Event Planning

A robust event plan is an essential part of the event planning process. With a clear roadmap in place for you and your team, it acts as the North Star for every element of your event, from marketing strategy to venue selection. Discover our step-by-step guide to creating an effective event plan in 2024. 

Key takeaways

• When planning an event, make sure every decision revolves around your event’s purpose, goals, and target audience

• A good event plan should include key details on venue, budget, and marketing strategy

• Pay close attention to detail — and to event trends — to delight your guests

Event planning 101

Whether you’re planning an exciting pop-up store event for a new product or organizing a weekend music festival, planning your event is key to success. Put simply, event planning involves organizing all the key details (such as venue hire or guest performances) ahead of time so that, on the day, your event can run smoothly. 

The importance of event planning

Every successful event starts with a strong event plan. A plan of action — with clearly-defined goals and set milestones — helps event creators stay organized and deliver a successful event. 

A streamlined planning process is a surefire way to save time, money, and resources. For instance, setting a detailed budget can help to save on unnecessary expenses, while planning an agenda can help to highlight any scheduling oversights (such as large gaps in set times) that may otherwise have been missed. 

In other words, event planning is an excellent way for event creators to plan efficiently, eliminate potential issues, and create a delightful experience for attendees. 

Crafting a detailed event plan is also hugely important in creating a cohesive and ambitious team. A clear roadmap for event preparation, marketing, and on-the-day management can help each team stay organized with timelines and milestones — and setting out clear goals is a great way to keep everybody focused and motivated. 

Key components of event planning

There are several key components of effective event planning, from generating exciting marketing materials to setting clear ambitions for your event. Here are some key factors to consider when putting together your event plan: 

• Setting clear objectives: What will be the main goal of your event? What experience do you hope to offer attendees? What is your event’s USP?

• Deciding a budget: What will your budget be? How will you fund the event? What will your budget need to cover (for instance, venue hire, speaker fees, and staffing costs)?

• Selecting a venue: Where will your event take place? Does the venue have the capacity to meet the requirements of your event (such as accessibility, bar space, and attendee capacity)? 

• Creating a marketing strategy: How will you decide to promote your event? What channels — such as email, social media, and paid ads — will you use to reach your target audience? What messaging will be the most compelling for your audience?

• Assembling a team: How many people will you need to work on your event? Will you need to hire a marketing specialist, a PR professional, or an admin assistant?  

• Setting metrics for success: How will you measure the success of your event? What metrics (for example, ticket sales, press coverage, or donations received) will you use to do this?  

The role of an event planner

As an event creator, you’ll take the lead in planning your event from start to finish. This means you’ll oversee each stage of planning, both the big picture and the finer details, and you’ll have excellent event management skills. 

You’ll be an expert at:

• Creating an event plan with clear objectives, goals, and timelines

• Managing all the details involved in planning your event, from venue hire to co-ordinating with external organizers and stakeholders

• Making financial decisions on budget, costs, and ticket pricing

• Communicating effectively with your team — as well as vendors, suppliers, speakers, and performers — keeping everyone informed about the event 

• Overseeing the event’s execution, problem-solving and multi-tasking along the way

Step-by-step guide to planning an event

From deciding on your unique selling point to creating a marketing plan, these stages of event planning are your step-by-step guide to event success. 

Define your event's purpose, goals, and audience

This is the most important part of event planning and should be the first step in your planning process. A great event should be easy to summarise, whether that’s a one-line USP or a crystal-clear audience profile, and a great event plan should set out these details in one place. 

There are three key definitions you’ll need to include:

• Purpose: What do you want your audience to take away from your event? This might be an experience, an emotion, a discovery, or a skill.

• Goals: What do you hope to achieve with your event? This might be a certain number of attendees, press mentions, or funds raised.

• Target audience: Who do you hope will attend your event? This might be a demographic with a specific interest, job title, lifestyle, or age. 

Set a realistic budget

Now you know your event’s purpose, goals, and target audience, it’s time to put your ideas into action. The next step is to create a realistic budget to keep your event on track. To do this, estimate the costs of running your event, and then collect quotes for each item from different suppliers and venues. To ascertain your profits, set these costs against your ticket sales.

Depending on the type of your event, there are several costs you’ll need to factor into your budget, including (but not limited to):

• Venue hire 

• Catering costs

• Merchandise costs

• Speaker or performer fees

• Staffing costs

• Technology or equipment hire

• Marketing costs (printed materials and paid advertising) 

• Event management tools and software

Choose the ideal date and venue

When choosing an ideal date and venue for your event, it’s important to reflect on the first step — defining your purpose, goals, and target audience — and allow these definitions to shape your decisions. 

Date

When deciding on a date, make sure to consider factors such as the season and weather, as well as the dates of any local competing events. It’s also important to reflect on your target audience: young, city-dwelling professionals may be more likely to fill their calendars on a weekday evening, while busy parents may be more likely to opt for weekend events. Your final date should be one that caters to your target audience — and ensures they can get the most out of attending. 

Venue 

The right venue should do two key things: it should facilitate your event’s purpose and goals — and it should cater to your target audience. The best way to choose a venue is to work from the event itself, considering the type of space and facilities you need. When researching venues, make sure to contact their team with as much advance notice as possible to increase the chances of securing your ideal date. 

Develop a comprehensive marketing strategy

With everything in place to create your event, it’s time to craft an engaging event marketing strategy that resonates with your target audience identified in step one. A customer will engage with your brand an average of seven times before they’re likely to buy a ticket — so an effective event marketing strategy is all about raising awareness of your brand. 

When creating your marketing strategy, make sure to:

• Create consistent event branding: your event branding (including your logo, graphics, and tone of voice) should reflect your event’s purpose and goals — and should be consistent across all customer-facing content, from email communications to social media presence. 

• Find the right channels: it’s important to make sure you find the right social channels to reach your audience. Is your target demographic most likely to be found on TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook — or are they more likely to discover events via email? 

• Leverage other channels: consider other channels your audience may use to discover events and get creative with your marketing efforts. You might choose to write press releases or partner with other brands to increase your visibility. You could also reach out to influencers in your space: according to Hubspot, 1 in 4 marketers are using influencers in their promotion strategy — and it offers the second highest ROI of any marketing trend.

• Craft your marketing messaging: the key to successful marketing messaging is prioritizing what will most appeal to your audience — and communicating that message using your unique event branding.

Assemble your event team

Behind any successful event is a dream team — and assembling the right one is key to bringing your vision to life. Depending on the size and scale of your event, you may want to consider hiring several freelancers to build your event team: 

• Marketers: A good marketing professional will ensure your event reaches the right audience — on the right channels, at the right time.

• Creatives: Working closely with the marketers, creatives can craft compelling email messaging and create engaging TikTok videos to ensure your event excites your audience. 

• Admin assistants: From handling supplier communications to answering attendee queries, admin experts can help you keep your event planning organized. 

• Partners: A good event partner will play a key role in the creation and promotion of your event, whether by supplying sponsorship, branded merchandise, or marketing materials.

• Vendors: Whether they’re high-profile product brands or beloved local caterers, selecting vendors that align with your event purpose and goals — and appeal to your target audience — is a great way to add value to your attendees. 

• Sponsorship support: If you’re organizing an event with a fundraising component (or one with several sponsors), it may be useful to hire an assistant to liaise with different partners and manage fundraising efforts. 

• Speakers/performers: Guest speakers or performers are a great way to generate a buzz ahead of your event and entice your attendees to purchase tickets. 

• On-the-day staff: On the day of your event, it may be helpful to have team members available for customer queries, signposting, and crowd control. 

• Photographer/videographer: Photography and video are excellent ways to document your event's success for future promotional material. 

Whether you’re hiring a freelance videographer or a team of pro marketers, the right expertise will ensure your event comes to life. 

Establish and execute an event timeline 

An event timeline — or run sheet — functions like an agenda or schedule for your event, and is key to making sure everything runs smoothly. 

Your event program should be distributed to all team members ahead of time, so that everybody has a clear picture of what needs to happen, and when. If your event has a very busy schedule, you may also want to delegate specific tasks to certain team members and indicate these on your agenda. 

Conduct a post-event review

How well did your event go? After the event, it’s important to conduct a review as the final step of the process. The ways you might conduct your review will vary depending on the nature of your event, but might include: 

• Asking for feedback: Using attendee feedback can be a hugely valuable tool not only to measure the success of your event, but also for future planning. On your survey, include questions about what attendees enjoyed as well as what they would improve.

• Conduct a team review: Just as attendee feedback is a valuable insight into your event’s success, so too is an internal review. Make sure to gather feedback from your team, sponsors, and vendors. 

• Revisit success metrics: Whether your goal was to make a certain number of sales or hit a certain fundraising goal, revisit your initial intentions to see where you might be able to improve next time. 

• Assess budget: Take a look at where you invested the most time, money, and resources, and assess your ROI alongside your profit sources. Where did the majority of sales come from? Are you investing in those sources? Are there areas you could cut back on? 

Essential event planning tools and resources

From event ROI calculators to budgeting apps, there are a number of resources that should feature in every event planner’s toolkit. Take a look at our essential event planning tools and resources below. 

Event Management Software and Tools

The first step in streamlined planning is selecting your event management software carefully. Powerful event management software should help you to stay organized, keep track of each element of your event, coordinate with vendors, and manage your budget efficiently. Here are three factors to consider when selecting event management software:

Organization

From utilizing an event app to calendar tools, the most important thing to consider when choosing event management software is its organizational features. Make sure the tool you select will allow you to save time and resources, and streamline your processes — whether that’s keeping all of your social posts in one place or speeding up contract signatures online. 

Accessibility

Efficient event planning means making sure your team members have everything they need to do their jobs effectively — so choosing accessible, easy-to-use tools is vital. Is the tool easy to use and does it cater to all accessibility needs? Will you provide training for each team member? Is the tool compatible with multiple devices (such as laptops, tablets, and phones) to make planning easy on the go? 

Cost

Another factor to consider is the software’s cost-effectiveness. If you’re planning to share a tool or resources — such as an events calendar, or ticketing software — does the software have the capability to offer access to all team members, and at what price point? When researching tools and software, make sure to include these costs in your budget. 

Event planning templates and checklists

Other essential resources in planning your event? Templates and checklists. During the event planning process, templates are a great way to gather inspiration — whether that’s for email content or marketing ideas — while checklists at the end of the planning stage ensure you won’t miss anything out. Take a look at our essential templates and checklists for a seamless event below.

Templates

• Event Budget Template

• Social Media Ad Copy Templates

• Email Copy Templates

• Event Program Template

• Run of Show Template

• Event Report Template

Checklists

• Pre-Event Checklist

• Ultimate Event Planning Checklist

• Party Planning Checklist

• Virtual Event Checklist

• Conference Speaker Checklist

Tips for a successful event

With a strong plan in place, it’s time to think about the event itself. Discover our tips for running a smooth and successful event below, from incorporating trends to maintaining strong stakeholder relationships.  

Prioritize attention to detail

The best way to delight attendees? Thoughtful details. When planning your event, prioritize attention to detail by placing yourself in your guests’ shoes, focusing on three key things: expectation, ease, and delight. 

Take a look at our list of details to prioritize below. Make sure that: 

Expectations are met

• Is your event branding consistent at every customer touchpoint?

• Does your event offer attendees what was promised — whether that’s a specific performance, experience, or guest speaker?

• Does the schedule or agenda of your event match what was advertised?

Ease is prioritized

• Is your venue set up to accommodate the needs, comfort, and preferences of your attendees? 

• Do you offer guests an easy check-in experience?

• Are facilities like bathrooms and water stations, clearly signposted and accessible? 

Delight is a focus

• Is your event set up to offer guests a fun, positive, and memorable experience?

• Does your event include thoughtful details consistent with your event branding — whether that’s décor, bespoke refreshments, or carefully curated vendors?

Stay updated on event planning trends

Staying up to date on cutting-edge trends — from new attendee personas to emerging event formats — is vital as an event creator. Eventbrite’s Event Trends Report found several emerging trends:

• Attendees of all age groups planned to go to more events; most notably, 61% of Gen Y and 63% of Gen Z say they would attend more events in 2023

• People often preferred event tickets to material objects: when we proposed a gift of $100 cash, 54% of American respondents said they would choose to spend it on an experience rather than an object

• Events are a great way to bring people together through live experiences: nearly 55% of American respondents said that events sparked feelings of connection

Staying up to date on attendee preferences — both in the broader events landscape as well as in your own demographic — is a great way to keep your events engaging and relevant. Make sure to keep abreast of what competitors are doing in your specific niche, as well as those outside of it, for inspiration. 

The best way to successfully incorporate trends into your events is to assess their suitability for your target audience. For instance, incorporating TikTok trends into a virtual event may suit Gen Z attendees but not other demographics. 

So, before switching up your event to cater to new trends, make sure your changes will appeal to your target audience, as well as your event’s purpose and goals. If you’re unsure about introducing something new, a good rule of thumb is that trends should positively enhance the experience for your attendees. 

Communicate effectively with stakeholders

Whether you’re liaising with partners, sponsors, or external event teams, communication is key to maintaining good stakeholder relationships. 

• Set clear expectations: Whether you’re planning face-to-face meetings (according to one survey by Harvard Business Review, 95% of people said that face-to-face meetings are essential to building long-term business relationships) or weekly emails, make sure to set clear expectations around communication from the start. 

• Provide regular updates: Maintain good stakeholder relationships by keeping everyone up to speed on any event updates with regular status and progress meetings throughout the planning process. 

• Offer prompt responses: Respond to all inquiries, concerns, and feedback as promptly as possible. Timely responses are key to building trust and ensuring stakeholders are satisfied at every stage of event planning. 

Be adaptable and prepared for the unexpected

One of the most important qualities for any event creator to have is flexibility, and for good reason. No matter how robust your event plan is, it’s important to prepare for the unexpected, whether that’s a guest speaker canceling their appearance, or a last-minute technical glitch, so staying flexible and calm is vital. 

Thankfully, your event plan can help you to navigate these tricky situations. Make sure your plan includes a problem-solving toolkit — so you and your team have clear, actionable steps to take in the face of last-minute issues.

Make sure to include backup plans for technical issues, weather setbacks and performance roadblocks. Thinking about potential issues ahead of time is a good way to ensure you have a clear plan of action in place — so you can solve any problems as smoothly as possible.  

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the 7 stages of event planning?

Event planning success requires following the 7 steps: defining your objectives, choosing a location that aligns with those objectives, setting a date, creating a plan, issuing invitations, taking care of details on the day of the event, and evaluating after the event. These seven steps are key in ensuring your event runs smoothly. 

How do you start planning an event?

To start planning an event, begin by defining your goals and objectives, setting a budget, finding a venue and date, building an events team, creating event branding, planning your program, confirming sponsors and exhibitors, and selecting your tech tools. From here, you can then begin to put your event plan into action. 

What are some essential tools and resources for event planning?

Event planning requires robust event management software, collaboration, and communication tools, as well as event planning templates and checklists to ensure successful events. These tools might include shared events calendars, budgeting apps, marketing templates, and ticketing tools. 

How can I create a realistic budget for my event?

Create a realistic budget for your event by considering all of your costs, such as venue hire, catering, speaker fees, marketing materials, tech, and event staffing. From there, input estimated costs based on your ideal budget — and then make sure to get quotes for each item to confirm their actual cost. From here, you can calculate your event budget accurately.