PLANNING

PLANNING & LOGISTICS

After vision is determined, create

committees assign roles and responsibilities
and tasks.
Decide what tasks to outsource-consultants,
vendors, suppliers
Be clear about who is doing what and who
has the last say.

TASKS /COMMITTEES

Goals and objectives

Dates, times, themes
Budget
Site selection
Speaker
Security, registration
Food and beverage-menu
Entertainment
Publicity and promotion

TASKS/COMMITTEES

Program
Decoration & environmental standards
Gifts, awards, certification
Protocol
Gadgets, Contracts
On-site logistics
Evaluation and final report etc

CATEGORIES FOR THE ABOVE

TASKS

Operational This team has overall

responsibility of operations of the event,
including management of all team members.

Financial-This team determines sources of

revenue, creates budgets, and financial
timelines and designs the accounting
systems.

CATEGORIES (CONTD

Marketing This team knows the audience,

promotional techniques, how to reach
participants, how to design and implement
the process, and understand the latest
technology strategies

Legal- This team is clear on contracts,

insurance, taxes and is skilled at
negotiations.

Create timelines and checklists. All events

are a process. No event is too small for an
official planning session

THINGS TO BEAR IN MIND

Planning sessions should include all the

significant players eg. staff, consultants,
bursar/accounts dept. vendors, etc.
If these cant attend make sure they get the
notes and summary reports.
Establish key decision makers, core planners,
internal resources and decide whether
outside help is needed.
Decisions will be created, refined, confirmed
& even transformed with time.

LIST CONTD

After each meeting write a summary of the

decisions and distribute it to the appropriate
people.
If the event is one that is repeated, look at
final reports from past events including the
participants evaluations, summaries and
notes with improvement strategies

FIRST PLANNING SESSION

Answer these questions and add to the

specifications as needed.
Who should attend?
Who will run the meetings?
How many meetings are needed?
How long for each meeting?
Who will create the agenda?
What goals and objectives will be discussed
& determined?

Who, What, When, Where and Why logistics?

Who gets the summary reports and notes?
Where will the meeting be held?
What to do first? Think the big picture. What
goals do you want to achieve? Why have the
event. The answer is in your goals.
Take the above questions to the meeting to
get the creative juices flowing.

ASSIGNING ROLES &

RESPONSIBILITIES

Here are questions, suggestions and issues

that need to be discussed:
Who is the head coordinator?
Determine decision making chain of
command
How many committees are needed?
Who is in charge of each committee?
How often should they meet?

Divide areas of responsibility: program

comttee, logistics, budgeting, promotions.
Create checklists with appropriate details.
Create schedules with achievable dates.
After a comtees job is complete, place the
members on another committee.
Assign specific tasks to those responsible.
When setting up committees try to match
skills and talents with responsibilities.

CREATING TIMELINES AND

CHECKLISTS

These tools are important and helps

everyone to keep on track and meet
deadlines.
Refine them and use often.
View the ones from the CD.

EVENT TASK STATUS REPORT

Activity
Agenda
Faculty/Speaker
Entertainment selection
Destination Selection
Site Selection
Budget
Travel/Transportation
Design and Printing
Marketing
Environmental Standards
Audio Visual
Food and Beverage
Room assignments and setup

Start Date
Complete Date
Person Responsible
Notes
Status

(These are the different

columns that you would
need you would need for
the checklist)
(Create your own list to suit
your event.)

Defining Your Event

Tasks
Have pre-planning meeting
Confirm defined vision
Identify your goals and
objectives
Confirm financial goals
Create environmental
standards
Define roles and
responsibilities
Begin talking about the
budget
Begin to develop timelines
and checklists

Notes
Due Date
(These are the
different columns
that you would
need for the
checklist)
(Create your own
list to suit your
event.)

BUDGETING
HERE IS A LIST OF EXPENSES TO GET YOU STARTED. SOME WILL BE APPROPRIATE FOR YOUR EVENT
AND SOME EXPENSES ARE NOT INCLUDED HERE.

Activity / Items
Accommodations
Activities extracurricula
r
Administrative overhead
Advertising
Audio/Visual equipment
Awards
Bartenders
Communications cell
phones, pagers, radios,
copiers, computer
Entertainment
Food and Beverage

Estimate Cost
Actual Costs
(These are the
different columns
that you would need
you would need for
the checklist)
(Create your own
list to suit your
event.)

FOOD AND BEVERAGE FUNCTIONS

CREATE A CHECKLIST FOR EACH SEPARATE MEAL AND BEVERAGE FUNCTION EVEN IF IT IS A COFFEE BREAK IN
THE MORNING AND ONE IN THE AFTERNOON

Know what your participants

want and need
Assignment of room
Look over menus and get
bids
Establish your food and
beverage budget
Will the price of the meal be
included in the registration
or separate charge?
Create timelines for menu
planning
Meet with the chef and/or
catering department

Provide catering dept with your

agenda and timelines
Decide styles of service
Buffet
Reception
Sit-down
Formal/informal
Free/limited pour for receptions
For cocktail reception
Buffet or served
Bar setup and how many bartenders?
Charge/not charge and how for
liquor
Determine theme/decorations
Make notes on each
(Create your own list to suit your
event.)

ROOM SET UP AND AUDIO VISUAL NEEDS

CREATE A CHECKLIST FOR EACH S EPARATE RO OM W HERE AUDIO VISUAL NEEDS ARE REQ UIRED.

Tasks
Talk with
speakers/entertainers
about their needs
Talk with and/or meet
with audio/visual and
Technical department
Received bids from
outside vendors
Put costs in budget
Review and sign
contract

Notes:
(Create your own
list to suit your
event.)

TIMELINE FOR SMALLER EVENTS

MAKE SURE ALL THE TASKS CONNECTED WITH YOUR TYPE OF EVENT ARE INCLUDED. MAKE IT AS COMPREHENSIVE AS POSSIBLE.

TIME FRAME
3 months out

Ten weeks out

Nine weeks

Eight weeks

Seven weeks

Hold committee/staff meeting

define goals and objectives,
financial goals Defined vision;
Review Roles and
Responsibilities; Create Budget,
define audience
Secure Site/facility, sign
contracts; Start promotional
material
Secure Speaker or entertainment
Start preparing menus; Design
layout
Determine Meeting Format;
Complete contract agreements
etc.