How to Organize an Event

Event Organizing 101 from an Event Producer

I have been producing, managing, and organizing events for quite sometime now, and I truly believe in the power of creating spaces for people to engage, collaborate and express within. Events can be a generative way of building community, and although I do this for a living, anyone on this big ol’ Earth can organize event! The key is to have a plan.

Are you ready to put on an event? Whether it’s a fundraiser, a celebration or just something fun for your friends and family, organizing an event can be incredibly rewarding. In fact, if you’re the type who enjoys taking charge of things and putting together parties, this might be the perfect challenge for you!

But first things first: before you pick out invitations or hire vendors for your big day, there are some basic steps that need to be taken in order to ensure everything goes smoothly on the day of. Here are some tips from me — a person who produces events for a living — on how to organize an event like a pro:

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Create a budget and timeline.

This is the first and most important step towards making sure your event has a stable foundation to exist on.

Figure out how much money you have to spend, and decide what your priorities are. Are there certain aspects of the event that are more important than others? Make sure that your timeline allows enough time for everything to get done before the big day arrives. If you find yourself running low on time, consider hiring help from professionals who specialize in organizing events like yours.

Photo by Alessandra Onisor on Unsplash

Decide on your event’s purpose, location and vendors.

The next step to organizing an event is deciding what you want it to accomplish. The very nature of an event is to connect people; but what’s your ‘why?’ Do you want to fundraise? Create a networking opportunity for…