{"id":291567,"date":"2024-09-25T13:01:51","date_gmt":"2024-09-25T13:01:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/project.co\/?p=291567"},"modified":"2024-12-05T15:01:28","modified_gmt":"2024-12-05T15:01:28","slug":"how-to-plan-an-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/project.co\/how-to-plan-an-event\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Plan an Event: The ULTIMATE Event Planning Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In this article we\u2019re going to take a look at everything you need to know to plan an event. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n <\/i>Statistic\n<\/div>\n
\n 60% of leadership teams believe that events are the most<\/em> critical marketing channel for achieving business goals<\/strong>, and 95% of marketers agree that in-person events help achieve business goals<\/strong>.\u00a0\n
\n Source: <\/strong>Bizzabo<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

If you\u2019re interested in reaping some of the benefits of events for your business, let\u2019s jump into this ultimate guide to event planning!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is event planning?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Event planning is the process of organising and coordinating an event. There\u2019s a lot of spinning plates involved, including choosing a venue, inviting attendees, creating a schedule, and more. Everything about an event – even down to transportation and post-event correspondence can be the responsibility of the event planner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Event planning<\/a> can be a difficult task but it\u2019s also really rewarding to know you\u2019ve created a memorable and enjoyable experience for attendees, plus hopefully generated some new business for your company!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Free event planning template<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
\n If you\u2019re an event planner or just planning a one-off event for your business or yourself, our free event planning template<\/a><\/strong> brings everything you could possibly need together in one place.\u00a0
The template comes pre-populated with a comprehensive event planning checklist of \u2018to-do\u2019 type tasks for everything from booking venues to promoting your event, so you can tick off each step as you progress.\u00a0
Plus, as with every project within Project.co, it\u2019s completely customisable to your specific requirements!\u00a0\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

The benefits of event planning<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Increased brand visibility<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Planning an event gives you the opportunity to increase brand visibility<\/a> in a number of ways. For starters, if you host an event and connect with other brands in your industry (inviting them to come along), then you can immediately get on the radar of their <\/em>customer base simply through your connection with them.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On top of that, a great event can create a memorable experience that can increase brand visibility even beyond the attendees through invaluable word-of-mouth marketing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And in a virtual world, event planning gives you a distinct opportunity to make real<\/em> connections with potential customers by meeting them face to face. This can not only increase brand visibility, but it can also do wonders for customer loyalty and, of course, business growth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Networking opportunities<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Events aren\u2019t all about meeting customers, they\u2019re also great places for networking too. When planning an event like a conference or trade show, you can work to bring professionals in your industry all under one roof. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This allows you to connect with like-minded individuals, build powerful connections, and maybe even form lucrative partnerships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Increase sales<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Increasing sales is probably one of the main goals of any event planner. Planning an event allows you to speak face-to-face with potential customers, generate leads, and create a buzz around your business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The benefit of using event planning to increase sales over other methods is that you get a unique opportunity to speak directly to your target audience in real time. You can showcase your products, conduct live demonstrations, and answer any FAQs right there, in the flesh. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n <\/i>Expert Tip\n<\/div>\n
\n If you pair your event with an exclusive promotion for attendees, this can further help to increase sales and boost revenue.\u00a0\u00a0\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

4. Build brand loyalty<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Events allow existing and potential customers to peek behind the curtain and realise that your business isn\u2019t just a logo or a website, but a group of people who are passionate about what they do. This opportunity to put a face to the name is a great way for customers to feel more connected to your brand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And this connection is important, especially as more and more people are actively choosing to shop with small businesses over big, faceless corporations. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n <\/i>Statistic\n<\/div>\n
\n 70% of Americans shop small<\/strong>, with over 37% citing their reason for doing so to \u201cconnect with community<\/em>\u201d<\/strong>.\u00a0\n
\n Source: <\/strong>Credit Karma<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

5. Gain a competitive advantage<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Not all businesses host or plan events. By doing so, you can put your business ahead of the curve and establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can use events to launch new products and generate buzz around your brand. And you can also use events to gain a competitive advantage by gathering feedback from potential customers, addressing queries, and offering personalised experiences that people will remember for a long time! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Boost employee morale<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Events are great for your customers and your business, but what about your employees?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Events actually double up as amazing team building exercises. By thrusting your employees into a fresh, new environment and encouraging them to work closely together to make things happen, you can boost morale and strengthen team relationships. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Events can also make employees feel more aligned with the success of the business, which can in turn increase productivity and employee retention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Media coverage<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Successful events can attract a lot of positive media attention and lead to invaluable press coverage and PR opportunities for your company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you find that your event doesn\u2019t generate as much media coverage as you expected, at the very least you\u2019ll end up generating tons of fresh, new and exciting content that you\u2019ll be able to share on your social channels for months after the actual event has taken place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to plan an event: 8 steps<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Define your objectives<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The first step towards planning an event is figuring out why you want to have the event<\/a> in the first place.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask yourself: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do I want to achieve? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A couple of example objectives could be: <\/p>\n\n\n

\n – To generate X revenue from event tickets
– To increase brand awareness by X%
– To increase sales by X%
– To raise X amount in donations for our cause\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

Basically, something that\u2019s quantifiable and can be used after<\/em> your event to help you determine whether it was a success or not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Establish an event budget<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Okay, so it\u2019s not the most exciting part of event planning, but a key component of successful project management is determining your event budget<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

\n <\/i>Statistic\n<\/div>\n
\n 53% of event professionals agree that decreasing budgets are the biggest challenge they face.<\/strong>\n
\n Source: <\/strong>Bizzabo<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

So you\u2019re probably going to need to get creative in order to allocate your resources wisely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can help to map out your event budget in advance. This way you\u2019ll be able to make a list of what you need and determine what you can afford. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n <\/i>Statistic\n<\/div>\n
\n Event budgets are typically broken down by marketing and promotion (43%), speakers and talent (32%), printed materials (29%) and venues (18%)<\/strong>.\n
\n Source: <\/strong>Eventbrite<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

So, some of the key things to consider could include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n