Summer Event Planning 101

It’s March and if finally feels like maybe, just maybe, the end of winter is in sight. We’re certainly hopeful, so this month we’re saying goodbye to the winter blues and focussing on the fast-approaching, event-packed spring and summer months! Whether you live in Vancouver or elsewhere, the summer months are often full of events to look forward to. If you’re just attending events this summer then you can consider yourself lucky, sit back and relax. But for anyone involved in the world of event planning, you know exactly how much work leads up to a well executed event. Be it a marathon, concert, farmers market, music festival or sporting event, there’s a lot to consider! We’ve put together a pre-event checklist of things to consider 4-5 months before your event happens. Take a look:

• The Basics: You should have your event goals, objectives, target audience and theme fully outlined at least 4 or 5 months out.
  
  
• The Logistics: At this stage you should have your date set, venue booked, food and beverage decided upon and budget set. Don’t forget about security personnel, too! Does your venue have on site security? If not, it’s time to book you event security team. Once these items are checked off move on to some of the finer logistical details!
  
  
• The Costs: Do you have a full cost estimate complete with acquired quotes? If not, it’s time to reach out to any vendors or participating parties in order to create your overall budget breakdown and allocation.
  
  
• The Brand: At this stage you should have a brand developed for your event and should be working to complete any web and social media assets, physical materials or other branded materials. If you haven’t already, plan a brand reveal! Whether in real life, online or both, create a plan to publicize your event and your brand - but make sure it happens soon! It’s time to start creating hype.
  
  
• The Talent: Who will be speaking, performing, presenting or entertaining? This should be decided, confirmed and agreed upon! Start gathering information such as bios, photos, social media handles and contact information so that you can begin promoting your lineup - and so that your lineup can begin to promote you too!
  
  
• The Guests: Create a comprehensive sales plan. Start by identifying your audience and target market, and go from there. Do you have an advertising budget? How and where will you best reach your potential attendees? How are you selling or distributing tickets - is your software up to date and ready to support your projected sales volume? How much revenue are you hoping for, and what’s your venue capacity?
  
  
• The Legalities: What permits do you need? Does your venue require additional insurance? Do you need a licence to serve or sell alcohol? Have your partners, vendors or entertainers signed contracts? Permits, contracts and negotiations can take time to finalize, don’t leave this to the last minute!

Don’t leave your planning too late, because the closer you get to your event date, the longer your to-do list will get! Start checking these things off your list now, so that you can focus on the finer details as your event approaches. Events are fun and exciting, but if you want your event to be the best possible, then get ahead of the stress and stay on top of your checklists! And of course, if you’re in need of event security, we’re always here to help.