Whether you are just starting out in the event planning business or are an experienced event planner, you are probably familiar with an event planning checklist, or have at least heard it mentioned during an event planning course or an industry meeting. There is a reason for that. An event planning checklist is a planner's best friend, an invaluable tool for successfully managing your events.
Note: an event planning checklist is also known as a work schedule or a critical path.
Event planning is all about planning. Even the most creative event idea will fail if it is not well planned and executed. This is where an event checklist comes in. It is your guide to staying organized and within the planned deadlines while juggling the many varied responsibilities and details of planning a successful event. And it is particularly useful when managing multiple events. Forgetting a small task or falling behind on a deadline can result in a domino effect: other seemingly unrelated aspects of your event can start to fall apart, one by one.
So don't rely on your memory, sticky notes or scribbles on your notepad to keep your event planning business running smoothly. Learn how to put together an effective event planning checklist, and it will soon become your new best friend.
1) Before You Start
To begin, clear some time in your schedule to focus on the event you are planning. Then clear your mind. Seriously. Don't look at your phone or answer an email. You need to visualize this event from start to finish without interruption or distraction so you can effectively plan all the tasks that need to be completed.
2) Get Ready
Think about the event you are planning and write down all the details that are confirmed: client name and contact information, event date, location, number of attendees, etc. Take out a calendar and mark the event date in bold letters. Gather any other relevant materials (photos of the venue, list of vendors to contact) that are part of this event.
3) Work Backwards
The way to start writing an event planning checklist is to work backwards.
Guests experience an event as a one- or multi-day gathering with everything happening at once. Like a live performance that shows up on stage and runs beautifully. Event planners see events as a series of smaller events that fit together like pieces of a puzzle to culminate in the final event. So, as planners, we start from the beginning. Which is several weeks or months before an actual event takes place.
4) Start at the Beginning
When deciding where to start writing your event planning checklist, think about laying a solid foundation for your event. Before selecting color schemes and ordering flowers, you must address the basics. From signing contracts to negotiating a room block, everything should be written on your checklist, no matter how big or small. The key is to take care first of any task that can be completed in advance, to leave more time in your schedule for those to-do items that occur closer to the event date.
Some examples of items to include on your event planner checklist:
- Sign contracts (with the client, the venue, vendors, etc.).
- Confirm date and time with the venue
- Book entertainment (band, speaker, etc.)
- Secure hotel block
- Mail invitations
- Select the menu
- Hire waitstaff
- Confirm the number of guests
- Site walkthrough
- Confirm the room setup
5) Allow Extra Time
With every item on your event checklist, add extra time. If the date to send the invitations is March 15, include an item on your list to have the invitations ready to send on March 8, a week earlier. That gives you some extra time in case something goes wrong with the invitations or if you are behind for another reason.
6) Include Reminders on Your Checklist
It is not enough to write "sign contract with vendor" on your checklist and then tick the box when it is done. You will need to make sure the vendor has received a copy of the contract and has also returned a signed copy to you. So, for each big item you add to your checklist, include a reminder. For example, "Follow up with catering service re: contract". Add another later reminder that says "Signed contract received from vendor". It is not unusual to tackle a task and consider it done when it has really only been completed on your side.