How To Find A Good Event Planning Guide


Are you in the initial stages of planning an event? If so, then you can probably benefit from a good event planning guide. But, as a simple Google search will show you, finding the right one for you may take a little bit of research. It doesn’t mean that there aren’t any good ones out there, you just have to take the time upfront to determine what your specific needs are. Doing this at the beginning just might end up saving you valuable time later on in the planning process.

The Right Event Planning Guide for Your Needs.

As I wrote this piece, I did a Google search for “event planning guide”.  There were over 40 million returns for me to review. A lot of these links were to a specific company’s event planning guide. What I was looking for in my search was something that I could tailor to my unique planning needs. That took a bit longer to find. Before you determine which event planning guide will work best for you, you really need to have an understanding of what it is you want this guide to do. Basically, an event planning guide is designed for you to enter the details of your event and then develop a timeline of when you will need each of these details completed.

An example of a good event planning guide is Microsoft’s Event Planning Guide.  It’s a free PDF that you can download.

Develop a Checklist from Your Event Planning Guide

One of the first things a good event planning guide will do is help you develop a checklist for your event. When you begin your planning, jot down items that you know will be part of your planning. Items such as; attendees, venue selection, caterers, decor, entertainment, transportation, audio/visual would be examples of categories to be added to your checklist.  And of course if you need to attract attendees, you will also need to promote your event. Once you have your checklist, you need to assign the various areas to your team members. Assigning due dates is also a crucial part of the event planning guide.

An Event Planning Guide will Keep You Focused and on Schedule

Once you get the planning stages completed, make sure you review each of these items with your team. You want to be sure, up front, that everyone has a clear understanding of their assigned tasks. Now it’s just a matter of each team member addressing their items. Of course, regular follow up meetings are recommended.

As an example of a great way to keep the communications open, Microsoft has a web-based event management system that you can register with and use to execute your event(s). A web based event planning guide is great especially if you are not always in the same location as other members on your team.

With a little upfront planning on your part, a good event planning guide will help you look at the event in stages rather than a large daunting task.  By breaking down the various tasks involved, you’re able to know how things are moving along at different times. And most importantly, you’ll come across as organized and in control – key ingredients for a successful event.

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