So you’ve got a vision and some goals for your event…what happens next?
Oh yes! It’s time to start planning and putting those goals in motion. There are deadlines, decisions and schedules you need to start putting into place.
1. Start at the end and move backward: Start with your event or deadline date and then established your deadlines. For example, if your event is March 1 and you want invitations in hand 6 weeks before, that means they need to be mailed by January 15. This process will show you just how far in advance you need to start working on an event. You may feel like you’re behind schedule already…that’s ok! Don’t scrap it for another day…get started and get moving.
When setting up your timeline, don’t forget to include your recap and thank you parties after the event. These can be the most critical for future success! Plan to conduct surveys and discuss feedback with your key people.
2. Meet with your people: Remember in Step One when you were meeting with your stakeholders and getting their input about goals/vision/direction? Yeah, now it’s time to revisit with them and where do they want to fit into the event? What is their interest level? What is their talent? Start setting up meetings with the people who are going to help you.
And, make sure you schedule regular planning meetings with everyone. Eventually, you’ll need to schedule meetings for everyone to be updated and feel included.
3. Revisit Your Timeline/Schedule: This should be a weekly habit/task for you, sometimes daily. Don’t lose sight of the deadlines and commitments you’ve made regarding this event or project. You may miss a deadline or two but don’t skip it entirely.
Communication is the key success! It’s really simple…if you miss a deadline or something isn’t quite right or you want to move in a different direction, be sure to communicate with the right people. Sending that email…scheduling another meeting…picking up the phone…whatever the best method of communication is for the receiver is the right thing to do. You should never be too busy to communicate with your partners and stakeholders.
Before you know it, you’re on your way to a successful event or project! Look at you, setting up schedules and making plans!