enough time for load-in and set up. Larger events require more load-in time, so communicate with equipment vendors, the venue and client about how much time is needed. Many planners prefer to be on-site when possible to ensure the load-in goes smoothly. Walk through the space, make sure it is properly cleaned and set up according to the banquet event order [BEO].

“The layout setup is the first order of business,” Andersen says. “Have someone who can make things happen for you. Identify the players, such as the maintenance team, in case there is an issue. Give one last run of the BEO; give your staff the rundown of how the day will go.” Be sure everyone is clear on their roles and answer any lingering questions from the event staff.

Load-out and Close Out

So much work goes into planning and executing the event, the post-event tasks are often moved further down the priority list. Don’t let this happen. This is the time to determine the event’s impact and whether or not those benchmarks were met.

“That’s another part of the timeline — what happens after the event?” says Scholes. “Yes, you pack up the boxes, etc. But you should have time to review the attendee surveys, reconcile the financials and gauge what the attendees gained from it. If you’re in the incentive business, did the event provide continuous high-gain results?”

Reviewing the event to discuss its strengths and weaknesses — whether internally with the event team or in conjunction with the client — is also a standard practice. It also helps to prepare attendees ahead of time, Swaim says.

“Having a lot of ‘setting the stage’ in advance is helpful, such as helping attendees understand what the event is, how to dress, where to park — the more information they have in advance so they know how to participate, the participation will go up,” Swaim says.

Never underestimate the importance of a meaningful, well-run event and the difference it can make to the client and the attendees. “What we do drives business,” Scholes says. “No one saw it like we did during COVID. We see the value in not only a business’ bottom line, but employee motivation and overall happiness. We’re happy when we gather. It’s a big business [meeting and event planning] and a leading industry to make the world go ‘round.”

Planning that first event can be daunting, but with enough preparation, clear expectations on all sides and a roadmap to meet those expectations, it can be a rousing success. C&IT