1. WHO – Who will attend your event, who will be your organizers, do you need sponsors and/or partners, and will clients attend? You will need to know how many people you expect to attend because this will affect other decisions you need to make like how much food to order, seating arrangements, the venue you’ll need, etc.

2. WHAT– the “what” is composed of a few aspects like, what is the name of your event? For example, what is the event about, i.e. a car show, International festival, etc. What are the obligations of the attendees, if any? What is the dress code and do they need to purchase a ticket before or at the event or is it by invite-only, is it a free or paid event?

What will the party favors be and will the gift be given as a prize, when they leave the party, or when they arrive at the event?

What meals will you provide and what will the menu be for each meal, are there any special requirements you need to be aware of? It’s important to keep the theme of the event top-of-mind when deciding the menu with your caterer and be aware of any dietary restrictions like vegetarian or kosher meals. Know your audience when you decide on your menu because food is one of the most important aspects of any event, and it’s often what people remember the most.

Event Theme

What is the theme of your event? It’s a good idea to let your guests know in the invitation or on posters if your event has a particular theme and if there’s a dress code. Here are some ideas of themes you can use, but if you have others, please use the comment box below to make suggestions:

• favorite Hollywood actor
• Hawaiian theme
• a white party where everyone wears white clothing
• superhero theme
• 1950s party.

If you’re having a themed party, keep in mind you’ll need to consider music, food, and beverage, gifts, decorations, and games to suit your theme and you may need to adjust your service providers (DJ vs Hula dancers) accordingly.

What are you going to do to promote your event, organizers, sponsors/partners, and clients pre-event, during the event, and post-event? HOW will you market your event?

Event Budget

The best way to create an event budget is to join our event course. Inside the course, I created budget templates for you based that are suitable for any event and any event size.

I also share some tips so you don’t forget to add in your fees and staff salaries if applicable.

Your client will bear the production and marketing cost if you are planning an event for someone else, but as an event manager, you must be able to recover your production, marketing, and operating costs and make a profit if you’re planning an event for yourself or your company.

Creating an event budget and managing cash flow can be quite difficult and often requires help from an experienced professional.

3. WHERE – Where Is Your Event Taking Place

To choose the best venue for your event, know how to answer these before you book:

a) Know how to cater to your target audience

Knowing the demographics of your audience is vital to the selection of your event venue. For example, know the average income of your attendees, what their likes or dislikes are, what they are accustomed to, etc. If your audience is a group of CEOs then your venue should reflect their tastes and needs.

b) Who is your target audience and what is the guest list size?

Before creating a short-list of event venues to look at, know:

who will attend your event and how many people you’ll invite.

You’ll want to make sure that your venue can accommodate your expected guest list and is suitable for the audience.

For a complete checklist, join our event course.

4. WHEN – When will your event take place?

Know the date and time of your event and know if other events are taking place in the area.

5. WHY – Why is the event taking place and how does it align with your client’s event objective?