Planning events 2 months before the day takes a lot of hard work and dedication. From the budget and event registration to content gathering, reviews, and finalization of logistics, things can get overwhelming. However, with the right steps to plan an event, you, your guests, and other stakeholders will have an enjoyable and meaningful experience.
Below, we’ll help you learn how to plan a successful professional event, from confirming vendor contracts to double-checking all logistics. While the time frame varies depending on the type of event and industry, you can use our article below as a foundation to follow.
Confirm all vendor contracts
When planning a professional event timeline, you should confirm vendor contracts. They have separate timelines, so you should communicate well with each other to come up with a timeline that works for both of you. Some of the most common vendor types include:
- Food and beverage: Find out about delivery time. If you have a caterer, how long is the preparation and serving time?
- Music or entertainment: Know how much time the vendors need to set up and test their equipment and how this will affect your own timeline.
- Camera or production: Confirm when and how much time they need for taking photos and videos.
Review budgets and adjust accordingly
Whether it’s a small or big event, one of the most crucial event management tasks is reviewing budgets and adjusting them as needed. This is to make sure that you’re not overspending but have enough for everything. As a result, you can plan for other events that will be beneficial to the staff and the whole organization.
You should consider the cost of food and beverage, travel and accommodation, facility or venue, marketing, training, entertainment, technology, and speakers. If you need help with budget management for healthcare conferences or other educational events, we have you covered.
Communicate any changes to partners or sponsors
When planning events 2 months before, don’t forget to keep partners, sponsors, and other stakeholders well-informed about certain progress and changes. After all, they all play crucial roles in the success of your event. Communicating any updates and changes also shows how much you respect them, their time, and their resources.
Moreover, by keeping them in the loop, they can provide suggestions and make sure any potential problems are addressed. By ensuring transparency and maintaining a close working relationship with them, you have more chances to get their support for your next events.
Finalize event registration
When it comes to event registration, event planners often face several challenges. These include incompatibility with mobile devices, long load times, incorrect event details, and lack of promotion. To overcome these challenges, set clear and realistic goals, establish your ticketing structure, use the right software, and choose suitable features and services.
Moreover, make sure to promote your event on social media, generate attention-grabbing landing pages, and keep the registration forms short and mobile-friendly too. You might also want to offer incentives or coupons. Test tech, make sure they’re updated, and have a backup plan in case of unprecedented events.
Communicate with attendees (final marketing push)
Given that there are already attendees registered for the event after your marketing efforts, you should also maintain smooth communication with them. Whether it’s a virtual or in-person event, you must answer their questions and concerns promptly and clearly. Be sure to also include travel details and suggestions, restroom directions, Wi-Fi details, and more.
Give them easy-to-follow instructions on how to download your event app early on, too. This way, they’ll have more time to navigate and get used to it. Send reminders through emails and build anticipation. The goal is to get them excited and make them feel valued at the same time.
Collect speaker and panelist assets
Compiling all speaker content includes multiple challenges. For instance, it may take some time for speakers to submit their own content and presentations. Providing feedback can also take a while. Because of the plethora of content and assets, things can get disorganized and confusing for the speakers, panelists, event planners, and administrators. Finding important data may also be time-consuming.
You don’t have to go through all these troubles. With Attendee Interactive’s speaker management software, speakers can independently submit their assets. You can also give real-time updates, organize content well, and assign tasks more effectively. With the right tools and collaboration, it’s easier to run a successful event.
Review all content and materials editorially
Event materials are also a reflection of your brand, so you want to build trust and credibility. Simple typographical and spelling errors can hurt your brand. That’s why you should review and edit content and materials accordingly before printing them out. Otherwise, attendees won’t take them seriously. Among the event materials that you should review thoroughly are:
- Tickets and passes
- Brochures and pamphlets
- Banners
- Programs
- Stickers
- Announcements
- Programs
- Signage and displays
- Name tags
- T-shirts
- Social media props
- Scripts
- Presentation folders
- Information cards
- Training manuals
Finalize all logistics – seating, booths, timelines
Now, it’s time to review and finalize all logistical items to help make sure everything goes smoothly during the event.
- Seats: Whether you’re going for a chevron, banquet, classroom, or a hollow square seating arrangement, it should suit the event you’re hosting.
- Booths: Make sure booth space is enough, the location is strategic, and signs and banners are properly placed.
- Vendors and partner communication: From lighting and music to food and videos, needs and expectations from each vendor should be all set.
- Timelines: Verify whether each element in your professional event timeline is followed, from marketing and event registration to content reviews.
- Attendee communication: They should remain updated and excited about the event.
Dry run with event technology
Learning how to plan a successful professional event includes choosing the right technology and knowing how it works prior to the event. This helps increase efficiency, build speakers’ confidence, prevent delays and other unnecessary problems, and ensure a hassle-free experience for both the staff and the audience.
To maximize these benefits, content management software at Attendee Interactive is all you need. From speaker and session management and event management to continuing education management, you can do all of it in one place. With our comprehensive platform, you’re always on top of your event management game.
Conclusion
While planning events 2 months before the day can be challenging, taking the right steps and using the best tools can make a huge difference. If you want to streamline your event timeline, speaker and session management, vendor lists, and all other logistics, Attendee Interactive has the best solution for you. Contact us today to learn more about our services.
