Planning a community event can seem like an overwhelming task, but it doesn’t have to be. With the basic steps to follow, you can easily pull together a successful community event.
The following are basic steps on how to plan a community event.
Define the Purpose of the Community Event
The most critical part of planning a community event is to establish the event’s agenda beforehand. Knowing the purpose of the event will help the event coordinator to find the right partners and sponsors for the event as well as inform important decisions throughout the event planning process. Besides, it will help to establish ideal timelines for the event, venue selection, and role distribution. As an event coordinator, you’ll have to sit down with event stakeholders and discuss the basics of the event, including the goals, number of expected attendees, budget, and other key details.
Draft a Budget
Budgeting is another important part of planning a community event. As an event coordinator, you’ll need to figure out exactly how much every task is going to cost and reflect them in the budget. It’s worth thinking about having a contingency in your budget to accommodate unforeseen situations. You’ll also need to be realistic from the beginning to avoid last-minute surprises. To ensure you stay within budget, strive to keep costs low by finding volunteers and negotiating with suppliers for better rates.
Choose a Venue and Date of the Event
Find a perfect venue that fits the event purpose. The venue should be spacious enough to accommodate all attendees, accessible, and have ample parking. It should also have adequate amenities and security. A suitable venue can significantly increase attendance. Choose a convenient date that does not coincide with other events in the community.
Work with Vendors
Once you’ve selected the venue and date, it’s time to work with suppliers and contractors on your budget list. Shop around to ensure you’re getting the best rates for items and services. It’s important to review each vendor’s contract and cancellation policies to avoid last-minute surprises.
Develop a Marketing Campaign for the Event
The success of a community event largely depends on the number of attendees. Therefore, you’ll want to inform the targeted audience about the community event to maximize attendance. Keep in mind that an ample amount of time is required to successfully promote a community event. Make sure your marketing campaign is designed around the core theme of the event. You can leverage social media, local event listing websites, online paid advertisements, and email marketing to market the event. Another effective way to get the word out there is to hire troops to distribute printed material to local people. You may also consider promoting the event through radio, TV, and newspaper advertisements.
Find Partners and Sponsors
It shouldn’t be difficult to find partners and sponsors for a community event. You’ll need to look closely and identify potential organizations that might sponsor the community event. Reach out to those organizations and convince them how they will benefit from sponsoring your event.
These are the basic steps you need to follow in planning a community event. Whatever community event you’re looking forward to coordinate, be optimistic, and the event will be a success.