Tuesday's Tip: My Exhaustive Event Planning Checklist

When you are planning any event (for fundraising or otherwise), it’s so important to have a generic checklist to go through during your planning so that you don’t miss something obvious. Most checklists you find online are geared for wedding or other non-professional events. So, I created my own.
​
Here’s the list of things you should think about when event planning. If you have small events inside a larger series of event (like a convention) you will want to go through this checklist for all of the smaller events and the event as a whole.

• Who is the program planning lead for this event?
• What will be calling this event?
• What other staff or departments are involved?
• Where will the event be?
• Have you secured space?
• What date and time will the event take place?
• Who or what groups will be invited? What is your target audience?
• Does this event require a fee to attend? By invitation only? Open to the public?
• If the event is not in your city, who will be representing your institution? Who will make travel arrangements for staff? When do different parties need to arrive?
• If your event is not in your city, when do you need to ship your supplies in advance of the event to get them there on time? Who will hold the supplies for you?
• When do the save-the-dates need to go out? Email only or email and mail?
• When do the invitations need to go out? Email only or email and mail?
• Who will design the save-the-dates and invitations? Who will stuff the envelopes and send? How much lead time do you need for those processes to take place?
• Will you advertise this event? What channels will you use? Write a promotional plan for this purpose.
• Who will handle RSVPs? How will the RSVPs be received? Web form/Email only or web form/email and mail?
• Do you need to send an email reminder the day before or day of the event?
• Is there a need for catering? Will there be a bar? Cash, tickets or open bar?
• Do we need to make arrangements for vegetarians/vegans/food allergies? How will that be handled?
• How do you want your room to be laid out? What are your technology needs?
• Who will document the event? Do you need a photographer or videographer or both?
• What kind of decorations do you want? Who will handle this?
• What accessibility issues do we have for this event? Do we need a sign language interpreter and are there any accommodations we need to make for handicap access?
• Does the venue provide adequate signage? Should we have our own produced so that attendees can find out event easily?
• Do we need background music, a DJ or a band? What kind of music will be played?
• How much parking is needed? How close is the available parking to the venue? Do we need to shuttle attendees back and forth?
• Will we need a registration table? Who will work that table? What information will they collect? What information will they distribute? Do we need nametags?
• What is the timeline of the event and the flow of the program? Who will speak, when and for what purpose?
• What collateral material needs to be on hand at the event? Where will it be placed? Will any of the speaker reference this material?
• Who will handle event clean-up? What staff are expected to stay and clean-up?
• Who will handle thanking attendees and marking attendance in the database?
• Will there be any follow up from the event? Asking for a gift? Inviting attendees to become further engaged with institution in some way?

Subscribe