March 19, 2021 | by Mary Windham | This post may contain affiliate links
Welcome to the Event Planning Series! This series details how to go from initial client contact to fully-realized event management, growing your business as I did from a one-woman show to a 7-figure revenue events enterprise.
You’ve found the article covering the Phase 3: Planning. Did you miss the first and second phases? Learn about the Research Phase here and the Design Phase here.
All caught up? On to the next phase!
Phase 3: Planning
In this phase, I explain my team's process in coordinating the necessary logistics to bring the event design and our client's vision to life.
This phase kicks off when the client signs the contract. Once we have an agreement, the planning can start. Our operations department, which includes our event management team, is responsible for the logistical planning of the event. We use the following steps to ensure a smooth, consistent, and stress-free planning process:
Step 1: Conduct an Internal Team Kick-off Meeting
During our kick-off meeting, we cover the following so the whole team is clear on the various event goals, tasks, and roles:
Project Scope Review - This review includes the Needs Assessment, SWOT Analysis, Feasibility Study, Project Budget, Project Requirements, and Scope of Work.
Organizational Chart Development - This chart details the project team and staff assignments for the duration of the project.
Workflow Process - This chart details the team's workflow process, quality assurance methods, and milestones for task execution and approvals.
Step 2: Set up a SharePoint Collaborative Team Site
The team creates a SharePoint (Microsoft Teams) collaborative workspace to facilitate document sharing, task management, and communication. My company uses Microsoft 365 thanks to its modern, cloud-based, and functional layouts. Through this simple platform, my team can share files, ask questions, check off completed tasks, and effectively collaborate. The Microsoft 365 platform includes...
Document Library
Project Task List
Project Contact List
Shared Team Email Inbox
OneNote
Video/Chat Communication Options
Whether you use Microsoft or another platform, decide on one avenue for your team to coordinate and communicate. Keeping operations streamlined and easily accessible for everyone is going to be crucial for your team to work together effectively.
Step 3: Hold an Initial Client Meeting
Once we have our internal plan identified, we hold a kickoff meeting with the client to review service expectations, quality assurance methods, project timelines, and deliverables. In this meeting, it’s very important to be clear about your services and timelines, and make absolutely sure you and the client are on the same page. The client should be kept apprised of every step of the project and have input when changes need to be made. Any confusion or misunderstanding at this point could lead to big problems later!
Step 4: Planning Tools
Here’s where we tap into our resource library. Over the many years, I’ve been event planning, my team and I have developed a strong and varied collection of invaluable resources like document templates, vendor relationships, software subscriptions, and more.
The team will take this time to identify the tools, vendors, or forms needed to conduct this event and start pulling them together. For example, vendor contracts and registration forms are often pivotal elements of any event!
Step 5: Prepare for On-site Execution
The next Event Planning Series Phase is the day-of Event Coordination. Of course, any good event planner must be 100% ready for this big day (or days!) and any issues that may arise.
To prepare, I hold briefing sessions for our team and volunteers to review important run-of-show details. These details are compiled by our event planners into a Program Specifications Document. This “event bible” lays out all on-site logistics, contact information, and schedule.
Once the planning is complete and the big day has arrived, we move into the next phase of the Event Planning Series: Coordination.
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