You know better than anyone: managing events is stressful. With so many moving parts, it might seem tough (or even impossible) to prepare for an event that’s a year away.
Luckily, there are tricks to make your preparation effective (and achievable) as the event gets closer. Here are 5 ways you can prepare for your event — a year early:
1. Create your event marketing timeline
The best event marketing strategies follow a timeline and logical sequence, with each promotion reinforcing the last. While every event is different, there are some common tactics that can help guide you as you create your event marketing calendar.
Start by breaking down your efforts by milestone: pre-event, ticketing launch, day-to-day, and last call. Then choose your channels, including email, social media, SEO, blog articles, partners, press releases, and influencers.
Once that’s established, you can map out your schedule. Even if ticketing isn’t launched a year before your event, that doesn’t mean it’s too early to start brand marketing.
Looking for a strategic breakdown? Check out our Essential Guide to Event Marketing.
2. Nail down your venue
The location of your event can be a huge source of stress until you’ve booked the perfect spot. Whether you’re looking for a traditional venue or an unconventional space, it’s important to get this big-ticket item crossed off your to-do list early because venue logistics take time.
You want a venue that’s safe, trustworthy, easy to deal with, and ADA compliant. Venues that provide things like seating, catering, and lighting can help take the burden off your own to-do list. But what about Wi-Fi? Onsite IT? The more onsite perks, the less you have to plan.
Remember that large venues tend to book out a year in advance, so you need to lock that in as soon as possible. Plus, with a contract signed a year in advance, you have a better chance of nailing down special rates and packages.
3. Designate roles and responsibilities
Knowing who on your team will be responsible for what months in advance is vital as everything comes together in the planning stage. If you’re not sure where to start, you can refer to a past event that’s similar to your upcoming one to divide the roles and responsibilities.
Note: Make sure you’ve designated a point person for even the seemingly small things, like updating sponsors on attendance. What might seem like a small task now can become a huge problem if you don’t have a coverage plan when everyone’s bandwidth is maxed out.
4. Create your communication plan
Similar to your event marketing timeline, you need a game plan for your proactive event communication. Your best bet is to create a content calendar. Visually map out how and what you want to communicate, and when you’ll do so.
Regardless of your event date, you can easily create this timeline a year ahead. You’ll be thankful that the heavy lifting is already done for you — all you have to do is fill in the dates and execute.
5. Select date(s) for the following year
When attendees leave your event, they should be hyped for the next year. Build on that excitement by announcing dates for the following year. Giving them a chance to buy early bird tickets a year ahead gives them incentive to secure their tickets right away — and saves you the headache of worrying about a slow onsale closer to your event.
A few tips for selecting your date: most annual events take place at the same time every year, so first decide whether you want to pick the same time of year or a new one altogether.
Second, check event calendars for possible competing events around your date of choice. Also take note of any religious holidays, cultural events like the Superbowl, and school schedules. Then, it’s time to talk to your venue about availability!
Once you’ve gotten your timeline set, it’s time to start promoting. Check out this guide for The 10 Best Ways to Sell Out Your Event.
