{"id":8801,"date":"2023-03-23T18:31:58","date_gmt":"2023-03-23T18:31:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.teamly.com\/blog\/?p=8801"},"modified":"2023-03-23T18:31:58","modified_gmt":"2023-03-23T18:31:58","slug":"event-project-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.teamly.com\/blog\/event-project-management\/","title":{"rendered":"A No-Stress Guide to Event Project Management + Checklist"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever attended an event and wondered how it all came together so perfectly? The answer is event project management.<\/p>\n

When we talk about project management for event planning, we\u2019re talking about the process of planning, maintaining and organizing a successful event. This includes everything from managing the team, planning logistics, and communicating with stakeholders so everything goes according to plan.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s so important because just imagine what a conference or event would be like without planning. Everything from facilities to ticketing to the programming for the event would be… well… chaotic. Event project management ensures you have a structure in place so that all aspects of the vent are considered and planned for.<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re an event project manager or planning your first event, today we\u2019re talking about event project management. What it is, how to create an event management project plan, and what event project management tools you can use that contribute to a successful event.<\/p>\n

\"What<\/p>\n

<\/span>What is event project management?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Event project management is the process of planning, maintaining, and organizing an event. And whether you\u2019re planning a conference, trade show, seminar, webinar, workshop, or product demo \u2013 any event type, really \u2013 having a good event project management plan in place can be the difference between an event that runs smoothly and one that\u2019s disorganized, stressful, or otherwise unsuccessful.<\/p>\n

While an event planner is responsible for making the event go according to the plan, an event project manager is involved in making the plan, coordinating, and managing the teams. Depending on the scale of your event, these can be the same job. Like any project manager, project management for event planners means using project milestones to track progress, stay organized with task lists, and coordinate with teams, departments, and other resources as part of their job description.<\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

<\/span>How to make an event management project plan<\/span><\/h2>\n

While event planning involves a unique set of tasks, creating an event management project plan is not so different from any other kind of project management. It starts with a vision and goals, and finishes with measurement. Need some help making your first event project management plan? Here are the steps you can take.<\/p>\n

1. Set the project’s vision.<\/h3>\n

Your project’s vision is the thing that ties your deliverables to the organization as a whole. It’s how your event fits into more significant company objectives. Start by asking what your company hopes to achieve, and then determine how your event contributes. For example, Tesla’s vision is “to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.” Using this step, any events or projects that the company dedicates time, energy, and resources to should contribute to this greater vision.<\/p>\n

2. Define your primary and secondary goals.<\/h3>\n

Once you\u2019ve determined how your event supports the company goals, you can set goals on an event level. Goals can be based on action or outcome, and they should be specific, measurable, ambitious, relevant, and time-bound. You\u2019ll probably find there\u2019s always more to do with limited time and resources in event planning. By setting clear goals for the event, you\u2019ll better understand where to focus your efforts for successful outcomes.<\/p>\n

To determine your goals, you might ask: why does your event exist? What revenue or attendance goals do you have? Some examples of good objectives for event managers would be \u201cGet 500 registrations\u201d or \u201cDrive 10,000 engagements on social media posts.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Specify the process you\u2019ll use.<\/h3>\n

Specify the process you\u2019ll use. If it\u2019s your first time managing a project, you\u2019ll want to start by choosing a project management framework. These frameworks vary in complexity, ease of use, tools required, etc., so spend a bit of time understanding each process before planning. Most projects fall under an agile or waterfall approach to project management.<\/p>\n

Waterfall project management takes a more linear, fixed approach, where agile is about working in small batches, reflecting, and pivoting as needed. Here\u2019s an article that covers project management frameworks<\/a> so you can pick the one best for your team.<\/p>\n

4. Allocate your resources.<\/h3>\n

When it comes to events, you can think of your resources as any labor, equipment, facilities, materials, or budget that is somehow limited. This is a critical part of event planning project managment because it helps you avoid any bottlenecks along the way. For an event, allocating resources for labor might mean creating a comprehensive overview of your team, speakers, hosts, service providers, etc. Consider their schedules, vacation requests, required lead time, and other variables when building your plan.<\/p>\n

Tools and equipment \u2013 like hardware or software \u2013 might have user limits or limited production capacity that you should consider upfront. Facilities are also considered a resource and your space should be allocated at the beginning of the project to avoid any scheduling conflicts or capacity issues. Materials refer to any supplies or raw materials that go into production. For events, this might be signage, displays, constructions, etc. And finally, the resource that is almost always a factor \u2013 budget. Consider the costs of each of these resources from the onset of the project and allocate the budget accordingly to make sure you have the resources for the most important things (and some buffer for the inevitable costs that come up later)<\/p>\n

5. Work out the project\u2019s tasks, duration and milestones.<\/h3>\n

Only after the above is done can you start your project. But an essential part of scheduling is a clear overview of all tasks, the timeline, who\u2019s responsible, important milestones, as well as an overall duration. This is the part most of us think of when we think of project planning. The actual steps involved that move the project from concept to completion. Events are unique; they typically start with a deadline \u2013 event day \u2013 and all the tasks work backward from that date. The good part of this is that it\u2019s easier to keep a team motivated and focused for a set period. The challenge? You\u2019ll be left searching for a real-time solution if things go wrong. We\u2019ve written several articles on project planning<\/a> if you\u2019d like more resources on how to do this step!<\/p>\n

6. Do risk planning.<\/h3>\n

A good project manager is prepared to face some of the worst possible outcomes and create a plan to work around them. To plan risks for your event project, you can ask yourself three questions: What\u2019s the expected quality of the outcome? What\u2019s the timeline? And what resources do I have? Based on that, you can create a risk register and response plan that explains the plan if a negative outcome occurs, who is in charge, and how it might affect other downstream tasks. In the case of event management, this could be anything from caterers falling through to a double-booked venue. Take some time upfront to anticipate risks and create a contingency plan for less stress later.<\/p>\n

7. Agree on how the team will communicate.<\/h3>\n

Communication is a central pillar of successful collaboration, and this is especially true in event management. With so many stakeholders (staff, contractors, performers, guests) involved, taking time to create a communication plan can also save you headaches. This means agreeing on a cadence and a channel so everyone knows where to access essential information. This could look like regular emails, check-ins, and all-hands meetings, but it can also be a messaging channel or project management tool that everyone commits to using.<\/p>\n

8. Monitor the progress.<\/h3>\n

When the project is planned, the resources are allocated, and the team is up to speed, the ongoing challenge in event project management is monitoring the progress. As the project manager, it\u2019s up to you to understand the overview of how you\u2019re tracking toward your goals. That means understanding what\u2019s on track, what\u2019s running behind schedule, and where your attention is needed. Have both a cadence and channel planned for this ahead of time. Set reminders or block out time when you review work, catch up on tasks, and create a comprehensive view that you can share with the team to keep them motivated. As the day of your event gets closer, monitoring progress ensures that none of the big tasks lag or become too last minute.<\/p>\n

9. Event Day.<\/h3>\n

Of course, all your efforts in event project management lead up to the day of the event. Your conference, seminar, or party is the culmination of your time, energy, and budget. It\u2019s your time to see it all come together, which is just as stressful as exciting. You\u2019ll want not just for the day to run smoothly but for the event to meet project and business goals. The day of the event is a time to stay alert and flexible. Understand the limits of your resources and planning, and do your best to roll with the punches to make your event as successful as possible.<\/p>\n

First time managing a project? Take a look at this project management checklist<\/a> for a more detailed overview of why project management is so important for any project.<\/p>\n

\"Event<\/p>\n

<\/span>Event Planning Project Management Checklist<\/span><\/h2>\n

Now let\u2019s talk more specifically about event planning project management. Events present a unique set of considerations and challenges, some of which you\u2019ll think of readily and others that are easy to forget.<\/p>\n

Date? No problem. Thank you email for the speakers and water access? Whoosh almost forgot! So below, we\u2019ve prepared a list of things you\u2019ll want to consider when planning your event.<\/p>\n

\u2610 Event type<\/h3>\n

Each event type serves a different purpose. For example, while a conference might position your business as a thought leader or build your brand, a targeted webinar or training might be more valuable if your goals are lead generation. Below is a list of event types you might consider.<\/p>\n