This checklist may prove helpful as you plan your event.
A Little Planning Goes a Looooong Way
- Determine what you want to achieve with the event, e.g., thanking your stakeholders, publicizing your opening, meeting neighboring business people, giving back to the community, etc.
- Begin working on your event theme and program format.
- Check the availability of any special guests you want to participate in your program or attend your event as special guests, and check potential dates and times for conflicts.
- Finalize date and time and confirm special guests.
- Compile your guest list. (Your list can include neighboring businesses, existing customers and vendors, prospective clients, staff, news media, and friends and family.)
- Develop your budget. (Consider things like catering, florals, decorations, entertainment, photography, invitations, audio/visual equipment, door prizes or gifts for attendees if wanted.
Roll Up Your Sleeves - preferably one month in advance
- Prepare the invitation.
- Sign contracts with vendors providing goods and services for your event (catering, photography, party supply, etc.).
- If you're sending printed invitations, give the printer plenty of time to produce them. And if you're having a mail house help with the distribution, they may need up to five business days to process the mailing. Or consider an emailed invitation.
- Send invitations out one month in advance.
- Finalize your program and create an event-day timeline, from set-up to clean-up.
- Follow up with special guests and make sure they know their role in the program.
- Assign/delegate event-day tasks, e.g., greeting guests, handling media, working with vendors, set-up, clean-up, etc.
Enjoy your event!