The Event Planning Checklist You’ve Been Searching For

An event planner’s job is one of the most stressful and time-consuming jobs there is. From ideating, creating the event agenda, choosing the venue, dealing with non-cooperative vendors to making sure your attendees leave the venue happy, event planning sure is an overwhelming task.

Fortunately, by signing up with Yapsody, you can manage every aspect of your event management, revenue generation, event marketing, branding, customer support, and ticket validation. Our feature clusters are meant to streamline your event creation and management from start to finish, without missing a beat. 

Your brand reputation depends on the event experience not just to the attendees, but also to everyone else involved – the sponsors, the speakers, the organizers, the partners – everyone! Their word of mouth or feedback reflects your status, so planning it right is key. Right from start to finish, and even after that, you have to follow up post-event to make sure it was all worth it.

To help you stay on track, here’s our event planning checklist with timelines:

6 Months To Your Event

• Figure Out Your Event Agenda
  • What are your goals for this event? [Hints: brand promotion, fundraising, live entertainment, lead generation, registrations, etc]
  • Who are you targeting? [Hints: Define your target audience & attendee personas]
  • How much profit do you want to make?
  • Define an approximate amount you’re willing to shell out for all your event expenses. [Venue, Artist Bookings, Decor & Logistics, Volunteer Fees, Ticketing Fees, Goodies & Giveaways, Event Marketing Spends, etc]

• Shortlist Your Event Partners/Sponsors

1. • Event Venue
   • Artists/Performers/Speakers/Influencers/VIP
   • Photographers/Videographers
   • Event Catering/Dining/F&B Stalls
   • Sound & Lighting Providers

• Finalize Your Decisions

1. • Zero in on a date
   • Finalize the Venue
   • Define the event venue seating type [Hints: Reserved Seating and General Admission]
   • Select event performers/speakers
   • Create your event marketing strategies
   • Set prices for your event tickets

• Get Into the Deets

1. • Pick your event’s theme [Hint: What would resonate with your target audience?]
   • Lookup for seasonal offers to save on your budget
   • Create a customized online ticket store
   • Customize your e-ticket
   • Decide who pays for the ticketing fees [Hint: You can bear the expense or pass on the fee to your attendees]

3 Months To Your Event

• Finalize the Little Things

1. • Follow up with vendors to ensure everything is going as planned
   • Finalize your food & beverage orders
   • Arrange for lineups & sub-headliners
   • Get performer details and content for social media promotion
   • Kickstart your targeted event marketing strategy [Hint: email invites, social media posts, target ads, early-bird discounts]
   • Create a promotional event video

2 Months To The Event

• Send Reminders to All Stakeholders/Event Partners/Sponsors

• One Final Review For Event Planning

1. • Check event sales stats and make changes accordingly to your marketing strategy
   • Go for a food-taste test or food sampling event with your team
   • Review and make arrangements for security

1 Month To The Event

• Get People Talking

1. • Send reminders to all your ticket purchasers & past event attendees
   • Offer add-ons to ticket purchasers
   • Increase social media post frequency
   • Blog about the event
   • Set surge pricing for the last few remaining tickets

• Create Event Schedule

1. • Create a detailed time-based schedule or day-to-day agenda
   • Send that event schedule to all event stakeholders

1 Week to the Event

• Perfecting D-Day

1. • Approve all performer or host’s scripts/speeches/opening introductions
   • Confirm timings and slots with relevant stakeholders
   • Update stakeholders and on-ground staff with final ticket sales numbers

Day Of The Event

• Keep Calm. Your Event Is Here! 

1. • Ensure all checkboxes have been ticked
   • Scan attendee tickets for entry into the venue using YapScan
   • Let the party begin.

We hope this handy event checklist serves as a bonafide guide to organizing your next event with ease! Simply print this checklist or create your own customized version with event specifications and you’ll be creating a flawless event experience for all the stakeholders, partners, and audiences involved.

Make sure that you also check out these 9 Essential Elements of Your Event Planning Checklist for a highly targeted event planning approach.