The ultimate guide to event management: From planning to post-event success

‘Event coordinator’ should be consistently ranked as one of the most stressful jobs in existence, just below firefighters, pilots and military personnel.

When you consider the responsibilities, that makes sense.

Event organisers are quasi-accountants managing event budgets, interior designers setting up venues, guest relations personnel overseeing attendee satisfaction and, occasionally, ad hoc amateur therapists talking keynote speakers down from a panic attack. 

The best event professionals understand event management and how to apply it to lay on memorable events. And you can, too.

This guide will explain the importance of event management, the event planning process and how to use event feedback to inform future event planning.

Event management is the process of planning, organising and executing events of all types and sizes. It encompasses everything from initial concept development to post-event evaluation and requires skills in logistics, budgeting, marketing and guest experience management.

Event management is a strategic approach that emphasises enhancing the attendee experience.

Event managers can create memorable and engaging experiences by focusing on attendees’ needs and preferences. This attention to detail fosters positive interactions among attendees and plays a crucial role in ensuring that a favourable brand image is conveyed.

A well-executed event, where attendees feel valued and satisfied, reinforces brand loyalty and encourages positive word-of-mouth publicity, ultimately contributing to the organisation’s long-term success.

Event management also provides a framework that event planners can use to address common challenges, including:

We will cover eight stages of event management in depth. These stages are equally important to organising a successful event for your business. 

The initial step in event management is to set event goals. 

Clearly defining your objectives from the outset provides a guiding principle as you develop your event roadmap. These goals may encompass lead generation, attendee engagement or achieving a revenue target.

Remember that you can have multiple event goals. For instance, the aim of a secondary school reunion might be to reconnect with former students while seeking donations for a new sports hall.

There are three primary formats for hosting events: in person, virtual and hybrid. Each format presents unique characteristics that can significantly influence various aspects of event planning and execution. 

Whichever format you choose, it’s essential to carefully consider your target audience and specific objectives during the selection process. This thoughtful approach will enable you to implement effective strategies for engagement and ensure that your event achieves its desired outcomes. 

The initial research phase is critically important in the event planning process because it lays the foundation for the entire project. During this phase, the event coordinator conducts thorough investigations to:

Overall, close collaboration with the host during this phase is essential, as the event manager works diligently to evaluate what is feasible within the allocated budget while maximising the event’s quality and experience. 

Next, an event manager will meticulously draft a comprehensive timeline that outlines all key milestones and deadlines for effective logistics planning.

This timeline may include critical milestones such as:

Each milestone will be carefully scheduled to ensure a seamless flow of activities leading up to the event, allowing ample time for adjustments as needed. 

A comprehensive and detailed event plan serves as the foundation for executing a successful event.

It should clearly define the scope, outlining the event’s purpose, target audience, format and key objectives. The schedule must include important dates, milestones and deadlines, plus a well-structured timeline for pre-event planning, event day logistics and post-event follow-ups.

Additionally, the activities section should detail the programme agenda, sessions or presentations, entertainment, networking opportunities and any supplementary elements such as workshops or exhibitions.

When planning an event for your organisation, you will need to put together a team of experts. Some of the key roles that you may call upon include:

Related: 10 tips for improving your event management skills

Large-scale events may require permits or licences to comply with local regulations. These regulations can vary significantly depending on the location and nature of the event.

Contacting your local council proactively will help you to make sense of and comply with any specific requirements that are applicable to your event.

Additionally, allow ample time in your planning process to secure any necessary permits, as certain approvals may take a long time to obtain.

Despite your best efforts to organise a successful event, things may sometimes go awry. A speaker may get food poisoning or rain may dampen your outdoor event. A contingency plan will set your event up for success.

For example, when considering vendor cancellations, it is beneficial to find backup vendor options and evaluate alternatives ahead of time. Furthermore, if your event is hosted outdoors, you should find a reliable alternative venue in case of inclement weather.

These proactive steps can significantly reduce stress and ensure a memorable experience for you and your attendees. 

When selecting a venue for your event, consider your objectives and target audience.

For example, a corporate conference may require a professional setting with advanced AV capabilities whereas a community fundraiser may benefit from a more casual, community-oriented atmosphere.

Assess each venue option according to set criteria, such as capacity, location, amenities and accessibility. Understanding the tone, purpose and expected outcomes of your event will help you to narrow down venue options that best support your goals.

It’s likely that you will partner with outside vendors to secure catering, AV equipment and event-styling contracts.

To streamline coordination and manage logistics efficiently, use a vendor registration form to collect important details (e.g. contact information, services provided, insurance and permits).

Additionally, implementing a vendor payment form will help you to track payments, manage budgets and ensure timely remuneration. These administrative tools help to reduce confusion, improve communication and keep the back-end operations running smoothly.

An online registration form is one of the most efficient ways to streamline the process and manage guest information in real time.

Online forms simplify the collection of essential attendee details, such as contact information, dietary preferences and session selections, which helps to ensure accurate planning and logistics.

You don’t know what you don’t know; despite your experience, gathering pre-event information is always beneficial.

An event planning survey can help you understand attendee expectations and needs. For example, you can gauge accessibility requirements and dietary restrictions.

Integrating surveys into your pre-event activities is good practice when it comes to event management.

Although it’s not the most exciting aspect of event planning, budgeting is crucial for ensuring the overall success of your event. Budget line items include:

To keep costs in check, prioritise essential expenses and identify potential areas for cost savings. Cost estimation allows you to see the full picture of your budget’s performance. It’s important to cover the essential expenses before considering extraneous expenses. 

To manage your event’s finances, leverage specialised event management software that is capable of meticulously tracking and monitoring your expenditure.

Implementing rigorous expense tracking fosters transparency, which builds trust with sponsors and stakeholders and empowers you to identify potential cost-saving opportunities.

Additionally, if you analyse the expenses incurred for past events, this can help you to forecast and improve budget accuracy for future events.

For large events, sponsors and partners can offset the costs of the event. Sponsors can also often enhance the value of the event and serve as brand name recognition. You also need to determine how your event will generate additional revenue. 

Once you’ve selected a venue, you will need to arrange the layout and design of the space. This involves optimising the environment to facilitate smooth crowd movement and to provide effective seating arrangements and clearly defined activity areas. 

To achieve this, the manager should do three things:

Ultimately, the goal is to create an inviting atmosphere where guests feel at ease, can navigate the space comfortably and participate fully in the event’s offerings.

The event technology will vary depending on its format.

For in-person or hybrid events, you may need audiovisual (AV) equipment, Wi-Fi, a stage setup and lighting features. Virtual events require a reliable internet connection as well as other technical aspects.

It’s advisable to hire a vendor to provide the necessary equipment for your event and manage its technical setup.

Ensure that you have onsite services for in-person events, including a registration or check-in desk and signage to welcome and guide guests upon arrival.

Additionally, you may need to accommodate guests with disabilities or other accessibility needs. This may involve providing wheelchair ramps and designated seating areas.

The safety of your participants and vendors should be your top priority. Ensure that emergency protocols are established, first aid supplies are available and a crowd control plan is in place. Additionally, consider hiring a private security service for your event to enhance safety.

You want your event to be a success, don’t you? Well, to ensure this, you need to drive attendance and engagement by implementing a tailored marketing strategy.

To promote your upcoming event, you should consider:

There’s nothing worse than planning an entire event only to realise that you missed some key opportunities to promote it. A promotion timeline should include pre-launch teasers that ramp up anticipation among your target audience, official announcements and final reminders. A promotion timeline keeps your communications on schedule to encourage engagement. 

Create eye-catching event pages to promote your event. You can even include promotional videos and social media on these pages. Hire a graphic designer to create custom social graphics that you can share online to ramp up anticipation among attendees. Sharing engaging visuals is key to spreading awareness and building a sense of excitement around your upcoming event. 

To ensure a high conversion rate and a positive first impression, you should use registration forms that are user-friendly and minimise friction during the sign-up process. 

SurveyMonkey makes it easy to create online registration forms that capture key attendee information. You can share forms quickly via email or SMS or embed them directly on your event website for broader visibility. These forms are also mobile responsive, making it convenient for users to register from any device.

By reducing barriers to entry and offering flexible sharing options, you can boost registration numbers and simplify attendee management.

An on-the-day coordinator oversees setup and manages the registration and event flow. This professional leads the team, assigning staff to key areas for smooth operations. On-the-day coordination can be stressful, but it’s made easier when an event is well planned. Work with someone you trust to delegate tasks and organise a great event. 

Work with a technical support team on the day of the event to ensure that the AV equipment, Wi-Fi and presentation tech run smoothly. Backup equipment should be on standby in case anything stops working properly. It’s better to be safe than sorry. 

You should assign a team to manage the check-in process and offer assistance with getting guests seated. Ensure that you invest in clear signage that labels the different spaces at the venue. Additionally, a guest experience manager can work to gauge guests’ initial reactions to the event. 

Real-time adjustments may need to be made. Avoid stress when addressing last-minute issues such as schedule changes or weather concerns. Inevitably, unexpected things sometimes pop up and these require a bit of quick thinking. 

Event management is not over once the last vendor has packed up: post-event activities are important for the purposes of planning the next event. After your event, you should use post-event surveys to measure guest satisfaction and gather insights into what attendees liked. Include questions about the quality of promotional content, the venue and the overall guest experience to see what could be improved for future events. 

Use this event feedback survey template to collect data about guest engagement and to identify areas for improvement.  

Additionally, you should track metrics from your events, such as attendance, engagement and lead conversions. These metrics will help you to iterate on your approach in order to make future events even more successful. Data analysis and reporting enables teams to see how well an event went and plan for the future. 

After your event, share highlights on social media, including photos and video recordings. You should also distribute the link to any professional photos taken at the event for guests to download. Send follow-up emails to guests with key takeaways or resources from the event and a link to the photo gallery.   

Holding a post-mortem meeting with your team allows you to assess what worked and what didn’t so that you can make targeted improvements. You can even survey your event staff and vendors who you worked with to gather their insights for behind-the-scenes improvements. 

Event planners should prioritise the attendee experience. To this end, they should offer guests clear navigation, comfortable spaces and engaging activities. Feedback from attendees can help you to continually refine the event experience. 

Use event management software for streamlined registration and data collection. With this technology, you can simplify the collection of guest data for subsequent analysis. Modern technology makes data collection easier than ever before. 

Event managers must keep staff, vendors and attendees informed at all stages of the process. To build excitement for the event, managers should communicate progress towards milestones internally and share updates on social media. 

It’s wise to prepare backup plans and extra resources, especially for large events. Unexpected issues always seem to pop up when hosting an event. By preparing for any potential issues, you will be ready to act if they arise. 

Once you’ve collected feedback from guests, analyse it to distil insights and optimise future events. Using SurveyMonkey, you can analyse data without the data analytics credentials. 

Create word clouds for open-ended responses that you can use to identify trends. In addition, use AI-powered Sentiment Analysis to automatically categorise responses based on criteria. 

You might discover through word clouds that the prevailing opinion of the catering service was “five-star”. If so, you can earmark the service for future events. Alternatively, maybe guests wanted an increased use of technology. You may want to bolster your technical team to support better digital experiences.

Analytics tools help you to turn data into actionable insights for event management.

From pre-planning to post-event evaluation, event management is key to hosting successful events. As an event planner, you should prepare well before your event to get the most out of your budget and ensure a smooth guest experience. You should also focus on continually improving by learning from each event experience. 

Sending post-event feedback surveys is vital to discovering which aspects require improvement. With SurveyMonkey, you can create simple event registration forms to help organise your events. You can also quickly send out event feedback surveys to gather guest data.  

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