Event Planning Process
What is an "Event"?
As your group sits down to plan an event, make sure everyone is clear about the type of event they are contemplating. Most groups plan and implement two types of events during the course of the year: regular events and occasional events.
Regular events are usually designed to serve the needs of members. This type of event might include a periodic (e.g., weekly, monthly) discussion or business meeting. The stated goal of regular events is usually to educate or support members. In organization development terms, this type of event is very effective at member retention.
In contrast to regular events, occasional events are large-scale activities that require much more time and resources to plan and implement. While these events certainly benefit members, more often than not they are designed to benefit a wider audience. Therefore, occasional events usually require extensive advertising. Often, groups express altruistic reasons for sponsoring this type of event, such as helping others or giving back to the community. In organization development terms, occasional events are especially effective at attracting new members.
Examples of occasional events might include:
- Hosting a lecture or panel presentation on an academic or professional topic
- Showing a video or movie to raise awareness about a problem or concern
- Sponsoring a social or recreational mixer at which members can interact with the faculty
- Hosting a public debate to explore different sides of an issue
- Sponsoring an annual event that both expresses a core value of your group and serves to garner interest in your group from a wider audience (I call this a "signature event.")
Certainly, both regular and occasional events are important to the life of an organization and deserve to be done well. However, for many reasons, occasional events require a higher level of skill and coordination to be successful. Therefore, the following information will attempt to provide assistance to groups that intend to plan and implement a large-scale event, either for their own membership or for a wider audience.
Get Started Planning Your Event!
Any large event takes planning, but with the help of a few friends it is possible to create a very successful event.
First off, a number of questions must be answered. What is the vision and purpose behind the event? What are some ways you can accomplish your goal? When is the best time to hold this event? How many people do you want to attend? Where can you accommodate the number of people at the time you want to hold the event? How much money will the event cost? How much money is available, and from where will it come? These are all important questions that must be answered, but by answering each of these questions in turn, your planning team can create a successful event.
Follow this step-by-step process to develop a successful event:
1. Identify Goal
2. Plan
3. Finance
4. Schedule
5. Publicize
6. Implement
7. Evaluate
