11 Questions to Ask Before Planning Your Event

Are you thinking about planning and implementing a first-time event? Are you considering a fundraising event? Or are you hoping to “raise the bar” and increase ROI, however you define it, for an existing event? Here is a list of questions to consider as you and your staff think about your resources and capabilities to plan and execute a major event:

1. Do you and your team have the bandwidth, time and experience to plan and implement the event?

2.How will you measure your event ROI and have you included the hundreds of hours of planning and preparation your team needs to dedicate to create, plan and/or implement the event?

3. Have you and your team ever planned and produced a large-scale event while also handling your other day-to-day business?

4.For a charity event, do you have the staff to reach out and connect to your top fundraisers, or to your large number of B and C team captains, to maximize their revenue generation?

5.Whether your event needs a park, golf course, 3-mile walk course or a major city street/highway/bridge closed down, do you have the right connections, resources and time to navigate this process?

6.Can your staff develop an event-focused marketing plan that includes goals, strategies and tactics to target the right audience?

7.Do you know the best event vendors to secure tents, tables, staging, truss, seating, food and beverage, sound, signage, radios, portable toilets, trucks and all other logistical needs?

8.Is your team experienced in set-up and crowd management for an event with 500, 1,000, 5,000 or even 10,000+ people attending?

9.Is your team prepared to train volunteers on site to help manage the various areas including participant registration/check-in, food & beverage, volunteer check-in, mission, stage/opening ceremony and route management?

10.Does your team understand the vital need for clear event signage and how this ensures that you implement a seamless event experience? The use of signage and banners can also maximize your important sponsor exposure.

11.Will your team be able to develop and execute a contingency plan and emergency & medical management plan on-site when (not if!) the unexpected occurs?