6 Things To Consider Before You Book An Event
Goals–
These are the basis of every decision you will make regarding the event. Are you trying to increase employee morale, revenue generation, branding and corporate visibility, education, etc?
Staffing –
Often a new event falls on the shoulders of existing staff, most often the marketing and or administrative teams. Consider their existing job duties and be certain they will have the time available in their schedule to dedicate to this new venture. If they are not experienced in planning this type of event, you will want to allow for a little extra time for the general learning curve. Analyze what other internal resources you’ll need to make available. You may need IT support to run web registration, graphic design and copywriting for print or electronic marketing initiatives, sales team for sponsorship and ticket sales etc.
Target Attendees –
Based on your goals, establish who you would like to see in attendance. Who are they, do you already know them or not? You’ll want to gather demographics on this group before making any final decisions regarding the look and feel of the event, timing etc. The target audience will determine how you market the event, and it will lead you to companies or industries that may have an interest in supporting your event.
Timing –
What time of year are you planning to host the event? Have you considered your audience, staffing, and holidays that may have an impact on your event. Also, depending on your target audience and sponsorship goals, you may want to consider fiscal year ends for companies in your industry.
Budget –
This encompasses more than just ‘how much will it cost.’ Planning an event budget requires determining the projected revenue, sponsorships and ticket sales, the theme/flow of the event and overall goals you’ve established. The budget process includes creating the timeline and sales process for reaching the desired financial outcome.
Facility Requirements –
Before you can book a facility, or even begin site surveys, you’ll want to determine how much space you need and in what state and city you want to hold the event. Factor into this the amount of set up and storage space you’ll need, how far in advance you'll need that space, the size of the meeting rooms you’ll need, types of seating arrangements (total accommodation often depends on room set up), audio/video needs, meal and exhibit space, hotel accommodations, catering needs etc.
