Event planning is an art. It requires time, effort, creativity and structure. Not only do well-organised events have the power to boost the popularity of your brand amongst consumers, but they are also a lot of fun! All you need is the right template or expo planner, along with a step-by-step plan on how to set up your next winning event.
Simply put, event planning, or expo planning, is the organisational process regarding all activities that an event includes. These events range from parties and festivals to major conferences and trade shows. Expo planning will never be a linear process, and it is important to be ready for any minor to major inconvenience. That brings us to why a clear structure or planner is vital in the planning of your next event. If your original approach is clear and organised, you will automatically be more prepared for obstacles along the way.
With that said, it is time to dive into the planning cycle that will help your next event succeed!
Planning
The first step in any expo organising process is market research, which involves finding out whether there is an actual audience for the event you're planning. This is important in achieving any target numbers you may have for attendees. When you know there's an audience for your event, start analysing their interests and expectations at an event. This way, you will be able to set up the right marketing strategy and write a proper plan of action.
This plan of action should contain all the major areas that you need to consider when planning your event, such as:
- The Name: this might sound simple, but it’s actually one of the most important aspects of your plan. The name should be memorable and make your event recognisable.
- The Date: again, this might sound like a simple task, but it is not a good idea to plan your event back-to-back with a competitive one, or worse, on the same day.
- The Venue: at the very beginning, this might already be the exact location of the event but starting out with just a city or particular type of venue is also fine. Keep in mind to set up a proper safety plan in order to reduce risks and keep everyone informed about vital information. Make sure you are able to offer washing facilities, first aid kits and toilets, as well as accessible bins and food health and safety.
- The Budget: even though this might seem obvious and easy, keeping track of your costs and how much you are able to spend should not be underestimated. Will it all be a personal investment? Do you need sponsors? If so, how do you plan to obtain those sponsorships?
Besides this small overview, there is also the matter of employment that comes with any event. Writing down who you will hire for what, or simply who will receive specific tasks, can really create a clear structure for everyone working on the event, no matter the size of it.
Promotion
Once you have finished your event plan, it is time to start promoting. The sooner, the better! With a longer promotion period, you will be able to reach a wider audience and have more people being able to plan ahead to attend.
Within your promotion, there are several things you have to consider before releasing anything. First, you will need a clear marketing plan. Start an email account for practical use, then start social media accounts to promote the event. Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn are known to be great platforms for any kind of marketing, especially event marketing.
Have a team working on your advertisement. Take into account the aspect of SEO-based content when writing any marketing text. Besides that, you can consider a variety of ways to promote your event, such as blogs, discounts, giveaways or partnerships. The possibilities are endless!
The Event
If your marketing plan is clear and organised, and you've put your heart and soul into the promotion of your event, everything should hopefully run smoothly on the big day. Your event program will be your key component in delivering the planned experience you came up with, the one you promised your visitors and attendees.
Pay attention to entry management. This is to ensure everyone knows where to go, what to expect and where to find basic facilities such as bathrooms and cloakrooms. During the event, it is also important to properly manage the crowd to keep everything calm, safe and going according to schedule.
Even at the expo, it is important to continue capturing its highlights on, for instance, social media. You can consider going live on Instagram or posting pictures of the event while it is happening. However, do allow yourself to experience the event you have set up. Not only because you deserve to do so after all your hard work, but also so that you can evaluate how things go. The event itself is the best opportunity to analyse what works and what is unsuccessful.
After the Event
When all is said and done, rest up for a good night! Once you are well-rested and refreshed, take a few more steps before completely closing the chapter of your past expo organisation. You should evaluate how things went. Compare the original plan to how things turned out and try to fish out the actual successes so you can recycle those for your next event. Take another look at the budget as well. How much did things eventually cost? Was the budget realistic? And so on.
Feedback is and will always be your best friend in event evaluation, and it should be part of your expo planning. Set up a survey or a short list of questions for both attendees and employees to see what works and what doesn’t. Social media is a great way to do this. After receiving feedback, don’t be afraid to share it. Never stop sharing on social media platforms! Even the evaluation of one event can spark interest in the next one.
To ensure success of your event, precise planning is fundamental. Using tools such as the planning cycle helps for smooth-running event planning and execution, this plan can be revised year after year to guarantee your event succeeds.
Find out how ExpoBeacon can help ease your event planning with its all-in-one management system.
