Event Planning Checklist

While this is not the definitive, end-all-be-all checklist, it may prove helpful as you plan your function. Implementing your plan will insure a successful event.

A Little Planning Goes a Long Way
In an ideal world, begin planning your event at least six months in advance. If you don't have the luxury of time, adjust your expectations for the event outcomes.

• Determine what you want to achieve with the event, e.g., thanking your stakeholders, publicizing your opening, meeting neighboring business people, giving back to the community, etc. (This will make a difference in who you invite, your event theme, your event format, and whether you want an extravagant or an intimate affair.)
• Appoint an event manager to sweat the details. (It will be this person's job to harass you mercilessly for final decisions, budget approvals, etc., so don't hold it against him. This job can be much more difficult and time consuming than it sounds. If you don't have someone on staff with time available, consider hiring an event planning consultant.)
• Begin working on your event theme and program format.
• Check the availability of any VIPs you want to participate in your program or attend your event as special guests, and check potential dates and times for conflicts.
• Finalize date and time and confirm VIPs. (Since we're talking about Business After Hours, ribbon cuttings and grand opening, your venue will most likely be your place of business. If you adapt this checklist for other types of events, e.g., anniversary celebrations, holiday parties, etc., determine your venue along with your date and time. But we really don't recommend adapting this checklist for other types of events, because those are whole different ball games.)
• Compile your guest list. (Your list can include neighboring businesses, existing customers and vendors, prospective clients, staff, news media, and friends and family.)
• Develop your budget. (Start by getting cost estimates for anything you can't or don't want to handle by yourself - catering, florals, decorations, entertainment, photography, invitations and collateral, audio/visual equipment, door prizes or gifts for attendees, tables, chairs, tents if you need to use outdoor space, etc.)

Roll Up Your Sleeves
Again in an ideal world, this phase should begin absolutely no later than three months in advance of your event.

• Prepare the invitation. (You can have lots of fun with the invitation by having it correspond with your event theme.)
• Sign contracts with vendors providing goods and services for your event (catering, photography, party supply, etc.).
• If you're sending printed invitations, give the printer plenty of time to produce them. And if you're having a mail house help with the distribution, they may need up to five business days to process the mailing.
• Send invitations out one to two months in advance. (Request RSVPs, but don't expect your RSVP head count to correspond perfectly with actual attendance.)
• Finalize your program and create an event-day timeline, from set-up to clean-up.
• Follow up with VIPs and make sure they know their role in the program. If you're bringing in out-of-town VIPs and corporate bigwigs, confirm travel plans and accommodations.
• Assign/delegate event-day tasks to staff, e.g., greeting guests, handling media, working with vendors, set-up crew, clean-up crew, etc.

Down to the Wire
Beginning approximately one week before event ...

• Confirm head count with caterer approximately one week in advance of event. Some caters will allow a 48-hour guaranteed head count.
• Make follow-up calls to all your vendors.
• Make follow-up calls to any news media you've invited.
• Conduct a walk-through with staff and other key personnel.
• Get checks ready for vendors who expect payment the day of the event.
• If at all possible, get a good night's sleep before the event day.

The Big Day

• If you're not the event manager, stay out of the event manager's way and be where he tells you to be when ... not, before ... he tells you to be there. And whatever you do, don't second-guess decisions that were made weeks or months ago ... unless you have a really sadistic sense of humor and want to watch your event manager's head explode.
• If you are the event manager, arrive really early and check your list twice. Have you been naughty or nice?
• Pay your vendors in a timely manner. They might be customers someday.

Somewhere in the Midst of All That Other Stuff

• Develop a contingency plan ... or five. What if it rains? What if 50 people who didn't RSVP show up ready to party? What if the guest of honor has a freak accident? What if your place of business has a freak accident? What if ...? And so and so forth.
• Keep in touch with your vendors as plans change or contingency plans are activated.
• Make sure your staff and VIPs know how to reach you on the day of the event when you're running around taking care of last-minute details.
• Take a deep breath and relax. It's supposed to be fun!