26

02

The event planning model

FIGURE 2.1 The Dowson, Albert and Lomax Event Planning Process – the planning model

The Event Planning Model

EVENT PLANNING PROCESS

PHASE 1: CONCEPT

PHASE 2: DETAILED PLANNING

PHASE 3: MANAGING ON-SITE

PHASE 4: POST-EVENT

One of the most fundamental parts of staging an event is event planning. Planning
an event can engage our creativity and allows us to conceptualize and begin plotting
the evolution of our event. It also enables us to visualize and explore using unusual
venues, in innovative ways. For many it can be seen as one of the most stimulating
parts of developing their event, where organizers get the opportunity to create new
and exciting events for attendees to enjoy, in creative spaces, facilitating the transfor-
mation of clients’ dreams into a reality.
However, planning an event is no easy task; it requires an ability to visualize,
conceptualize, forward plan – often without all the information that’s needed. For a
first-time event, event organizers need to be able to predict, plot and plan a project
that has many variables, competing factors, services and moving parts. Getting it
right is critical, as effective planning allows the event organizer to deliver high-qual-
ity events, which meet objectives in a creative, healthy, safe and enjoyable way, within
a specific timeframe and within budget.
The success of the event hinges on how well you, as the event organizer, engage in
the planning process and your ability to break down the event into different elements
 THE EVENT PLANNING MODEL 27

and identify all the sub-aspects of your event. When pulled together, your plans will
facilitate the delivery of an exceptional event. The difference between a good events
manager and an excellent one is the ability to identify and address not only the
macro details (big picture) but also the micro details, from conceptualization to
delivery.
Fortunately, the process of planning an event becomes a little easier with experi-
ence. This is because planning any event involves a certain amount of repetition,
because there are specific key tasks that you will carry out for most events. We call
these the essential planning tasks. For example, no matter whether an event planner
is tasked with organizing a local village fete or a national sports tournament, many
of the essential tasks, such as finding a suitable venue, drawing up a detailed site
map, creating a schedule for the event or promoting the event to the target audience,
will include the same processes.
For larger, more complex and more elaborate events, relying on experience alone
is unwise, and it is critical for even the most experienced of event organizers to adopt
a more systematic process for planning and organizing the event elements. Following
a structured event planning process will help to guide the event organizer through
the different stages of planning an event and make sure that they don’t overlook any
macro or micro details.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

●● explain the value of adopting a systematic approach to event planning;

●● describe the four distinct phases of the event planning process;
●● follow the event planning process to create a structure for your own event;
●● describe the key planning tasks and activities to be carried out at each phase;
●● begin your research to develop a robust event concept;
●● plan the design of detailed aspects of an event.

Event planning process

As we have already noted, there are certain essential tasks an event organizer will
need to carry out for any event. Depending on the size, type and format of an event,
an event organizer will prioritize different planning tasks and allocate different
amounts of time to these tasks. But the tasks will be carried out in a similar sequence
because, for example, it is very difficult to choose a suitable venue or choose a menu
until you have a clear idea of what the budget will allow.
Many authors have attempted to outline the specific steps or stages in the event
planning process, and we are no different. The Dowson, Albert and Lomax (2022)
Event Planning Model includes the tasks considered to be essential when planning
28 EVENT PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

FIGURE 2.2 The Dowson, Albert and Lomax (2022) Event Planning Model

PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3 PHASE 4

Research, Concept Detailed Planning Managing the Evaluation and
Development & and Event Reporting
Screening Design On-site

Content

Venue

Operations

Staffing

Marketing

Finance

an event and these are grouped into four distinct phases. Figure 2.2 includes all that
we consider to be the essential planning tasks carried out by an event organizer when
putting on an event.
Here we briefly describe each of the four phases of the Dowson, Albert and Lomax
(2022) model.

Phase 1: Research, concept development and screening

Research, concept development and screening are all included in the initial phase of
the event planning process; this phase provides the groundwork and a strong foun-
dation for the event organizer to plan a successful event. This research should always
begin with the identification of the client’s mission and values, which will facilitate
the development of robust aims and objectives for the event. It is important that
these aims and objectives are established early in the process to facilitate your evalu-
ation of the event. Establishing SMART aims and objectives in turn supports the
creation of an innovative and relevant event concept which meets and delivers to
your client’s expectations. The detailed description of this vital phase is found in
Chapter 3, but it is important to note that research is required and continues through-
out the whole event planning process, underpinning development and delivery for a
successful event; for example, reviewing existing suppliers for previous events,
layouts and site logistics, health and safety activities. This activity will ensure that
you have sourced sufficient information to guide you through the planning phase to
the post-event wrap-up.
The research, concept development and screening phase is also about the event
organizer getting themselves properly prepared. Within this phase it is necessary for
the event organizer to conduct research on previous similar events staged, reviewing
any evaluation data for the delivery of those events. It is not always necessary to
reinvent the wheel, or change the whole event. This research will often bring to light
 THE EVENT PLANNING MODEL 29

aspects that have been successfully used in the past. This research may also include
looking over previous production schedules, site plans, running orders, types of
venues used and evaluation results. All of this will feed into the concept develop-
ment, the setting of your event objectives and the process of screening what will and
will not work. There is always the temptation to rush this stage, but you do so at
your peril! Once the detailed planning is under way, an event organizer rarely gets
the opportunity to pause and reflect. An experienced event organizer will tell you
how important it is that you have taken preparations seriously and pre-empted as
many of the potential issues as possible. Within this phase you will be thinking about
feasibility as well as research, preliminary concept development and screening, to
enable you to review those ideas which may not be suitable or work in this instance.
Remember that using existing information and trusted suppliers means that you are
making good use of your time and resources and working smarter.

Phase 2: Design and detailed planning

The design and detailed planning phase provides an opportunity to clearly identify
the structure of the event, thinking of the what, where, who, how and when various
aspects of the event will take place. It often feels like a whirlwind of activity for an
event organizer as they race against their timescales to be ready for the big day. With
lots to do at this stage (and sometimes not a lot of time to do it), the likelihood is that,
certainly for larger events, you will carry out some tasks yourself, while others will be
shared within the team and some tasks may require the help of a specialist service
provider. Typically, the larger and more elaborate an event, the greater the need for
specialist expertise from outside the team (it may be helpful at this point to refer back
to the Table 1.3 Checklist: Event suppliers and support services). Within Phase 2,
details become critical, and monitoring and tracking the delivery of each aspect of the
event ensures that you minimize the margins of error as you move closer to event
delivery and managing the event on-site. All these aspects are considered in full in
Chapters 4–9. At this point good paperwork is key; the development of your ‘Event
documentation’ or ‘Event Manual’ is very important, as it will serve as a tool, not only
during the planning phase, but it becomes critical for working on-site. Experienced
and highly skilled events managers know that, during this phase, ensuring all the
details are covered and that communication and documentation are readily available
becomes key. It is also very important to ensure that planning information about your
event is accessible and available to other members of your team. Any documentation
prepared should be written concisely and in a way that others will understand. This
is all part of your contingency planning in the event that you or your team members
are unavailable and others need to access the event information to run your event.
30 EVENT PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

Phase 3: Managing the event on-site

You have finally reached that moment where you will be managing your event
on-site, otherwise known as Event Delivery, at which point all the planning and
preparation feeds into the set-up of your event, and your event going live. As an
events manager, this is the time you have been waiting for, and whether your event
is just for an hour, a day, or a few weeks, you are only as good as the work done in
Phase 2. All the planning up to this point has been to ensure that you have created
the context for the smooth delivery of your event, but, as many event organizers
will state, regardless of how detailed your planning has been, ‘Murphy’s Law’
applies. This is the emergence of aspects that are out of your control, but effective
planning in the previous phases can reduce the disruption and stress that this may
cause. In the past, your event manual or event documentation became a key part of
managing the event on-site, but now that portable devices are available and shared
drives are accessible almost anywhere, ensure that you and members of your team
have access to the full range of documentation required for managing your event
on-site, so that updates and amendments can be communicated in a timely fashion.
At this point, it is prudent to note that the event site functions within three differ-
ent time divisions, which are referred to as Load in, Event Going Live, and Load out.
The success of managing the event on-site hinges on ensuring that you have adequate
human and logistical resources, and all the information needed to deliver your event.
This includes identifying and assembling an effective and competent team, being able
to delegate responsibility, effective communication of information to all stakehold-
ers, and accessing all key supplies, services and other logistical elements that you will
now need to coordinate on-site. Chapter 10 considers the detail of planning your
event on-site.

Phase 4: Evaluation and reporting

It may seem a little strange to think about planning activities occurring after the
event has finished. There are, however, some extremely important actions to be
undertaken post-event, and none more so than completing a thorough event evalua-
tion. Indeed, we dedicate an entire chapter to event evaluation later in the book
(Chapter 11). Carrying out a thorough event evaluation enables an organizer to
assess what worked well and what didn’t work well, providing them with useful
lessons for planning future events. It also allows event organizers to see whether they
have met the event objectives, to assess quality aspects and to reflect on how your
practice as an event planner can be improved. Essentially, as an events manager you
are as only as good as your last successful event. Evaluation also enables events
managers to reflect on best practice and feed in greater innovation and creativity
moving forward. It is an essential aspect of the event planning process that can be
used as a tool to improve other events.
 THE EVENT PLANNING MODEL 31

A CAVEAT

●● The value of this model is in its simplicity. There are, however, some important
points to note:
●● The planning process diagram should only be used as a guide. The key tasks
are not necessarily sequential, and the order will depend upon the type of
event as well as how an event organizer prefers to work.
●● There is likely to be overlap between the different phases of the planning life
cycle, with tasks under way simultaneously.
●● The amount of time spent on each task will vary depending upon the type,
size and nature of the event.
This simple model is unlikely to be detailed enough for larger, more elaborate and
more complex events. In this case, a more detailed model could be developed.
Case study 2.1 shows the value of research to define purposeful options to achieve
outcomes in New Zealand.

CASE STUDY 2.1

Legacy and impact: the future of business events in Aotearoa New Zealand,
April 2022

Jessica Vandy, Founder and Managing Director, The Tenth Letter Consulting, New Zealand

The Tenth Letter is a strategic consulting organization that works in the field of sustainability,
legacy, and impact for tourism and events in Aotearoa New Zealand. The Tenth Letter
specializes in supporting organizations and destinations with practical solutions for identifying
and managing the social, environmental, and economic impacts of events. Director and
founder Jessica Vandy has spent the past 18 years working in tourism and events in both
Australia and New Zealand.
In 2018, while attending the ICCA Association Meetings Programme conference in
Ljubljana, Slovenia, Jessica joined a session on the impact and legacy of business events. This
session, hosted by Genevieve Leclerc from Meet4Impact, outlined a set of principles and a
conceptual framework in which business events organizers could measure their impact
beyond economic output alone.
This session was the catalyst for change.
In 2019, Jessica was tasked with developing Tourism New Zealand’s legacy programme:
Conference Impact Aotearoa (formerly Enrich New Zealand). The purpose of this programme
was to identify, define, monitor and measure the impacts of three international conferences,
looking beyond just economic output as the key measure of success.
The three international conferences identified for the programme included the INTECOL
(International Ecology) Wetlands conference held in Christchurch in 2021, the International
32 EVENT PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

Working Group for Women and Sport to be held in Auckland in November 2022, and the World
Leisure Congress to be held in Dunedin in 2023.
The purpose of the programme was to work in collaboration with each local organizing
committee, develop a Theory of Change, and assist them to measure, report, and
communicate the key outcomes which resulted in change for their community and wider
stakeholder ecosystem. Theory of Change is a methodology commonly used in the field of
social impact which demonstrates the cause-and-effect relationship between actions,
activities, and outcomes resulting in change.
Each local organizing committee within the Conference Impact Aotearoa programme was
tasked with determining an impact goal. The impact goal would represent the change
experienced by those benefiting.
For INTECOL Wetlands, the only conference that has occurred since the programme was
launched, the impact goal was for New Zealand to be seen as an example of wetlands restoration
and management. The theme of the conference was embedded in Mātauranga Māori, traditional
indigenous knowledge, and innovative science in wetland research and management.
Through the development of the Theory of Change, the INTECOL committee identified key
stakeholders, beneficiaries, activities and actions, indicators and data sources, and some of
the intended outcomes which would start to demonstrate the positive societal impacts this
conference could have for wetlands management.
Aotearoa New Zealand has lost 90% of its wetlands (approx 2.25 million hectares) since
European settlers arrived, posing significant risks to biodiversity. Retaining and protecting
existing wetlands, and the subsequent introduction of freshwater environmental reforms, had
seen a greater focus and interest from the community on this topic. Aligning the conference
theme and impact goal at a time when wetlands management was being communicated more
widely was a poignant next step in achieving New Zealand being seen as an example of
wetlands restoration and management.
The INTECOL conference was held in October 2021 and the final phase of the project is the
continued monitoring, measuring, analysis and reporting of impact from this conference. This
will continue to occur in the 12, 24 and 48 months following the conference conclusion.
Tourism New Zealand’s Conference Impact Aotearoa programme and the three international
conference committees have helped to pioneer legacy and impact in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The programme, a first of its kind at the time, has seen the creation of an impact
methodology which can be used as a template for attracting future international conference
bids. By leveraging these impact projects, international conference organizers will be able to
see how Aotearoa New Zealand has been able to demonstrate tangible and measurable social
and environmental benefits beyond just the usual economic metrics to demonstrate success.
More and more international associations are seeking out destinations that align strongly
with the mission and vision of their organization, as well as being able to demonstrate societal
benefits for the communities they represent. By working closely with partners and
 THE EVENT PLANNING MODEL 33

stakeholders, and using conferences as a mechanism for creating change, Aotearoa New
Zealand will continue to establish itself as a competitive destination that is prioritizing the
needs and the wellbeing of its people and communities.
As the business events sector rebuilds alongside the international border reopening in May
2022, it will be beneficial for Tourism New Zealand to continue developing their legacy and
impact framework, and build further knowledge and capability within the network of
destination business events professionals it supports. The past two years have seen an
increase in international destinations establishing impact management and measurement
programmes including sophisticated tools, resources and methodologies. The future of
business events relies on far more than economic measures of success. Business events have a
responsibility to demonstrate initiatives and practices that minimize the negative impacts of
their activities and amplify the positive.

Since developing the Conference Impact Aotearoa programme for Tourism New Zealand, Jessica now
works with local and international destinations and organizations on legacy and impact strategies.
She has established international partnerships with Meet4Impact in Montreal and Global
Destination Sustainability Movement (GDS) in Spain. She is also a facilitator for the GDS Academy:
Impact Management Masterclass, an online training programme for destination professionals
wanting to learn the fundamentals of impact management.

Learn more

www.thetenthletter.co.nz (archived at https://perma.cc/4QSN-A8QQ)

Phase 1: Research, concept development and screening

Stakeholder mapping
Even for something that may be as simple as a birthday party, there is usually more than
one person to consider when it comes to putting on an event. For most events there are
a number of groups interested in the outcome of the event (these are called the stake-
holders). A stakeholders can be identified as any individual or organization that has a
vested interested in the outcome of the event; these stakeholders may vary in the amount
of power and interest they carry, and this can have a significant impact on both the
planning and delivery of your event. As the event organizer, it is important to consider
what each stakeholder expects you to accomplish, whether they have objectives which
are key to them, and how these objectives feed into your planning and delivery. The key
stakeholders will also have a major influence on the outcome of the event (ie making it
a success or making sure it’s unsuccessful), so it is essential to manage stakeholder
­relationships carefully to ensure that all the important stakeholders are first identified
and then managed in a collaborative way.
34 EVENT PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

Preparing the proposal

Potential clients will often shop around to find the most appropriate event organizer
to run their event. In this instance, a proposal is commonly prepared by an event
organizer in order to persuade the client to hire them. The likelihood is that the client
will have invited proposals from several professional event organizers and will ulti-
mately choose which one to hire based on their assessment of the proposal. Therefore,
the art of proposal writing is extremely important for a professional event organizer
as this can often be how they secure most of their paid work. It is equally important
for an in-house event organizer to pull together a convincing proposal that demon-
strates the return on investment for their company, to gain the support and financial
resources needed to put on the event. While they may not be competing with other
event organizers to put on the function, they are competing with other internal
departments and projects to secure funding. The return on investment might be not
only financial but it could also be how the event will contribute to the company’s
mission, vision and values.
Perhaps the best-known example of a competitive bidding process to put on an
event is in the world of mega sporting events and competitions. Host cities and host
nations prepare elaborate and comprehensive bid documents to compete against
each other for the right to put on events such as the summer and winter Olympic
Games and the FIFA World Cup. The bid procedure involves candidate cities or
nations preparing a bid which demonstrates that there is political support and back-
ing from the host region, that the necessary facilities and infrastructure to stage an
international event will be in place and, of course, the ability of the host nation to
organize the event.

Screening and feasibility

A formal feasibility study is usually carried out for large, complex events, which
usually means that the hosting of the event is more costly. With a greater financial
investment needed as well as more time and effort to organize the event, the feasibil-
ity study focuses on helping to decide whether to proceed with the proposed event.
In determining the feasibility of an event there are two essential questions:

IS THE PROPOSED EVENT THE BEST SOLUTION?

Putting on an event is likely to be one way of achieving the desired objectives, but it
isn’t necessarily the only solution (or even the best). An important part of the feasibility
study is to screen alternative options and solutions for the proposed event. So, for
example, if the purpose of a company hosting a staff party is to boost morale – why
not just give everybody the day off or use the event budget to pay a bonus to staff?
Similarly, if the objective of the event is to raise awareness of new products and
services – why not spend the budget on increased advertising and new promotional
literature?
 THE EVENT PLANNING MODEL 35

IS THE PROPOSED EVENT LIKELY TO SUCCEED?

Some event planners will tell their client that anything is possible when discussing
their initial concept for an event. While we admire their optimism, the reality is that
there are several crucial factors that will determine whether the event is likely to
succeed. For instance, an event organizer will need to consider whether there is suffi-
cient time, finance, resources and support to put on the event, as well as ascertaining
whether there is sufficient demand for an event from the intended target audience.
Case study 2.2 explores the processes for beginning the detailed planning in the
event design phase, and considers the different perspectives of the client and the
event agency, using examples of events in the United Arab Emirates. These elements
include the content of the event, the programme, the venue, operational and produc-
tion aspects, staffing and marketing.

CASE STUDY 2.2

Initial event planning – agency and client-side examples in the United Arab
Emirates

Jenny Homer, Experiential Marketing Specialist, luxury automotive brand, UAE; UKCEM
Graduate 2015; Winner, The Eventice, 2015
This case study provides two perspectives on the processes for developing and managing an
event, from the perspective of the client to the agency working on their behalf.
I joined the Experiential Marketing department, Middle East & Africa in 2021; we still have
lots of projects ongoing but the lead time as a client is significantly longer compared to the
agency side.
On the client side there are differences in the early planning phase. The process starts a lot
earlier. A calendar of events is developed well in advance, with top-line concepts presented
to senior management including a business case for budget approval, building in evaluation
from the start. The planning client starts with identifying the main objectives, such as: Is this a
sales activity? Or for brand awareness? Who benefits from the event? Who is the target
audience? Are we collaborating with other departments? Once approved, the internal concept
document becomes an agency briefing.
As a client, you rely on the agency for the detailed practical planning, and your main focus
is on managing the agency and communicating with key internal stakeholders. On the agency
side, you begin with a brief from a client. Much of the time that brief is very detailed, but at
the same time lacks complete information. Within the agency team, operational specialists
and creatives work with business development to pull the brief apart. To get from brief to
concept, the creative team is responsible for developing the overarching creative theme or
strategy. Then from an operational perspective, you work with the creative concept to tie the
practicalities together. When looking at a venue, you ask: How does the venue complement
36 EVENT PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

the product? Is it a venue that attendees have visited before? In the Middle East, there is so
much variety that every client wants to be the first to activate in a venue, whether they're the
first automotive client or the first luxury jewellery client, so this makes new venues in the UAE
very successful. Clients and brands tend to buy into the big creative idea proposed by the
successful agency, which can be really challenging from a delivery perspective as occasionally
the dream is sold but operationally it is not possible; creativity is very subjective, but creativity
always wins.
In the Middle East region, events have much shorter lead times than in Europe; an agency
can pitch for an event held one month later, which is tough. Therefore, the event planning
process is squashed together and can have less structured timelines.
Once an agency has been awarded the business, the first step in planning is to create a
project plan ready for the project kick-off meeting. Some agencies use Excel, which has the
ability to turn the project plan into a Gantt chart; you can enter your start dates and end dates,
who is responsible for what, automated updates when deadlines have passed and so on. It’s
good practice to regularly share this with clients so they can track progress and manage their
internal deadlines accordingly. The second project planning tool is development of the pitch
document into an operational manual. This is detailed enough to show the client what the
branded napkins look like, for example, and it triggers decisions such as approvals required.
I used to include when an item was approved; and when something needed approving, I
added a yellow sticky note box over the top for actioning. This visual approach made it easier
and faster for the client to keep track of what needed approving and when. This method also
meant that if something happened and someone else needed to take over the project, it was a
full A to Z of everything, from when it was a concept through to staffing and traffic
management planning. This plan would be on PowerPoint because it’s visual and easier to
review. In an ideal world you have your master operational presentation and your project plan
running in parallel to each other. However, sometimes the project plan gets pushed to the
side because you've got less than four weeks until the event. Am I going to spend my time
updating this project plan or am I going to use this time to action deliverables? With adequate
lead time and enough capacity, you can manage both; however, often in an agency you aren’t
limited to only one project at a time, but up to six or seven, while also pitching for new
business. So as an events manager you must be able to multitask and focus on multiple things
at the same time. I used to be a waitress, where you've got seven or eight different tables all at
different points of their meal, but you need to be able to keep on top of where they’re at in
their dining process. Agency life has multiple events, with different things running in parallel,
and you have to be able to keep track of it all, from pitches, to planning, to on-site and
post-event.
When I first moved to UAE in 2015, Ramadan was much quieter for events; there were very
few projects. A lot of people left the country due to the summer heat, and you could walk
down the street and not see a single person. Slowly, as Ramadan has been moving earlier in
the year and falling into the tourist season, the rules are relaxing. Previously, there was no
alcohol or restaurants open until sunset, you couldn't eat out or drink water walking down the
 THE EVENT PLANNING MODEL 37

street, and no music was allowed – whereas now beach clubs are open, and life continues
almost as normal for those not fasting. In terms of business, the UAE mandates that all private
and public sector employees work reduced hours during Ramadan, but whether you're
fasting or not, everyone works. If you're fasting, you work fewer hours and have the flexibility
to start earlier or later in the day. If you're not fasting, the norm is to work two hours less
a day. Some employers now have a policy that if you decide to work regular hours, you are
provided compensatory leave. A lot of brands integrate events into how Ramadan is practised,
for example holding evening events incorporating the launch of a new product with iftar
(the first meal after sunset). As Ramadan moves even earlier, I believe it will be more
and more like normal times.

Phase 2: Design and detailed planning

The design and detailed planning phase involves a host of different planning activi-
ties and tasks. Some tasks will be completed by the event organizer, others might be
delegated to a team member, and some tasks may require specialist expertise and
support from outside the team.
Each of the essential task areas during Phase 2, as listed in Figure 2.1, is consid-
ered briefly in this chapter and discussed in more detail in subsequent chapters.
These tasks are not necessarily carried out sequentially, with event organizers all
working in their own ways, and the various tasks will require different amounts of
time and effort, depending on the nature of the event. There are a range of tools that
can help you manage your time and the delivery of the detailed planning, including
critical path analysis, project management, and specialist software; These tools can
provide support to ensure a structured approach to managing time, logistics and
deliverables.

Planning the programme

Having developed a clear idea of who will be attending the event (during the prepa-
ration phase), the next step is to create a programme of activities to meet the tastes
of the target audience. For example, a music festival organizer will book headline
acts that meet the musical tastes of festival-goers, or a charity fundraiser arranging a
formal dinner will select a menu that satisfies the culinary tastes and diversity of the
guests.
The type of event and its main purpose influences the nature of the programme or
event schedule. A team-building event could include activities such as raft-building
and orienteering, whereas a staff Christmas party would have a DJ. The location
influences the programme of activities. For example, if it is famous for a scenic view,
a place of interest or a popular night spot, this may be incorporated into the event
programme’s social activities.
38 EVENT PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

The event programme is likely to include a combination of formal and informal

activities. A wedding service, cutting the ribbon at a shop launch or an opening
address from a company owner are considered formal proceedings, whereas infor-
mal aspects include social activities (day trips and visits, music and entertainment,
dinner, drinks and dancing). The event organizer needs to pull all the various activi-
ties together into an event programme (or event schedule) that clearly shows when
everything is taking place. There is a temptation to cram in lots of activities but be
sure to give attendees the time to relax too, particularly if the event is being held over
several days. Chapter 4 discusses planning the event content in detail.

Selecting the location/venue

When choosing the event location (whether it be country, city or town), an impor-
tant factor is to consider the target audience. An event organizer needs to be confident
that enough people will want to attend the event. This involves thinking about how
far people are willing to travel and how accessible the location is by car or public
transport, the cost of travel to and from the event, and how inclusive the event and
space is (discussed in Chapter 7). For example, an invitation to an event in an exotic
location is likely to generate a lot of interest from the target audience but only if the
time is available and the cost of travel is affordable. You need to be sure that enough
people will travel to attend the event.
Once the location has been decided, there may be a vast selection of venues to
choose from (particularly in larger towns and cities), including purpose-built conven-
tion centres, hotels, sports stadiums, churches, museums, concert halls, universities,
theatres, casinos. Outside busier towns and cities, your choice of venue may be more
limited, although with a little imagination, even an empty field can be transformed into
a glamorous event venue using temporary structures, marquees, tents and staging.
When choosing a venue there are obvious factors to consider: the availability,
price and capacity of the venue. Depending upon the type of event there will be other
factors to consider, such as proximity to accommodation or availability of car park-
ing. The image of a venue is another factor to consider and whether this fits with the
style of a particular event or the expectations of the event attendees. Chapter 5
discusses the key factors in selecting the location and venue.

Planning the site layout

Once you have chosen a venue and the event programme has started to take shape,
you can then start to plan the event layout. Wherever the event is taking place
(indoors or outdoors), a proper plan of the layout of the venue/site needs to be
prepared. This aspect of planning also helps to ensure that you have included all the
logistical elements for your event delivery as well as ensuring that you have sufficient
space to meet your event objectives but also meet Health and Safety requirements.
 THE EVENT PLANNING MODEL 39

One of the first considerations is creating the right environment for the attendees;
this does not only refer to the physical environment, but also creating an inclusive
space which supports diverse attendees and employees. What is right (or wrong)
will depend upon the type of event. For example, the ambience at a classical concert
is very different from a rock concert. Despite the difference between classical and
rock concerts, there are certain fundamentals that apply when planning the venue/
site layout, such as: ensure that attendees can easily enter and exit the event, provide
attendees with a focal point (in this case a stage); and ensure that facilities, such as
toilets and food and drink outlets, can be easily located and are not too far to walk to.
Another crucial consideration when planning the layout of an event is to ensure
the safety of the attendees. Continuing our earlier example, a well-planned concert
venue/site will reduce the risk of crowd congestion and crushing as well as the danger
posed by temporary structures (e.g. staging, tents, marquees and stalls) and traffic on
an event site. Chapter 5 explains the importance of site planning in detail.

Event production and operational planning

Logistics planning is primarily about ensuring the smooth flow and movement of
people, supplies and services on to an event site, around the site and finally off the
site. It sounds simple, but it is one of the biggest challenges facing an event organizer.
The biggest logistical challenge is sometimes before the event is even under way, in
planning the operational aspects of the event and event production. For example, a
conference organizer attempting to get hundreds of delegates from around the world
to attend their event will be involved in making individual and group bookings for
transport and accommodation, hotel check-ins and conference registration.
Event logistics planning is concerned not only with the flow and movement of the
event attendees but also ensuring that suppliers, contractors and other support
services are in the right place at the right time, ahead of the event. For example, a
festival organizer has a mammoth task on their hands in getting all the suppliers and
contractors on-site before the event begins while getting artists and performers,
celebrities, VIPs, and media on- and off-site during the festival.
A good operational event production logistics plan should clearly set out commu-
nication details and protocol for staff and key personnel. For a music festival, the
plan should include contact details and locations on-site and off-site for stage manag-
ers, artist liaisons, artists and performers, in case there is a delay or change of plan.
Case study 2.3 explores the processes for planning the event management for
open days at a university.
40 EVENT PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

CASE STUDY 2.3

Planning and managing university open day events

Klaudia Gawrysiak, Student Recruitment Events Officer, Leeds Beckett University; UKCEM
Graduate 2019

Leeds Beckett University holds approximately 11 large recruitment events an academic year,
alongside smaller events on a weekly and ad hoc basis. The events are organized and run by
an internal team of three members of staff. Within the events industry it is standard to have
casual workers and support staff to support the event for set-up, for the live event and for
breakdown. Leeds Beckett is no different when it comes to a pulsating workforce. The
additional staff are divided into three main categories:

●● University recruitment staff – these members of staff are taken from the wider recruitment
department and are allocated as team leaders around the event.
●● Academic and services staff – these members of staff manage the information stands at the
events and deliver the course/service-specific talks that run throughout the event.
●● Student ambassadors – the students act in two main roles, first as a course ambassador
supporting course-specific activity such as lectures, taster sessions and facility tours, and in
general roles such as stewarding and registration support.

When managing an event onsite, especially with a complex programme, distribution of

responsibility is key to ensuring that all aspects of the event are running smoothly. This
enables the events manager to be available throughout the event to troubleshoot in case any
issues or emergencies arise. Before the event, a control point is established on each site
location, where the events manager will be based.
This management technique works as long as all staff are trained and briefed to a high
standard. This includes ensuring that all staff are aware of the activities that are happening on
each site, that they are familiar with the layout of the campus, who the team leader is and
where they are located, and emergency procedures. One of the key roles given to our team
leaders is as building checkers. These staff are put in charge of a collection of buildings and
are required to check all rooms being used for any damage or incorrect set-up. They are given
a list of set-up requirements for each room and troubleshoot with IT support, porters, or
cleaners if anything is found that is not up to the standard needed for the sessions taking
place within the room. Student ambassadors ensure that all the information is easily
accessible, and that all emergency information, contact information for the ambassador
coordinator and the events manager, alongside any other important information, is outlined
within their name badge which they collect during their briefing.
When running events with a division of staff responsibilities, communication is a key factor
to ensure an event runs smoothly. Putting in place clear communication procedures allows
the staff to communicate efficiently. For the recruitment events at Leeds Beckett, radios are
the key communication method as they allow staff to communicate between sites. Radios are
 THE EVENT PLANNING MODEL 41

also given to support teams such as Security and IT Support, as an issue with phone signal and
WiFi service in some of the buildings used was identified in previous events. During the staff
briefing, radio guidance is given and outlined, such as asking for radio silence if there is an
emergency by saying ‘Break, Break, Break’ and having security on a different channel from the
event staff so that they are available to be contacted at any point during the day without
interruption from general event queries.
Management of an on-site event also depends on the level of planning that has taken
place. In order to allow the appropriate time for the event briefs in the morning, all events are
set up the day before. This includes ensuring signage is put up and is correct throughout the
buildings, larger outdoor signage is placed correctly, and room signage that outlines the
programme of talks to be held in each room around the site is visible for all prospective
students and other visitors. Within the planning stages of the event, a briefing pack is created
for all team leaders which gives them general information about the event, emergency or
support contacts, and duties and tasks that require completing throughout the event.

Recruiting the event team

It may be that an event organizing team is already in place. This is often the case with
larger, more complex events where the volume of work requires a team effort. For a
private party the event organizing team might be made up of family, friends and neigh-
bours, whereas for a business event, the organizing team might consist of work
colleagues, from the same and other departments, as well as people from partner
organizations outside the company. Whoever forms the organizing team, it is impor-
tant to make sure that all agree and are informed of their roles, what and who they will
be responsible for, who they will be accountable to, and what and to whom they can
delegate. All of this needs to be established early on as, ultimately, the effectiveness of
the organizing team can have a significant bearing on the success of the event. The key
is to ensure that each member of the team has the role to which they are best suited,
have sufficient skills for, and are also able to deliver. Bear in mind that there are several
ways to upskill and support your team which will be discussed in Chapter 7.
As the event date draws closer, it is likely that additional team members will be
recruited to help with arrangements; these additional staff members can include
part-time, fractional workers, freelancers, volunteers and subcontractors. A music
festival organizer, for example, will be looking for new recruits to assist with tick-
eting, wristband exchange, stewarding and security roles. The number of staff
needed will depend on the number of event attendees expected, and the size and
scale of the event. The complexity of the event will also influence the number of
staff required; this can also depend on individual aspects of the event such as
health and safety requirements for crowd management and security. An interna-
tional conference with high-profile guest speakers, each giving presentations
42 EVENT PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

simultaneously in different rooms, will typically require a member of staff to be in

place in each of the presentation rooms. It is important here that staff are adequately
briefed on the day of the event to ensure that all members of the team understand
what is expected of them; this is often done through written briefing notes and an
effective team briefing and debriefing pre- and post-event. Chapter 7 covers the key
human resources and staffing concerns for event planning.

Event marketing
The methods used to promote an event will depend primarily on the target audience
and the best ways to reach that audience within the allocated promotional budget. By
now, the event organizer should already have a clear idea of the profile of the target
participant. The next step in developing an effective marketing plan is to determine
the best way to communicate information about the event to the target audience. The
event organizer has a variety of marketing tools at their disposal, including sending
personal invitations, putting up posters and leaflets about the event or even placing an
advert in a newspaper or magazine. But today, most event planners utilize social
media platforms, websites and other online forms of digital media to promote their
event. In the digital age, it still remains that, generally speaking, the most effective
promotional methods are those that communicate directly with the target audience,
for example a personal letter of invitation to the event or a telephone call to recom-
mend that people hold the date; however, these tangible invitations are not always
possible. Therefore, it is important, when using digital sources, that the communica-
tions stand out, are inclusive in how the information is delivered, communicate
effectively and do not get lost in the myriad of other digital and online communica-
tions in circulation. It should be noted that using only one method of marketing
promotion and publicity can be problematic, depending on the target audience and
their digital access.
Event promotion can be very costly and, if promotional methods are not chosen
wisely, can take up a large portion of the event budget and still not achieve the
desired result. In particular, paid advertising on TV, in magazines and through digital
media is likely to be very expensive. There is the possibility of free publicity when it
comes to promoting an event, with newspapers, magazines, radio, linked industry
associations and publications, and television channels all regularly featuring content
related to upcoming events. That is, of course, assuming there is a newsworthy story
related to the event. It might be, for example, that the event coincides with another
high-profile happening or that there will be VIPs attending; these all can be harnessed
to communicate your event and message, and opportunities should not be over-
looked. Chapter 8 provides details of how to market your event effectively.
 THE EVENT PLANNING MODEL 43

Financial planning
Cash flow is the life supply of any organization, with more businesses experiencing
difficulties and closing because of cash flow problems than anything else, especially
since the start of the pandemic. If an event organizer doesn’t have money to pay staff
wages, then things are likely to go rapidly downhill. The basic principle of good cash
flow management is to make sure that there is more money coming into the business
than going out of it. But managing cash flow also requires accurate and up-to-date
budgets and that money comes in on time and is consistently managed and reviewed;
otherwise, this is where finances can become problematic for some events. For exam-
ple, at a pay-at-the-door ticketed concert, most of the incoming money will only
come through ticket sales on the day of the event. If the event organizer has to pay
out money beforehand (e.g. booking artists, advertising the concert), then that could
be a large chunk of money going out before any money comes in from ticket sales.
Good financial planning involves anticipating any shortfalls in money, allowing the
event organizer to make contingency plans for cash flow (e.g. extending credit and
payment terms) and managing the financial risk, which can spell the success or fail-
ure of your event.
While it would obviously be good for an event organizer to have all the money
they need to put on an event, they may need to raise additional funds. Traditionally,
events have been quite successful at attracting sponsors. Contra-deals, where, unlike
a sponsorship deal, no money exchanges hands, are also commonplace in the events
industry; instead, there is a trade of mutually beneficial goods or services. So, for
example, an event organizer might borrow some lighting and sound equipment for
their event and in exchange will give the supplier on-site promotional and branding
opportunities. However, this requires clear benefits for both parties, and should not
be used as a means to get free support services that should otherwise be paid for –
sound and lighting specialists need to make ends meet too!
Sound financial planning also involves contingency planning (the ‘what if…’
scenario). For example, what if the event is cancelled, abandoned or postponed?
How will this impact on finances? Does the organizer have appropriate insurance to
cover actual event costs? How will the organizer manage their financial risk to ensure
that it doesn’t derail the whole event? Chapter 9 explains the financial aspects of
event planning.

Sourcing suppliers and contractors

These is often a need for specialist goods and services (e.g. increased technical
support). There are quite literally thousands of specialist suppliers who can provide
elements of the goods and services needed by an event organizer, ranging from provid-
ing additional staff, to marquee tents and furniture, to flowers and gifts. Indeed, there
is a supplier for just about any item or service you could possibly imagine.
44 EVENT PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

For the event organizer, the challenge is in selecting the right suppliers who will
provide high-quality, excellent service and support. While there is clearly much to
consider when selecting suppliers, there are two simple factors which should always
be a high priority. First, it is important to know the past experience of a potential
supplier. Have they done this type of work before? Do they have a proven track
record? Have they delivered the quantity of service provision you require? In some
cases, it might be beneficial to select a new fledgling company, as the supplier will be
keen and eager to impress (and, more often than not, cheaper too). However, this
may also come with its challenges. Second, it is important to look into the reputation
of a potential supplier. In most cases, suppliers who have a good reputation in the
industry do so because they are well established and have been in the business for a
long time. Where possible, event organizers should stick with suppliers with a proven
track record (prior experience) and who come highly recommended for delivering
the capacity required and the quality needed. Chapter 9 covers event procurement
processes and issues in detail.

Phase 3: Managing the event on-site

Using an effective venue selection strategy, you have selected the destination for your
event and taken a systematic approach to finding the venue that will meet all your
event requirements. You have thought about safety and security considerations, the
image of the location, and ensuring it is in keeping with the client’s image and objec-
tives. You have reviewed transport accessibility, travel time, capacity of the venue,
reputation, venue cost, and many other aspects of your venue search criteria which
will be discussed in Chapter 5. You have planned your layout, have all your logistics
and service suppliers contracted and ready to support the delivery of your event. You
are now ready to manage your event on-site. Bear in mind that one of the key opera-
tional requirements of managing the on-site logistics for your event is ensuring that
the movement of people, equipment, goods and services are delivered safely on time
and to the right location.
This is where good planning and documentation make the difference, and it
becomes evident that this phase of the event is critical in your successful event deliv-
ery. It is often thought that event delivery does not start until the attendees arrive
on-site at your event venue, but good events managers will tell you that delivering
the event or going live is often the easiest part of this process if well planned, and
everyone and everything should be exactly where it needs to be on time. Getting all
aspects of the site ready for delivery in the load-in phase becomes one of the most
detail-driven and time-consuming aspects of your event delivery and getting it wrong
can have dire consequences, including high cost implications.
 THE EVENT PLANNING MODEL 45

Regardless of the size of the event, the levels of coordination and scheduling
required are what Phase 2 is for, with the use of tools like critical path analysis to
determine what needs to arrive first, second, third and so on; for example, trackway
(surfacing for vehicles to drive on at greenfield sites) needs to arrive before staging
and temporary demountable structures. Tables, chairs and tablecloths need to be laid
out at a banquet prior to flower arrangements or centrepieces arriving. However,
when the paper activity is then a physical activity it is important that all members of
the event team work together to maintain site safety, manage delivery traffic and
subcontractors and service suppliers, and oversee the whole load-in operation.
Once this is done, your event then goes live: attendees arrive on-site and you
deliver your event (Phase 3). This aspect of your event is driven by the provision of
elements such as crowd management, safety and security, medical and welfare
services, hygiene and cleanliness, and risk assessments. When using outdoor sites,
adverse weather conditions also become a factor that needs to be monitored.
When your event is over, you have arrived at your event load-out, which is your
load-in completed in reverse order. Again, safety of the team left on-site is still of very
high importance, and ensuring that you leave the venue in the contractual condition
to avoid any fines or charges is important. Remember, your on-site management is
not complete until the last light is switched off and your last team member has left
the building.

Phase 4: Post-event: evaluation and reporting

To make your event as successful as possible, it is important that certain key tasks
are carried out after the event. Although each of these activities will be carried out
post-event, it is sensible to begin planning them in advance.

Evaluation
An evaluation after the event allows the event organizer to find out at the most basic
level if they achieved their intended aims and objectives. A proper event evaluation
will also help the organizer to assess what worked well and what didn’t work well,
providing them with useful lessons for planning future events. Evaluation can also be
a good way of showing others (e.g. clients, sponsors and partners) that the event was
a success, which can ultimately help to justify future events.
An important part of the evaluation will involve finding out the event attendees’
opinions of their experience of the event delivery, services and infrastructure. One of
the myths about evaluation is that it is extremely complicated and time-consuming,
but it doesn’t have to be. For example, creating an evaluation survey is an easy way
to gather valuable feedback from attendees (e.g. What did they most enjoy? What
46 EVENT PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

did they least enjoy?). The types of questions used in the survey are important and
should be linked to the intended aims and objectives. For an event such as a confer-
ence or seminar, where there is an educational purpose, it will be important to
ascertain not just what attendees most enjoyed but also what the attendees have
learnt and how they will change what they do because of this learning. In this
instance, it can be more beneficial to give attendees a survey sometime after the
conference or seminar (ie after they have been able to put some of their learning into
practice) to find out their opinion.
As well as finding out the opinions of the event attendees, a proper event evalua-
tion will take into account the opinions of the event participants (e.g. performers,
artists, speakers) and also the event organizing team, as well as the thoughts of key
suppliers, contractors and partner organizations. This leads us on to the importance
of planning a proper event debrief.

Debrief
An important part of the post-event evaluation is a debrief meeting with key indi-
viduals from the event organizing team as well as key suppliers and partner
organizations. The debrief meeting is an important part of the overall event evalua-
tion as it looks at the event from the perspective of those experts involved in the
delivery of the event. The very nature of the events industry means that immediately
after an event most of the event organizing team as well as the wider team (suppliers,
contractors and so on) will head off in separate directions, most likely en route to
their next event. With this in mind, it is a good idea to carry out some sort of debrief
immediately after the event while everyone is still on site – this is often referred to as
a hot debrief.
In addition, scheduling a debrief meeting not too long after the event is also
important. A cold debrief gives everybody time for reflection and allows enough time
for the evaluation data gathered from the attendees to be processed. While schedul-
ing a cold debrief with busy events professionals after the event has finished can
prove extremely problematic, don’t underestimate the importance of gaining valua-
ble feedback from the experts. The reality is that not everything will have gone to
plan. There will be things that worked well but there will also be things that could
have gone better. It is important to learn lessons from the ‘experts’ to improve the
event for next time, all of which feeds into the Phase 1 research process.

Follow-up
Event follow-up often involves sending out a personal communication to event
participants (e.g. a thank you for their involvement). It can also involve sending out
promotional materials that you did not give out at the event (e.g. sending a heavy
 THE EVENT PLANNING MODEL 47

brochure to an interested client) as well as distributing invites and information about

upcoming events. It is also important at this time to thank the delivery team and any
key and critical service suppliers and volunteers, as this supports the continuation
and building of good relationships. It is easy to bombard people with mail-outs and
emails, so be sure to plan your follow-up campaign carefully to avoid this.

A final word on the event planning process...

There is no one right way when it comes to the step-by-step process for planning and
organizing an event. That is to say – it’s unlikely an event organizer will carry out the
essential tasks in the same sequence that we’ve presented them. Indeed, nor is it likely
that two event organizers will carry out the essential tasks in exactly the same
sequence or dedicate the same amount of time to each task. This is perfectly accept-
able because the unique nature of an event means that no two events are the same,
which in turn means the process of planning an event is never quite the same.
However, for larger, more complex events it is essential that an event organizer
adopts a more systematic approach to planning and organizing the event. Imagine,
for a moment, trying to plan a week-long international trade show with more than
5,000 delegates attending from all around the world, using only the simple four-
phase model we presented at the beginning of the chapter (refer to Figure 2.1). No
matter how experienced and talented an organizer you might be, the reality is that
relying on such a basic model means that you’re bound to forget or overlook some-
thing important. In this situation, even the most experienced event organizer will
adopt a more systematic approach to planning the event.

EVENTS MANAGER HACK

All roads cannot lead to you. The quickest way to make the best events manager
incompetent is to bombard them with tasks and push their hours into the red for
days on end. Delegate. Push back. ‘I work more hours than you’ is a silly game. Don’t
play it.

Charlie Mussett, Freelance Event Operations Manager and Safety Consultant; Route Operations Advisor,
Queen’s Baton Relay, Birmingham 2022
48 EVENT PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

CHAPTER SUMMARY

●● The success (or failure) of any event is largely down to what happens long before the
day of the event; in other words, how well it is planned.
●● Planning any event involves a certain amount of repetition because there are various
key activities and tasks that are carried out for most events.
●● Prior to the commencement of detailed event planning, it is essential to clarify the
event concept, objectives (including stakeholder objectives) and budget as well as
considering the feasibility of the event.
●● Creating a professional and thorough proposal document is essential to gaining
support for an event – whether for an external or internal client.
●● The design and detailed planning of an event involves a whole host of different
activities, and for larger events it is likely an event organizer will need to delegate
certain tasks.
●● Post-event activities such as the event evaluation need to be planned well in advance
in order to provide useful lessons for future events.
●● Developing your own bespoke event planning model can help ensure a standardized,
more consistent approach to planning events and will make sure that you don’t
overlook anything important.

Questions for reflection

1 Discuss why using an event planning model benefits events managers.

2 Why is the research phase so important, and how can it support events managers
working smarter and utilizing resources more efficiently?
3 Is there a phase of the model which is most critical to the delivery of your event?
Why?

Explore further

See the online resources available at the Kogan Page website for this book, including
case studies from previous editions of the book – especially the case study on working
together to develop a bespoke event planning model by Ken Brown and Ruth Dowson.