Using a party planning checklist and creating an event timeline are just some of the many things you can do to make sure everything goes smoothly. Even if you don’t have any experience with party planning, you can still throw a memorable get together. At the end of the day, parties are all about bringing people together and having fun. EVENT PLANNING GUIDE/CHECKLIST OVERALL 9 Determine concept/theme for event 9 Designate a coordinator 9 Create committees to share in the work of planning and implementing the event. Suggested committees include: Publicity Food Entertainment and activities Setup Cleanup 9 Evaluate goals and expected outcomes.
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In this article, we’ve sorted through all event planning templates and checklists to provide you with the best, most comprehensive listing, so you can effectively plan a product launch, conference, wedding, or other milestone event.
Included on this page, you’ll find an event planner template, event budget template, event venue checklist template, and more.
What to Include in a Strategic Event Plan
The planning process may begin with a brainstorming session as you consider the purpose of your event, what you hope to accomplish, and what resources are available. Keep in mind that, while it’s important to cover all your bases and not overlook important details, there is something to be said for brevity. Being concise - perhaps even limiting your event plan to one page - can encourage clarity and make you more likely to follow it. Keeping a plan short may be especially useful if you are creating an event template that other members of your organization will use to arrange future events. Having a clear protocol to follow will make it easier to maintain standards and requirements as team members and event details fluctuate.
As you think about how to craft an event that will meet your objectives, here are a few things to keep in mind and include in your plan:
- Purpose of Event: In addition to vital event details like dates, times, location, and other logistics, it’s important to know what you hope to achieve. Do you want to accomplish a specific goal such as fundraising or education? Maybe you want your event to meet several objectives, such as launching a product, increasing brand awareness, and boosting sales. Keeping the purpose of the event in mind can help you develop an effective strategy for meeting those objectives.
- Target Audience: Identifying your target audience and their needs can guide your marketing efforts as well as your event planning. How will you meet their needs? How will your event stand out from the competition?
- Event Benefits and Value: Once you determine what your audience needs, you can identify the speakers, entertainment, activities, and messaging that will be most effective. Does your event offer a unique value proposition that potential attendees won’t want to miss?
- Event Marketing and Metrics: Outline all of the marketing channels you will utilize to promote your event, and create a timeline for each phase of marketing. In addition to metrics for tracking the effectiveness of your campaigns, identify any other key metrics that you’ll use to evaluate the event as a whole.
- Budget: Consider both costs and revenue as you plan your event.
Once an event ends, the purpose of event management is to collect and evaluate key metrics. Whether you measure ticket sales and attendance, solicit feedback from participants, or conduct a performance review of the entire planning and event process, performing an evaluation can help you understand what was successful and what needs improvement. This type of information is critical data that you can use to inform decisions about future events.
Event Planning Templates
Event Planner Template
This event plan template includes areas where you can list strategic elements such as objectives, target audience, and messaging as well as logistical details such as catering, programming, and audio-visual requirements. For each task, identify who is responsible, required actions, and deadlines. This thorough template can guide your planning process and provide a summary of tasks to accomplish during an event.
Download Event Planner Template
Excel | PDF | Smartsheet
Event Schedule Template
Create an event itinerary that includes dates, locations, programming start and end times, and scheduled breaks. This simple spreadsheet is a useful tool for creating an organized event schedule that you can share with staff and attendees. You can also use this template for a single- or multi-day event, or for a conference featuring multiple speakers who will be presenting in various venue rooms.
Download Event Schedule Template
Excel | Smartsheet
Event Marketing Timeline Template - Excel
Marketing efforts for larger events may include national advertising, online content, public relations, and market research. This template provides a place for individual marketing campaigns along with a timeline for weekly planning. By creating a timeline for each task within a campaign, you can gauge how actions overlap, plan for significant dates, and see a visual representation of the time required for each item.
Download Event Marketing Timeline Template
Excel | Smartsheet
Event To-Do List Template
Use this to-do list template to plan, prioritize, and carry out all the necessary tasks for your event. You can track the progress of each item toward completion by choosing a predetermined due date. The template includes room for additional notes or comments, which is particularly useful when sharing a to-do list.
Download Event To-Do List Template
Excel | PDF
Event Proposal Template - Word
If you’re an events planner, having a top-notch proposal to offer potential clients could give you an edge against the competition. This template provides an outline for you to work from as you craft a personalized event management proposal. You’ll find sections for listing client needs and expenses, detailing the services you will provide, and more.
Event Planner Contract Template
An event planner contract should clearly outline the expectations of the client, the responsibilities of the event planner, the terms of the agreement, and any pertinent project details. You may also want to include a contract with your event proposal - in this case, use this template as a model for creating your own event planner contract where you can list services, terms, and other important business details. Depending on the scope of the event and the management services you’re providing, you can keep the contents of the contract brief or expand the template to include more details.
Download Event Planner Contract Template
Word | PDF
Wedding Checklist Template - Excel
Professional wedding planners and individuals getting married can benefit from an event checklist template. Wedding planning involves many moving pieces, from decorations to food and photography, so a simple checklist can make planning easier, and help identify expenses and ensure that nothing important is forgotten. Get more wedding planning tips from the pros and discover additional useful templates by reading Expert Tips on How To Create A Wedding Timeline.
Event Evaluation Form
A post-conference evaluation can provide critical data about which elements of your event were successful and help identify areas for improvement. You can use this event evaluation for any type of event, and can customize it for internal team members or event attendees. Once you determine the information you want to collect, including which aspects of the event or planning process you want to review, simply customize the form to meet your needs.
Download Event Evaluation Form
Excel | PDF
Calendar of Events Template
This template provides a calendar format with an adjacent column for listing events. The calendar displays all 12 months of the year on a single Excel sheet, making it easy to scan through months, plan ahead, and quickly view the events listed in the corresponding column. Each month is also color-coded with alternating hues for easy viewing.
Download Calendar of Events Template
Excel | PDF
Event Budget Templates
Conference Budget Template - Excel
A budget is an important conference management tool that planners use to identify expenses and resource requirements, inform event decisions, and support an overall plan. Use this template to estimate projected costs and track actual expenses. Comparing your projections with actual costs can help to create more accurate estimations for future conferences.
Download Conference Budget Template
Excel | Smartsheet
Event Budget Template - Excel
This event budget template itemizes expenses in a spreadsheet format and also represents data as visual charts. You can use this format to quickly identify which costs are using the largest percentage of the budget. For example, you might discover that certain costs, such as event programming, food service, advertising, and venue rentals are the biggest expenses. The template includes a section for comments where you can jot down brainstorming notes or share messages with your event team.
Download Event Budget Template
Excel | Smartsheet
Party Budget Template - Excel
Organize your party planning and track your budget with this template. It includes a summary of expenses and total costs, and a pie chart that both divides costs into categories and provides a detailed breakdown of expenses for each. Cells are pre-populated with common costs, such as equipment rentals or security and cleaning services; however, you can easily edit the fields to suit your requirements.
Wedding Budget Template - Excel
This budget planner separates wedding costs into categories including apparel, decorations, reception, and photography. On the template, these categories are broken down into more detailed lists of expenses - this allows you to account for both large and small items, determine which categories are most costly, and ensure that the wedding stays within budget.
Event Venue and Vendor Templates
Food Vendor Application Template
If you’re planning a conference or an event with food vendors, this template can help streamline the application process. Collect information from each vendor, including contact details, goods or services they offer, and permits. You can also add rules and regulations that each vendor must agree to in order to participate in the event.
Download Food Vendor Application Template
Excel | PDF
Event Venue Checklist
Use this checklist template to inspect venues and determine whether they meet the requirements for your event. Items to check include fees, venue capacity, parking, audiovisual options, and more. Following a checklist can help you identify potential issues and provide a quick comparison between venue options.
![Party Party](/uploads/1/2/6/3/126329014/173526627.jpg)
Download Event Venue Checklist
Excel | PDF
Catering Vendor Checklist
This catering checklist template offers an easy way to interview caterers. Catering fees can add up quickly, so it’s important to request detailed estimates for accurate budgeting. While some venues may include catering with their services, you will still need to provide the vendor with event details and make sure you understand their policies.
Download Catering Vendor Checklist
Excel | PDF
Event Speaker Checklist
Organize all of the details about your speakers or event entertainment, including audiovisual and other equipment requirements for presentations or performances. Speaker selection is an integral part of event management, so it behooves you to ensure that each presentation is successful. Advance planning may include arranging transportation, collecting speaker bios, and locating and securing necessary equipment.
Download Event Speaker Checklist
Excel | PDF
Wedding Vendor List Template
Wedding planners can use this template to keep track of all the vendors they plan to work with or are supplying bids. There are sections to include contact information, contract status, costs, and services provided. You can also include a rating score based on your experience of working with a vendor, professional reviews, or comparison with their competitors.
Download Wedding Vendor List Template
Excel | PDF | Word
Sign-Up and Attendance Templates
Event Sign-Up Sheet Template
If you’re recruiting volunteers for an event, you may find a printable sign-up sheet, such as this one, instrumental in gathering info. Simply post this template at the event to quickly collect names, contact information, and any other details you might need (such as affiliation with the event), or add a space where volunteers can sign up for specific tasks. Simply adjust the column labels to include the information you are seeking.
Download Event Sign-Up Sheet Template
Word | PDF
Conference Sign-In Sheet Template
To ensure that all attendees are present at a conference or training event, have them add their signatures to this sign-in sheet. At the top of the template there is room for conference details so that the sheet can tracked and filed easily. You can modify this basic form and use it to collect attendance details at any type of event.
Download Conference Sign-In Sheet Template
Excel | PDF
Party Sign-Up Sheet Template
Whether you’re planning a company party or team building outing, a sign-up sheet can give you an idea of how many people will attend. This template includes columns for setup and cleanup so that volunteers can plan ahead for these duties.
Download Party Sign-Up Sheet Template
Excel | PDF
Increase Event Success with Real-Time Planning in Smartsheet
Templates can help you plan, organize, and collect critical data for planning events. Once you begin the day-to-day work on the event, you’ll quickly discover a need for a central repository to track key documents, share information with your team, and perhaps even to automate data collection. Smartsheet is a work management and automation platform that enables enterprises and teams to work better. Over 74,000 brands and millions of information workers trust Smartsheet to help them align the right people, resources, and processes to get work done.
With its familiar interfaces, Smartsheet is designed for how people actually work, leading to rapid and broad adoption across your organization. Use self-service reports and dashboards in Smartsheet to provide real-time visibility into resources, status, and performance so you can rapidly align operations to strategy.
Discover why millions of professionals around the world use Smartsheet to get from idea to impact, fast.
Ensure your next event is a success with a real-time event plan in Smartsheet.
Start here to find valuable resources to help you plan your successful event in the Bow Lake Grange Hall!
Provided by the Bow Lake Community Club // www.bowlakecc.org
0615/sem
We are proud of our lovely Bow Lake Grange Hall and making the venue available for you. We have assembled these resources for you to help you successfully plan and take the stress out of your special event. These are representative resources only and not comprehensive — we encourage you to do your own research. While we have worked with some of these providers, listing them here does not necessarily constitute our endorsement nor has any business solicited or provided any compensation for being included here. If you have any questions on Grange Hall rentals or this publication, please contact our building administrator, Paula King at 603-664-5901 or [email protected] or our Corresponding Secretary, Suzanne Murdoch at 603-905-9897 or [email protected]
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Helpful Event Planning Links:
Multiple Resources (for any event, including memorial services)
www.Pinterest.com
Party Planning Checklists:
realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining
/entertaining/party-planning-checklist
/entertaining/party-planning-checklist
hgtv.sndimg.com
www.Wikihow.com/Plan-a-Party
marthastewart.com/275412/party-planning-guide
Party Ideas:
evite.com/content/entertaining
catchmyparty.com
toppartyideas.com
karaspartyideas.com
Invitations:
www.tinyprints.com (how to and supplier)
www.announcingit.com (online ordering site)
www.Zazzle.com (online ordering site)
www.Partycity.com (online and Newington, NH)
www.evite.com (on-line invitations)
www.Vistaprint.com (design and order on-line)
The following caterers offer a range of food options and serving/set-up support. Whether you are holding a casual or formal event, or want full set up and service or to pick up, you’ll find someone here.
Dining by Design, Strafford, NH:
(from website) Founded by Chef Randy Brisson in 2004, Dining by Design continues to organize their resources effectively to present a positive experience - no matter the size of the party. Client meetings determine budget, preferences and dietary guidelines for all menus.
Info/Contact: www.diningbydesign.com // 603-498-1634
Owner: Chef Randy Brisson
MLC Catering, Rochester, NH:
Specializing in creative and innovative food and presentation for all occasions.
Info/Contact: www.mlccatering.com // 603-767-5646
Owner: Darlene
Sheilah’s Deli and Market, Strafford, NH:
Immediately opposite the Grange Hall. Offers custom baked goods, pizza, subs, deli items, and a full catering menu.
Info/Contact: www.facebook.com/sheilahsdeli // 603-664-5551
Owner:Sheilah Hitchcock*
*Note: Sheilah’s Deli will be under new ownership effective August 2015.
*Note: Sheilah’s Deli will be under new ownership effective August 2015.
The White Apron, Dover, NH
Founded in 2004, the White Apron features the talents of a former Cordon Bleu instructor and specializes in fresh, seasonal menus.
603-617-3555Owners: ay and Elizabeth Curcio
Panera Bread, Dover, NH
Can access catering menu and order on-line; offers a large variety of cold and hot breakfast and lunch items.
Info/Contact: www.cater.panerabread.com
841 Central Ave., Dover // 603-743-5100
The caterers below also offer event planning/coordination support for a full-service experience:
Bliss Caterers, Kennebunk, ME
Bliss is a full-service catering company that specializes in events from casual to formal throughout ME, NH, and MA. They also offer event planning support.
Info/Contact: www.blisscaterers.net// 207-318-9060
Owner: Susan Jones
Portable Pantry, Dover, NH
The Portable Pantry is a café and bakery offering a comprehensive menu with the emphasis on delicious baked goods in addition to a nice variety of light and heavier meal options. They also offer the services of an event coordinator.
Info/Contact: www.portablepantrynh.com // 603-516-5554
Owner: Susan Jackson-Rafter
Taylor Rental, Rollinsford, NH
From linens and furniture to a selfie booth, Taylor offers a wide variety of party-related rentals.
Info/Contact: www.taylorrental-nh.com
603-742-1987 // [email protected]
Marshall Tent and Event Rental, Kittery, ME
Offers a large variety of table linens and other event-related equipment.
Info/Contact: www.marshallrental.comor 603-431-4441
Divine Linen Rentals, Londonderry, NH
Planning experts are available to help determine needs. Divine will ship and provides a seven-day rental.
![Party Planner Guide Checklist Announcingit Com Party Planner Guide Checklist Announcingit Com](/uploads/1/2/6/3/126329014/186040823.jpg)
Party City, Newington, NH
Source for inexpensive table coverings and decorations.
Info/Contact: www.partycity.com or 603-430-0310
Christmas Dove (The Florist at Barrington Village), Barrington, NH
Order on-line; delivers.
Info/Contact: www.doveflorists.com // 603-664-9055
Eclectic Florist, Northwood, NH
Close by, full-service florist.
Info/Contact: www.theeclecticflorist.com // 603-942-7001
Ladybug Flower Shop, Inc., Rochester, NH
Order on-line available; offers Strafford deliver
Info/Contact: www.rochesternhflowers.comor 603-332-3323
Studley’s, Rochester, NH
Order on-line available; offers delivery to Strafford.
Info/Contact: www.studleyflorist.com or 603-332-4565
Any questions or suggestions please contact our building administrator, Paula King at 603-664-5901 or [email protected] or our Corresponding Secretary, Suzanne Murdoch at 603-905-9897 or [email protected]