YOUTH EMPLOYMENT SUMMIT

EVENT PLANNING
HANDBOOK

HOW TO ORGANIZE
AN EVENT
 Foreword
The Youth Employment Summit (YES2002) is being organised on a simple
premise: if we successfully raise awareness to the need for promoting youth
employment, build commitment for action, and empower that commitment
with knowledge and tools we can create employment opportunities for youth.
Based on this, the YES2002 goal is to work together to ensure that five
hundred million young adults, especially youth facing poverty, will have
productive and sustainable livelihoods by the year 2012. Think about it,
there are a billion youth in the world today (aged 15-24 years), eight
hundred and fifty million of them live in developing countries. We have
no choice but to create the infrastructure - coalitions, partnerships, and
programs – to generate funds and implement projects to fulfil this goal.

The Event Planning Handbook is the first in a series of tools that we are
developing in partnership with learning organisations like Making Cents. The
necessity for this kind of handbook came from the participants of the many
YES 2002 consultations and workshops that we have organised over the
course of the past three years. We were requested to provide a practical,
step-by-step, easy to use “tool” to plan an event. The four sections in this
handbook will take you right from the beginning stage of conceptualising
your event and compiling a budget to the activities needed for a successful
follow-up after the event.

The strength of this handbook is that it can be customized for any type of
event and target group. For example, it can be used to structure a youth
workshop to promote YES 2002 or to start a Youth Steering Committee for
organisations in your country or region. Although we would appreciate your
using this handbook to promote youth employment, you should use this to
organise and facilitate any event of your choice.

We gratefully acknowledge Making Cents in the compilation of this

handbook. Their experience and knowledge of planning many events around
the world, with a significant number of them on youth employment and
entrepreneurship have guided them.

It is our sincere hope that this handbook will make planning your next event
simpler and easier for you.

Poonam Ahluwalia
Summit Director
YES 2002

Event Planning Handbook 1

 Produced for the Youth Employment Summit Secretariat (YES 2002) by
Making Cents. Written by Sarah Anne Minkin. Assistance with conceptuali-
sation and editing: Margie Brand and Fiona Macaulay.

Event Planning Handbook Education Development Centre (EDC) and Youth

Employment Summit Secretariat, 2001.

All rights reserved.

No part of this workbook may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or

by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording
or by any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission.

Event Planning Handbook 2

 CONTENTS

SECTION 1: CONCEPTUALISING YOUR EVENT ...... 5

Chapter 1: Defining Your Objective................................................... 7

SECTION 2: PLANNING YOUR EVENT .................. 9

Chapter 2: Building an Organising Team ......................................... 11

Chapter 3: Creating the Agenda .................................................... 14
Chapter 4: Making the Event Budget ............................................... 17
Chapter 5: Covering Your Costs...................................................... 19
Chapter 6: Raising Funds for Your Event .......................................... 22
Chapter 7: Promoting Your Event .................................................... 24
Chapter 8: Coordinating the Media ................................................ 27
Chapter 9: Logistics....................................................................... 30

SECTION 3: EXECUTING YOUR EVENT ............... 35

Chapter 10: Executing Your Event + Tips for the Day of the Event ...... 37

SECTION 4: AFTER YOUR EVENT ........................ 39

Chapter 11: After Your Event ......................................................... 41

APPENDIX

1. Checklist for Planning Your Event ............................................. 43

2. Checklist for Executing Your Event ............................................ 44
3. Checklist for After Your Event ................................................... 45
4. Skills for Working as Part of a Team ......................................... 46
5. Sample Agenda ..................................................................... 47
6. Sample Application/Registration Form ..................................... 48
7. Sample Evaluation Form ......................................................... 49
8. Sample Press Releases ............................................................ 50
9. Icebreakers ........................................................................... 52

Event Planning Handbook 3

 Let’s Conceptualise Your Event!

SECTION 1: CONCEPTUALISING YOUR EVENT

FOR EVERYONE WHO HAS AN IDEA AND WANTS TO TURN IT INTO
REALITY:

This handbook will give you the ABC’s you need to initiate, think through, plan and develop any success-
ful event. An event is an occasion where you gather people together to create, discuss, dance, decide,
build – you name it. Examples of events range from a workshop on youth education to a fund-raiser for
a group of students organising for better housing. Other events include an international conference of
youth leaders and all the different activities, educational, interactive, and fun, that you might organise on
International Human Rights Day or International Day Against Violence Against Women.

The basic framework is the same for all events, so once you’ve created one great event, you can use many
of the same skills for a completely different event next time.

In this handbook we’ll cover how to plan an event. This handbook can be used for defining your objec-
tive, deciding what kind of event you want to plan, and then planning your event! No guide can be
definitive, though this one tries to be comprehensive. As you read through this guide, ask yourself:

For my event, what else do I need to consider?

Event Planning Handbook 5 Section 1: Conceptualising your Event

 Chapter 1: Defining Your Objective

The first step to planning an event is to define your objective.

An objective is a goal, and objectives should be SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and
time-bound. Your objective should match these criteria.

As you plan, think about these questions:

• What is the objective of this event?
• Whom do you want to have participate in the event?
• How can you plan the event to achieve your objective and appeal to your participants?

1. What is the objective for this event? What are your goals?

Some possible goals include:

The end you wish to achieve, such as:
• Raising awareness
• Raising money
• Moving an idea or activity forward
• Generating energy for further events
To reach a specific number of participants
To achieve coverage in the media
DREAM BIG!

Event Planning Handbook 7 Section 1: Conceptualising your Event

2. Whom do you want to have participate in the event?

Your objective will help you determine whom you want to invite. Think of all the participants you want to
attract to the event. As you think, be sure to Think Outside of the Box! There are many potential participants
who might not spring to mind immediately. Think about other organisations and groups of people who
might be interested in your event, and invite them. These may be people and organisations you’ve never
approached before – this is the chance to meet them! You never know what can result from bringing
together new people and different organisations.

Once you decide whom you want to participate, think about what you want
to do with them! Do you want them to:
• Exchange ideas
• Listen
• Watch
• Participate in a physical activity
• And so on?

3. How can you plan the event to achieve your objective and appeal
to your participants?

There are many different kinds of events. You must decide what kind you want to
have! Some events are educational and informative, and these include workshops,
field trips, meetings and facilitated meetings, and door-to-door or telephone canvassing.
Other events are geared towards raising money, and these include every type of idea
or activity that will generate income for your organisation or goal. Some ideas include
organising a festival, a concert, or another type of entertainment; holding a raffle or an
auction; or selling goods or materials.
Other events are “people-to-people” and focus mainly on bringing people together.
Whether the people are professional colleagues who want to get to know each other
better or whether they don’t know each other at all, the basics for creating a success-
ful event are the same. And some events are simply preparation for other events – like
planning meetings, informational meetings, and preliminary events.
There are many different types of events, and of course most events fit into more than one category of
event. Once you’ve decided what event you want to have, you need to Get Organised! Make a list of all
the tasks (ideas for your list are included below) and decide how you’re going to accomplish them. You’ll
need to organise your time accordingly. Depending on the size of your event, you’ll probably want to
work with another person or a small group and share responsibility for planning the event.

Once you know what kind of event you want to have, you can start to identify other elements within
your event, for example:
• if you are planning a conference, think about what sessions you can plan to fill the conference in
order to attract the participants.
• If you are planning to have speakers, think about who your participants will make an effort to hear.
• If you are planning a workshop or a discussion, you will need the right person or people to facilitate.
While you’re thinking about your event, look around at other organisations.
• Are there any who can serve as potential partners for you?
• Are there any upcoming events by other organisations that could add energy to your event?
Also, as you’re starting to plan, you should know any background that might be relevant to your event.
• Have events like the one you’re planning been done before?
• What was their success, and what obstacles did they face?
• If you can talk to organisers of past events, you can gain good insight and tips into things to avoid
and things to emphasize.

Event Planning Handbook 8 Section 1: Conceptualising your Event

 LET’S PLAN YOUR EVENT!

SECTION 2:
As you plan your event, you will utilize several different building blocks that will become the structure and

PLANNING YOUR EVENT

content of your event. These include:

Building an Organising Team

Creating the Agenda and Setting the Date
Creating a Budget
Covering the Costs
Generating Income
Promoting the Event
Co-ordinating the Media
Logistics

Because each event is unique, this list cannot be exhaustive. As you read through the next chapters of the
Handbook, ask yourself:

What else do I need to consider for my event?

Event Planning Handbook 9 Section 2: Planning your Event

 Chapter 2: Building an Organising Team

An Organising Team is a group of individuals that supports the goals of the event
and assists with its planning and execution. Building a good organising team is one
of the most important pieces of planning your event. Your organising team is so
important because they make the event happen.

What is a good organising team?

• One that can work together.
• One that gives support to the organisers as they do their work.
• One that completes the tasks that it sets out to complete.
• One that has fun while doing the work!

You do not necessarily need an organising team to organise an event; what you need are
good organisation skills. Many people organise very successful events on their own! If you’re
organising alone, you might find that people who don’t want the responsibility of being an
organiser can still help you fulfil certain tasks, and using their help strategically makes your
event all the better!

I wanted to hold a march in my town that would attract all sorts of different people.
I couldn’t find anyone else who wanted to organise it with me, but I needed help,
especially with promotion and crowd control on the day of the event. So I found
a few people who could help me with those specific tasks without having to commit
to being an organiser. In the end, the march was great, and I was able to pull it
off on my own!
Jimena, Peru

Event Planning Handbook 11 Section 2: Planning your Event

1. Working as a Team: How the Team will operate

Within the organising team, you will make decisions about the event and event planning. Therefore you
need a good decision-making process and communication process so that everyone’s input and effort is
valued and considered. In order to function properly:
• Many organising committees meet regularly and discuss the issues at hand, gaining ideas, insight and
energy from members of the team.
• Many organising committees have a co-ordinator or co-coordinators who facilitate meetings and co-
ordinate the work that all the other team members are doing.

Remember to take notes at all of your meetings and note especially the decisions that are made.
These notes should be made available to anyone on the organising committee who wants to
see them.
Note taking responsibility should rotate so that the same person does not always need to be
responsible for recording the meeting. Make sure you have notes!

In many groups, the person who facilitates the meetings also rotates from meeting to meeting
(but not in the middle of the meetings!) By rotating the facilitator, different people develop their
facilitation skills, and the group benefits from the different strengths and perspectives of all its
members!

I decided to organise a debate on a political topic that was important in my

town. Four months in advance I compiled a team of six people who expressed
interest and seemed reliable and enthusiastic. Two months passed, and one by
one the committee members stopped doing much work. Two months in advance
I called a meeting to find out why the work wasn’t getting done. It turned out
that the other committee members were not committed to the vision and goals of the debate and
that they had lost interest. Fortunately I still had time to publicize that I was looking for new
committee members. In the discussions I had with prospective candidates I emphasized that a
key characteristic of all future committee members would be a commitment to the topic. In the
end, I managed to gather a strong team who pulled off an extremely well-organised debate.
Denis, Ireland

2. Task Allocation

Tasks are all steps needed to accomplish something. In this case,

tasks are all the steps needed to plan the event, like, for example,
setting the agenda, finding a suitable venue and so on. These tasks
are outlined in this guide by the chapter headings. The tasks span
from responsibilities during the planning of the event and through
to the actual event itself.

Depending on the scope of your event and the size of your organis-
ing committee, you will probably have a few people who are more
active and taking more responsibility than others. That is totally
natural and happens in every planning process – some people take
on more central roles while others choose to be responsible for spe-
cific tasks. Each is a part of the larger whole and necessary for
making the event happen. Each should be given credit for the role
they play.

Event Planning Handbook 12 Section 2: Planning your Event

 As people commit to tasks for organising the event, make sure that they’ll be available to see the
task through to the project’s end. They should also keep good records of or their work and plans
so that if someone drops out or becomes unavailable, someone else can take over their role.

As tasks are allocated, people will volunteer for or be assigned different roles, such as:
Fund-raiser: responsible for raising funds
Logistics co-ordinator: responsible for the logistics of the event. For example:
• Media Contact: responsible for writing the press release and contacting the media
• Materials co-ordinator: responsible for writing or gathering the written materials that will be given
to participants, speakers and the media

Depending on the size of the event and the size (and energy level!) of your organising committee,
many of these tasks will require more than one person.

For one conference I helped organise, we had a large and enthusiastic group of
organisers who all had different levels of experience organising events. For some,
organising an event was neither new nor daunting; for others, it was their first time
taking these steps. As we divided up the tasks, we found that some were much more
demanding than others and required more than one person to do them. So we paired up the expe-
rienced organisers with the novices, and not only was the event a success, but it was a great learn-
ing process, too!
Bintou, Senegal

Share the responsibility! Bringing attendees to your event is what will make your event a success.
There are many tasks at hand: creating the invitations and publicity materials; disseminating the
invitations and publicity materials; responding to inquiries; and promoting your event everywhere
you can. These tasks should be shared among the organising committee.

Wisdom Comes with Experience!

Organising Committees should also look for support, advice, and the wisdom of experience they
can gain from advisors outside of the committee. These advisors should have different areas of
expertise and should help the organising committee see new and different elements to their project
and event!

Event Planning Handbook 13 Section 2: Planning your Event

 Chapter 3: Creating the Agenda

Deciding how to allocate time during your event is one of the most important elements of plan-
ning a good event. As you plan, remind yourself of your event’s objective and your target
participants so that you can plan your event to appeal to your participants.

1. Activities within your event

If your event requires audience participation, like a conference or a meeting, think about ways to make
the structure interesting, in addition to the content. For example:
• If your conference participants are mainly meeting in large rooms and big groups to hear speakers,
you could also plan time in the schedule for participants to gather in small groups, either to discuss
ideas or as another forum for the presenters.
• If you are holding a panel, you should always leave sufficient time for a question and
answer session, and let your audience know that there will be time for their questions
at the end.
• If your program schedule includes time for people to engage with each other and the
material in a more interactive way, they will gain more from the experience and your
event will reflect their whole participation.
• If your event is longer than a day, you might want to include a specifically social
or social/cultural event so that your participants can take a break from the agenda
and relax. The relaxing process is not only fun – the distance also assists people in
digesting the information they’ve been working with all day!

My organisation aims to use art for social change by sponsoring the arts with local
youth and adults and organising performances for the community. Following their
performances, we always hold a question and answer period with the artist or
artists. By including this extra twenty minutes at the end of a show, we foster a
deeper interaction between the art, the audience, and the artist. Often artists are asked specific
questions about their creative process, and their answers may demystify the artistic process for
some blossoming artists in the audience – and so the performance isn’t only a performance, it’s
a chance to encourage other artists, too!
Cherie, Canada

If your program is educational, a social break like dancing, theatre, storytelling or listening to
music is a good change in rhythm.

At a conference I attended during college, we were in workshops and panels all

day for two days. The speakers were incredible and the information was very
interesting. On Saturday night, we left the conference centre for a pre-planned
party, and that was the first time that I had a chance to take a breath and really
start talking to the other delegates. Then I realized just how much I’d learned in the conference,
and what I could do with my new understanding – and new friends! – afterwards.
Mumio, Uganda

Event Planning Handbook 14 Section 2: Planning your Event

 If your program is a people-to-people program, geared to bring people together for a common
goal or just to meet each other, you will want to have many structured social aspects to your
program so that people can connect with each other. You might want to plan for a purely social
event like a sports game or another fun program. You should also incorporate “ice breakers” into
your program. For suggestions of icebreakers, see the Appendix.

2. Allocating Time

As you allocate time, make sure that you include sufficient time for every stage of the event, and that you
make time for meals and coffee and tea breaks. Also, if your event requires participants to move from
one venue to another – from, say, a sports field to a reception hall – make sure that you allocate sufficient
time for transit.

When you’re planning the times for segments of the event to begin and end, be realistic! And
when the day of the event comes, be on time!

So many times the entire schedule is thrown completely off because people are
late, and people get extremely irate!
Fred, Australia

Learning is enhanced by reflection and discussion, so make time for both!

One conference I attended was very creative with the way they planned the time
of hundreds of delegates. At the end of every session, and the beginning of every
day, the organisers asked us to separate into groups of three and spend a few
minutes talking to each other about what we’d learned. This structured time to
discuss gave me the chance to reflect – and to internalize – what I learned!
Shiblee, Bangladesh

3. Staffing the Event

To run the event, you need facilitators. Often members of the organising committee will facilitate the event
themselves, and often you will bring in an outsider to facilitate for you. Depending on what your event is,
you will have several different types of facilitation at the event.

For example:
For a fund-raiser, you might put on a talent show or an evening of entertainment. Simply in terms of
facilitation, you’ll need:
¤ Someone at the door collecting money as people enter
¤ Someone to introduce the organisation and the cause at the beginning of the event
¤ Someone to introduce the entertainers
¤ Someone to organise the entertainers “backstage”
¤ Someone to remind all the guests that the event is a fund-raiser and they should give funds!

Event Planning Handbook 15 Section 2: Planning your Event

4. Setting the date

Setting the right date is one of the most important tasks at hand. When you’re looking for a suitable day,
make sure that:

• Your event happens on a day without other major events. For example, choose to have your event on
a day other than a religious holiday, a major sports event (like the World Cup or the Superbowl!) or
another event that much of your target audience will attend.
• Pick a time when your target audience is likely to attend. For example, if you are planning an event
on a university campus, you probably want to have your event in the middle of the semester and not
during final examinations!

Picking the right time of day for the event is just as important as setting the date. As you choose the time,
remember to keep it mind that: You need to choose a time that is convenient for people to arrive. For
example, if your participants will primarily be using public transportation to arrive, make sure that your
event will not run later than public transportation.

Event Planning Handbook 16 Section 2: Planning your Event

 Chapter 4: Making the Event Budget

When you’re making a budget, look at the money you’ll spend (expenses) and the money
you may bring in (revenue). You should always cover your expenses for your event. If
you are planning a fund-raiser, you should aim to make a profit.

1. Expenses

• Venue (location). Do you need to rent a space? How much will it cost? Are there any additional costs,
like insurance or wages for a receptionist? Are any of the costs recoverable, like a security deposit that
is returned if nothing in the space is damaged during the event?

• Catering. Will you provide food and drinks during the event? How much will they cost?

• Promotion. You want to promote your event. Some options are flyers, posters, stickers, mailed invita-
tions or announcements. You can also purchase time on the radio or on television, or purchase a notice
on a billboard or a banner. All of these things cost money, from making photocopies to hiring a radio
ad. (Another great way to promote your event – expense-free! – is in interviews and articles on the
radio and in the newspaper. We’ll talk about promotion in more detail later.)

• Materials. The materials you may use during your event may range from flip
charts and markers for a presentation to printed literature that you hand out to
participants to other paraphernalia including pins, stickers, and T-shirts. Also, you
should use name-tags at most of your events.

• Presenters. Will you be having presenters at your event? What costs will they incur? Do they charge
a fee, and will you pay for their transportation, accommodation, and meals?

• Documenting the event. The cost of documenting the event is generally the cost of camera film
and film development or video tapes. You may want to rent sophisticated video equipment, too, and
you’ll need a volunteer or to hire someone who knows how to use it!

• Subsidising participants. If the cost of your program is prohibitive to some participants, will you
subsidise their attendance?

Event Planning Handbook 17 Section 2: Planning your Event

One good way to organise your budget is to make a chart. On your chart, you should include Cost,
Revenue, and Bottom line. Your chart can look like this one, which is an example from a performance of
youth writers and artists in Washington, DC in the U.S.A. As you can see, not only were costs covered,
but the organisation made a little profit, too!

Cost $
Renting the space $ 200.00
Backdrop: canvas, paint $ 50.00
Printing Costs: Promotional Flyers - 200 @ $0.07/each $ 14.00
Printing Costs: Programs - 100 @ $0.07/each $ 7.00
Drinks to Sell $ 20.00
Total Cost $ 291.00

How Covered Adjusted Cost

Space rented from community centre $ 200.00
Canvas and paints donated by hardware store -
Copy store gave us a special deal: 300 copies at $0.05/each $ 15.00
Drinks bought from local supermarket $ 20.00
Total Adjusted Cost $ 235.00

Revenue
Entrance fee: $3 for 100 guests $ 300.00
Drinks sold for profit $ 30.00
Total Revenue $ 330.00

Total Revenue - Total Adjusted Cost = Profit

$330.00 - $235.00 $ 95.00

After you’ve created your budget chart, you should check where you can cut costs. Look over your budget
and ask yourself these questions:

• What is my break-even item: how much money do I have to bring in to cover my costs?
• What on this list can I acquire through a donor?
• Can I negotiate these costs any lower?
• If I am a little bit creative and innovative, what costs can I reduce? (Many supplies, for example, can
be found or reused.)
• What on this list must I spend money for?

Event Planning Handbook 18 Section 2: Planning your Event

 Chapter 5: Covering Your Costs

There are a few different ways you can cover your costs, and most people
use a combination of these methods:
• In-kind contributions
• Donations, contributions and grants
• Cut costs!

1. Cover your costs

Why do businesses give in-kind donations, and embassies, foundations, individuals and development
agencies give grants? Many of them support your cause, and a contribution is a way for them to help you
and show their support. It is a good way for them to promote themselves as positive actors their name
in the community.

You can receive assistance in the form of in-kind contributions, money, and technical assistance. All three
can be key elements to your event.

In-kind contribution
An in-kind contribution is the contribution of a good or a service to your event or organisation, including
equipment, supplies, or even space or staff time. An example of an in-kind donation is the copy centre
reducing the costs of making copies or giving them for free altogether. Another example of an in-kind
contribution is a restaurant giving you free food and drinks you can use to cater your event. In-kind dona-
tions are a good way to cover many of your costs.

Donations, contributions and grants

Donations, contributions and grants are money given by individuals and foundations to support your organi-
sation or event as part of their social responsibility to their community and the community of the world.

Technical Assistance
Technical assistance is the advice, counsel, and direction you and your organisation receive from an
organisation or a business. Technical assistance is not a financial contribution, but it is very important.
Some advice is more than worth its weight in gold!

2. Who contributes?

Foundations, Embassies, Development Agencies; Businesses; Individuals. Below are explanations in detail.
• Foundations
A foundation is an organisation that makes grants or donations to support charitable purposes, includ-
ing social, educational, religious and other common welfare activities. “Family foundations” are inde-
pendent, private foundations whose funds are derived from members of a single family. Corporate
or company-sponsored foundations are private foundations whose funds are derived from a for-profit
business. Other foundations derive their funds from a variety of sources.

• Embassies
Foreign embassies are often a good source of funding, and they often have a certain amount of fund-
ing put aside for giving grants and contributions to their local communities. You should approach
the embassy by telephone or post and ask to speak with the person responsible for their local grant
making. Embassies give funds locally as a part of their commitment to building a world community of
good neighbours and sustainable development.

Event Planning Handbook 19 Section 2: Planning your Event

• Development Agencies
Development agencies are another good source of funding. These include the United States Agency for
International Development (U.S. AID), the Australian Government’s Overseas Aid Program (AUSAID)
and the United Nations Development Project (UNDP). Other international development agencies
include the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and the Danish Interna-
tional Development Agency (DANIDA).
All international development agencies have websites. For those development agencies named above,
the websites are:
http://www.usaid.gov
http://www.usaid.gov/missions.shtml.
http://www.ausaid.gov.au/
http://www.undp.org.
http://www.um.dk/danida/
http://www.sida.se

• Individual Donors
Another source of funds is individuals, generally members or constituents of your organisation, like
people in the neighbourhood that your organisation serves. These are people you can turn to for
general funds, like membership drives, and for special costs, like some of the costs of your event. For
example, if you have a specific cost, like the rental fee for renting a space to hold your event, you
can approach a donor and ask them to cover the cost for you. If you are a part of a membership
organisation, you can ask all of your members to cover some of the costs. However, many activists
dedicate a lot of their time to their cause, and you can look at that time as something of an in-kind
donation. So be careful not to overburden them by asking for money too often!

3. Attaining a contribution

Always invite donors to your events!

A foundation, embassy and development agency will give you money in the form of a grant, and gener-
ally you need to write a letter of inquiry and a proposal according to their guidelines. Some organisations
will assist you with matching grants, which are funds they donate to be the same amount that you raise
yourself. For example, if you can raise 9000 pesos yourself (from a fund-raiser, for example), the founda-
tion will “match” your achievement with a donation of 9000 pesos. Organisations make matching grants
because they want to make certain that you and others are financially committed to your cause.
For assistance on writing grant letters and proposals, look for technical assistance from someone in your
community with experience in this area who can be a mentor for you on fund-raising. This person might be
a co-ordinator of a youth program or another non-governmental organisation, a university student, or per-
haps a foreign volunteer in your area. Another resource that can be of assistance to you with information
on foundations, grants, and how to write grant letters and proposals is the Foundation Centre’s website.
The Foundation Centre is a U.S. based organisation that assists anyone, from non-profit organisations to
individuals, looking for grants. You can access their website at www.fdncenter.org.
When you approach a business for an in-kind contribution, they will not ask for a proposal; rather, you
must approach the owner or manager directly, introduce your organisation and persuade them of the
value of your cause!
In giving their funds, these organisations and individuals may be interested in a certain region or commu-
nity, and they will support a variety of initiatives in that location. The organisation may be interested in a
certain cause or issue, like fighting AIDS or preserving the environment. Some organisation are interested
in groups based on gender, ethnicity, nationality, or other distinguishing elements in our communities.

Event Planning Handbook 20 Section 2: Planning your Event

Recognise your donors

You should always publicly recognise your donors! Some organisations that give you in-kind contributions
will ask that you recognise them publicly; others simply expect that you will do so. If you are printing a
program or any other literature for your event, you should include a list of donors and recognise in-kind
donations specifically.

In all your interactions with donors, you are building relationships with possible partners and
future partners in your projects. Thank them, stay in touch with them, and invite them to your
events!

Two years ago, I was invited to attend a Youth Environmental Activist Training
Workshop. My first ever! Since I live in Belgium and the workshop was taking
place in Morocco I needed to raise money to attend. I approached the manager
of the bank in my town who said she would help with financial support. While I
was at the workshop I sent an email everyday to all the people who had expressed
interest in the workshop. At the bottom of each email I thanked the sponsoring bank. Since then
I have sent letters to the Bank Manager about twice a year letting her know about my environ-
mental conservation activities. Last week, I learned of an environmental conference that I want
to attend in New York City. I returned to the Bank Manager to request funding. Right away her
response was “Yes, we would be happy to support you! I am very impressed at all you have been
involved with and I know that you will put our support in you to good use. We also appreciate
that you have made an effort to let the town know of our support”.
Monique, Belgium

Event Planning Handbook 21 Section 2: Planning your Event

 Chapter 6: Raising Funds for Your Event

You may not always need to make an income, but if you do, here are a few ideas.

1. Participation Fees

For an event, one of the easiest ways to generate income is to charge an entry or attendance fee for your
participants. When deciding how much to charge, you should take into account:

1) How much you think people will realistically pay to attend. If you make the fee too high and few people
attend, you won’t raise much money!
2) The price of attendance at similar events;
3) What the population you are trying to attract can afford. If you are creating an event that is “open to
the public” but your attendance fee is something that certain people cannot afford, you are, by virtue
of the price, creating an event that is only open to certain segments of the population.

Charging a fee, even a minimal fee, is an important element for many events. For many people,
only things that cost money have value. Paying a fee is making a commitment to the event and
the cause, which is one of the goals of your event!

A local women’s group wanted to hold an event on March 8, International Wom-

en’s Day, that would be open to the public and would celebrate women. They
decided to have a concert that would celebrate women and the country’s diversity,
so they invited singers from all of the different ethnic groups in the country to sing
in their own languages. When it came time to decide on an entrance fee, some
of the women suggested a fee that was the equivalent of 550 Nigerian naira. Other women
objected on the grounds that the price tag would be way too high for students, working-class
women and many single heads of households to afford. The organising committee was torn;
they had costs to cover and needed revenue, but they wanted their event to be an inclusive,
community-wide event.
One woman on the organising committee came up with a creative solution that had three parts:
1. The entrance fee was lowered to 110 naira, which is more affordable; 2. Children under 12
were all admitted for free, so that women could bring their children; and 3. A private donor was
found to cover the rest of the costs for the event. With this solution, the event was open to the
public, it celebrated women, and it celebrated the diversity of the country – including both ethnic
and economic diversity!
Ngozika, Nigeria

2. Product Sales

Another way to generate income for your event or organisation is to sell goods at the event. For example,
you could sell food or baked items at the event at a high enough price to cover the cost of your materials
and a low enough cost to encourage people to buy. You could also sell food that is donated to you in an
in-kind donation, though you have to make sure that the donor agrees to this idea.

Event Planning Handbook 22 Section 2: Planning your Event

Many people like to buy products that are useful and also commemorative. For example, you could sell
a T-shirt or cap with your group’s name and logo and the title, date and location of your event. You could
ask an artist – or perhaps one of you is an artist – to create a beautiful logo or design to place on the
shirt or cap.

You could also sell things that you and members of your organisation make like, for example, jewelry,
decorated writing paper, baskets, blankets or other decorative and artistic items. At some events, it makes
sense to invite entrepreneurs or artists to sell their goods, and you can charge them a small fee for sharing
your event and space.

I planned a sit-down dinner as a fund-raiser for a shelter for women fleeing violence.
In addition to planning the dinner and entertainment, we had a market space at
the dinner where guests could purchase dolls, embroidered clothing, wall hangings,
and wood crafts that the women of the shelter made. With this little market, the
shelter got to showcase the handiwork of the women they assist – and the women
made a little money, too!
Aida, Israel

You may need a permit to sell food or other goods at your event. You should check with the
proper authorities.

Event Planning Handbook 23 Section 2: Planning your Event

 Chapter 7: Promoting Your Event

1. Reaching Your Participants

What’s one thing you absolutely need for a successful event? Participants!

To get participants for your event, you need to invite them! You should create a marketing or outreach plan
for bringing attendees to your event, allocate tasks among the organising committee, and get started.

Here are a few ways to attract participants:

• Invitations: face-to-face, over the telephone, over email, or in regular postal
mail.
• Hand out publicity leaflets everywhere you can!
• Publicising the event: in local newspapers or newsletters, with posters or flyers,
on the radio, in community centres, schools, on bulletin boards, and anywhere
else you can think of!
• Announce your event during other events: at meetings, concerts, lectures, and other public gatherings,
ask to make an announcement and promote your event!

The Web Advantage

Another great way to promote your event is to set up a website with details about the event. Many
network providers (geocities.com, for example) will host your site for free. If your event requires
registration, you might want to arrange for registration for the website.
Creating a website is a perfect task for someone on the organising committee to do. And if you’ve
never created a website before…now’s the time to learn!

2. Best Tried & True Method for Bringing People to Your Event:

WORD OF MOUTH!
Spread the
Talk to potential participants about your event. Talk to them one-on-one,
Word!
tell them about the event and answer their questions about it. Ask them
if they are coming and encourage them to attend. Follow up with them
before the event to remind them and make sure they are coming.

Talk about your upcoming event in social settings like parties or meals.
Go to classrooms, meetings, and other events to announce your event
and invite participants.

3. Publicity Materials

Bringing participants to your event is a task into which you should invest energy and resources. Make
your publicity materials and announcements attractive and creative. Be sure to include this information:
¥ Name of event
¥ Location of event
¥ Time of event (start and finish time)

Event Planning Handbook 24 Section 2: Planning your Event

¥ Cost of event
¥ Contact information:
• Include a telephone number, email address or postal address so that potential attendees can pursue
more information about the event, confirm their attendance, or register. If it’s possible, you might
want to arrange a toll-free phone number. Also, if it’s appropriate, include the name of the person
on the organising committee who has the specific responsibility of responding to inquiries. See
more about responding to inquiries below.

Open up an email account specifically for your event! For example, the “Learning for
Life” conference registration email address could be [email protected]

With AIESEC Cape Town, we put a lot of effort and money into having beauti-
ful glossy posters specially printed for a conference. When the posters were
ready and we started to post them, we noticed that there was a terrible error:
the phone number to contact for more information, two of the numbers were
reversed! We had to contact the person who’s number was actually listed – he
wasn’t connected to the conference at all! – and ask him to refer all the inquiries to our real
number. It was a lot of chaos that could have been avoided if we’d proofed the poster better
before we printed!
Thandi, South Africa

• Make sure that you can be contacted by people who don’t regularly use the latest advanced tech-
nologies. If most of your target population doesn’t have phone or email access, make sure that
your publicity materials include an address where you can be found or correspondence can reach
you, like a community centre, a youth centre, or a postal address. Or, even if email is your primary
method of communication, you should always include a phone number in your contact information
so that people who don’t use email can be in touch.

In addition:
• If your participants speak different languages, you will have translators at the event. You should
note that in the publicity materials.
• If you are arranging baby-sitting or child care for your attendees, note that in the publicity mate-
rials. For many parents, having child care at the event makes the difference between whether
or not they can attend!
• If your event is accessible to people with handicaps or other disabilities, note
that too! These include: having a signer to translate the event for the deaf and
using a facility that has ramps and elevators instead of steps for people who
use wheelchairs.
• If your event is being held at a place that’s hard to find or complicated to arrive at, include
directions or a little map with your invitation.
• If your event has a cost but you can offer subsidies or scholarships for certain attendees, note
that on the publicity materials also.
• If you want to include a few more details on your event, go ahead. Just remember, keep your
invitation clear, succinct, and eye-catching.
• If your event is focused on a topic to which you want to raise your attendees’ awareness and
level of understanding, you could include a few short sentences on the invitation or publicity
materials. Your explanation should be short and clear. Your attendees will learn more at the
event, or they can contact you for more information if they want it.

Event Planning Handbook 25 Section 2: Planning your Event

PUBLICITY POSTER FOR A RALLY

For a protest at the Health Ministry demanding more funding for AIDS prevention among youth, a student
group sent this simple announcement out over email:

WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO LIVE! WE DESERVE TO BE PROTECTED!

JOIN US FOR A RALLY AT THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE

WE DEMAND FUNDING FOR

AIDS PREVENTION AMONG YOUTH!

JULY 14 AT 5PM IN FRONT THE MINISTRY:

Chandralok Building, 36, Janpath, New Delhi

Bring your family, friends, and good shouting voices! We’ll supply the posters.
For more information, contact Minhazz: [email protected] or (11) 22-234-4444

Choosing the Right Title

Even though you’re only looking for a short phrase – or in some cases, just one or two words, choosing
the right title for your event is often a very challenging task. For some events, a straightforward title is
sufficient. For others, you want something a little jazzier, with a little spice, to attract people to the event.
The title also starts to set the atmosphere for the event, so you want to the title to reflect the event you’re
trying to create.

Here are a few good titles that are being used by projects around the world:
“Tourism: Sharing the Rewards” For a conference on eco-tourism.
“Learning for Life: Making Education Relevant for the Workplace” for an education workshop.
“Learning in Action” for a training to build capacity for social entrepreneurs.
“Seeds of Peace” for a summer-camp and youth programs for youth from the Middle East.
“Spoken Resistance” for creative writing workshops and performances for youth.

Event Planning Handbook 26 Section 2: Planning your Event

 Chapter 8: Media

Media coverage ranges from newsletter notices to special feature articles on the radio, television, the
Internet and in newspapers and magazines. It’s a great way to let people know about your organisation
and what you’re doing and it’s a great introduction for potential members. It’s also very satisfying for
event organisers to see other people talking about the fruit of their labour! Your objective is for journalists
and editors to be interested enough in your event that they give it media coverage. It’s great if they will
interview the organisers before or during the event and the participants during the event. They should also
take lots of pictures!
Make your event newsworthy! Feature a well-known artist or thinker, or come up with a joint statement
that you send out to the media!

Ways to Use the Media

• Issue a press release (more details on a press release later).

• Call in to radio shows and talk about your event.
• Buy (or have donated) advertisements on the radio, television and in newspapers.
• Write an article on your event and publish it on the Internet. www.indymedia.org is a website for self-
publishing news articles.

Always save copies of the coverage you receive in the media. Everything from a mention of your
organisation’s name to a feature article on your event should be preserved for future use.

Press Contact!
Your press contact is the person whose name and contact details are on the press release that you send to
the media, and this should be the person who will be interviewed on the news and co-ordinate interviews
with other people. This person should be someone who can articulate him or herself well and is comfort-
able in front of a camera or a microphone. Depending on how much media coverage you expect to have,
you might need more than one press contact.
The press contact will meet the journalists who come to the event, give them publicity information that you’ve
put together and do interviews. The press contact should be available to the press throughout the event.

Co-ordinate the times that media will interview participants so that the interviews don’t interrupt
the program! Schedule interviews before sessions begin in the morning or after they end at the
end of the day, or during meals.

In one conference I attended, journalists wanted to pull participants out of working

sessions for interviews, which would have interrupted the flow of the meetings and dis-
turbed the other participants. The press contacts got together with the journalists, and
planned compatible times – usually during meals – for the interviews. That way, the
conference got to continue as planned, and we got the press coverage we wanted!
Precious, Zimbabwe

Press Release!
Your press release should be no longer than a few paragraphs (definitely not longer than a page!) and
include your contact details, and the name and date of the event very prominently on the top. You should
also include:
• Location
• Time
• An explanation of why your event is newsworthy. Is it…students cleaning out an old, abandoned

Event Planning Handbook 27 Section 2: Planning your Event

 building so they can renovate it and create a community centre? That’s newsworthy: it’s youth taking
initiative to better their community. Is it…a hike in the woods with a school group? The school news-
paper is probably interested! If your event is important enough to put effort into…it’s important enough
for media coverage. You just have to explain why clearly and concisely.
Be sure to use quotes, too!

Getting endorsements for your event from strategic organisations or people is a good way to
attract media coverage!

Here’s an example of a press release based on one from the International Youth Parliament with explana-
tions of the different sections. You can use this model again and again!

Put this title at the top of the page!

PRESS RELEASE Always include your logo on your press

release and other materials!

International Youth Day 2001 - August 12:

International Youth Parliament joins the UN What?
in Commemorating Youth Issues on the World
Agenda

August 12, 2001 When?

Sydney, Australia Where?
Your name Who?
Your contact information Your name and contact information should be
on top, clear and accessible!

International Youth Day will be observed today across the The first sentence tells the media what the event
globe to promote the active role of youth in social, economic is: in this case, a global celebration of Interna-
and political affairs on national, regional and international tional Youth Day to promote youth involvement
levels. in different spheres of life.
International Youth Parliament, an initiative of Oxfam Com-
munity Aid Abroad (in Australia), will commemorate the day This sentence tells the media what the LOCAL
with representatives at the 4th World Youth Forum in connection is: that the IYP, which is an Austral-
Senegal. Representatives of the International Youth Par- ian initiative, will spend the day with the UN
liament network of 250 young leaders in over 150 in Senegal. The media is always looking for
countries are talking with the UN about the importance a LOCAL connection, so you should always
of youth participation in global decision making, and emphasise the local.
joining with others to salute the work of youth in
building an equitable, sustainable and peaceful world. This sentence describes what the event is in
more detail.
“Young people are not just a symbol of the future.
They are the future and the present. They must be You should have a quote from one of
involved in shaping the world they will live in as the organisers or one of the well-known
adults,” says Brett Solomon, International Youth Parliament people involved with the event. The quote
Co-ordinator and World Youth Forum Representative. should affirm why the event is important
and newsworthy – in this case, the event is
International Youth Parliament advocates for the rights of important because youth are important! You
young people and facilitates youth participation in develop- can make your quote bold so it stands out.
ment. It provides a network for young people to learn and
exchange ideas on a range of pressing global issues includ- This paragraph describes what the Interna-
ing human rights and discrimination, youth employment, sus- tional Youth Parliament is and what it stands
tainable development, culture and identity, HIV/AIDS and for. This is a good way to introduce your
youth development. International Youth Parliament seeks to organisation to the media.
make governments, business and communities more respon-
sive to the aspirations of youth for a better world and to
place the actions, experiences and ideas of young people
on local, national and international agendas.

For more information or to schedule an interview, Have your name and contact details again!
please contact: Make it very easy for the press to find you!
Name and contact details again

Event Planning Handbook 28 Section 2: Planning your Event

Send your press release out 4 days to a week in advance of your event. Then, the day before the event,
call the news desks to confirm that they received your press release and ask if they need any more informa-
tion or want someone to interview.

Sally McGeoch of the International Youth Parliament says: “Remember that media coverage is a great tool
to increase the profile of your work and your youth organisation and can support public awareness and
fund-raising campaigns!”

Talking to journalists is one of the most important parts of building a relationship between your
organisation and the publicity you receive. It’s an ongoing process, too, that requires continued
effort that doesn’t necessarily produce the results the first or second time you try. Keep trying!

I was part of a group, Vecinos (Neighbours), that created a tutoring program in a

poor neighbourhood in Guatemala City. We wanted to draw public attention to the
poor state of the school, so we planned a day-long festival in this neighbourhood and
invited families all over town, and then spent the funds we raised on new textbooks. I
sent out press releases before the event, but no one from the media came.
A few months later, we decided to hold another festival, and so I sent out press releases again.
This time, I invested a lot of energy into media attention by calling journalists and pursuing them.
This time, the journalists did cover the event. I learned my lesson for the media: Lesson: take time
to build relationships with the media. It pays off in the long run!
Manuela, Guatemala

Event Planning Handbook 29 Section 2: Planning your Event

 Chapter 9: Logistics

Logistics are all the details that make the event happen. They range from: ordering the food from the
caterer to making sure that clean-up happens after the meal; from finding the right location for the event
to making sure that you have all the props you need, like flip-charts, markers, and other materials for
participants; from creating a system for participants to register for the event to placing the name tags on
the registration table. In short, logistics are the details that make the event happen!

Members of the organising committee should be responsible for co-ordinating each of the logistical tasks.
Logistics can be divided into these basic categories:
Agenda
Venue
Inviting Speakers and Facilitators
Props
Materials
Meals and Refreshments
Responding to Inquiries & Confirming Attendance
Registration
Lodging
Transportation
Documenting Your Event

Use the list above as a checklist – have you allocated the tasks in each of these areas?

1. Agenda

The agenda, from the perspective of logistics, is how the event looks when broken down according to
time. It is exactly where the participants will be at what times, and who is responsible for what piece of
the agenda. For a workshop, the agenda could look something like this:

Time Activity Who’s responsible?

10:00 – 10:15 Arrive, get refreshments, sit down Juan
10:15 – 10:45 Presentation of the Agenda; Ice-breakers Diego
10:45 – 11:25 First half of the workshop Bernal
11:25 – 11:35 Break
11:35 – 12:15 Second half of the workshop Jairo

Be realistic when you’re budgeting your time! If you misjudge and start/end times are missed,
you can throw off the whole schedule for the day. Try to schedule in a bit of “elbow room” so
that the schedule has room to stretch if you need it!
Always be flexible! You might find during the event that participants want to pursue one theme
and not another, and you might have to change the agenda to match their needs.

Event Planning Handbook 30 Section 2: Planning your Event

2. Venue

There are many details about the venue that need to be worked out. These include: where the event will be
located; how long the event will last; who will set up; who will clean up. If your event is large and requires
multiple rooms or multiple locations, the logistics of the location become more complicated.

Don’t forget to provide your participants with maps, and place arrows at the
venue to show them where to go!
Make sure someone will open the venue up on time!

The chart below is a helpful list of what details to bear in mind for venue logistics,
and how to organise them.

Logistical details Does the Where will Who’s Other details

site have we get it? responsible
it? for set-up?
Chairs Yes Suhair Chairs can only be set up
after 4pm.
Tables No Borrowing from Thomas Humphrey and David will help
the school bring the tables to the
building. Also only after 4pm.
Microphone/ No Borrowing from Camara
Public Address the school
System

Certain venues and certain activities, like a gathering in a park, might require a permit. Be sure
to check with the proper authorities!
You could create a space for exhibiting promotional items as well as promotional literature from
other organisations!

3. Inviting Speakers and Facilitators

If you will be having speakers and outside facilitators at your event, they need to be invited. You should
contact them, introduce yourself, explain your event, and ask for their participation. Be sensitive that many
public speakers and facilitators make their living through speaking and working at events and confer-
ences, so be prepared to pay their fee or offer an honorarium (a payment given to someone for services
for which fees are not legally or traditionally required).

Think about how you can present your organisation and your event to best attract the speakers
you want!

4. Props

Props are the tools you need to run the event, including flip-charts, markers, and whatever else your
presenters and participants need. Additional props could include a stereo system, a slide projector and
an overhead projector.

Event Planning Handbook 31 Section 2: Planning your Event

5. Materials

The materials that you use include the literature that you will provide for your speakers, participants, and
the media. You may want to make packets or folders as Welcome Packs to give out upon arrival.

Welcome Packs include:

• A welcome letter explaining the event and its objectives (from the organising committee or the organ-
iser of the event).
• A presentation of the agenda and, if it’s a long event, a schedule giving the times and locations of all
events.
• Introductory and background information on your organisation, its purpose and its activities.
• A welcome letter from the head of the organisation.
• Biographies of the speakers.
• A map of the event location.
• Name tags.
• An evaluation form to be completed at the end of the event. For an example of an evaluation form,
see the Appendix.

You also might include:

• Writing paper and a pen or pencil.
• Information on the surrounding area (such as places to visit, to eat, to buy necessities) if people are
coming from a distance.
You will also have specific information relevant only for the participants, the speakers, or the media.

If your event is large and people will be following different schedules, consider colour-coding
their schedules and name tags.
If your event is more than one day, think of creative ways to make the name tags look fresh and
clean day after day. Perhaps you can put them in a plastic protector, or mount them on a piece
of fabric.
Make sure that any ticket or pass you create is not easily reproducible!

For participants and the speakers: For the media:

• Include contact information for • Include the press release and
all participants and speakers. the names of press contacts.
• Include detailed information • Include the times that inter-
on lodging and meals. If views can be conducted.
you are using “meal tickets”, • If you can, include copies of
include them in the materials previous media coverage of
as well! your organisation.
• Include writing materials –
paper and pen or pencil – for
each participant’s use.

Evaluation Forms

Getting feedback from your participants on your event is important. You want to know how they
enjoyed the event and what they learned from it, and you also need to know what worked for them
and what didn’t. You should aim for all your participants to fill out your evaluation form. Either give
it to them in their material packets or give it to them at the end of the event, and be sure to collect the
completed forms. And tell your participants how much you want to know what they think!

Event Planning Handbook 32 Section 2: Planning your Event

6. Meals and Refreshments

Think about all of the events you’ve attended when you were hungry or needed refreshment … how much
do you remember from the event, aside from how hungry you were? Probably very little. That’s why it’s
highly important that you include meal and refreshment breaks during your event, and that you organise
them well!

The logistics for the meals and refreshments include:

• Ordering the food from the caterer.
• Organising the food pick-up or delivery.
• Organising the set-up and clean-up of the food.
• Making sure that you have coffee, tea, water and/or other drinks available.
• Creating a simple and organised system for food dispersal.

If you will be serving meals at your event, how will you identify who eats? Will they show their name
tags, or will they receive “meal tickets” that they trade in at every meal? Whatever your system, make
sure it’s organised.

During one event, hundreds of delegates had to queue in the lunch hour for meal
tickets, and some found their names were not on ‘the list’ so they were refused meals,
even though they were official delegates. It was quite frustrating and embarrassing!
Anh, Vietnam
During one training I attended, the catered lunch was late to arrive for the first couple of days,
and we waited, hungrily, until it came. By the third day, the organisers had a bright idea: they
provided snacks during teatime, and we only actually broke for lunch when it really arrived!
Julia, Chile

7. Responding to Inquiries & Confirming Attendance

When potential attendees contact you for information about the event, you
should have a pre-planned way to respond to their request, for example,
answering their questions and asking for their contact information so that you
can continue to be in touch with them. Make a list of all potential attendees
with their contact information (phone number, email and postal addresses)
and mark whether they will attend the event and whether they wish to receive
more information about the topic or your organisation. Some people might
not be able to attend the event, but may want to be invited to future events.

Your list will help you judge how many people will be attending your event. As your numbers increase,
make sure that you plan accordingly! For example, if you ordered 50 lunches for 50 participants, and
now you have 65 participants, you need to order 15 more lunches!

Save your lists! You can use them as an invitation list for future events.

Name Phone number Attending? Send more info.

Sonia Lopez 234-5678 √ [email protected]
Alberto Sanchez 987-6543 x [email protected]
David Kramer 567-8912 √ 123 Brown St.

Confirm attendance and remind everyone about the event! A few days before the event, confirm
with everyone who’s a part of the event that they’ll be there: confirm with your attendees, with your
presenters, and with everyone involved in making the event happen, like the people from whom
you’re renting space or buying food.

Event Planning Handbook 33 Section 2: Planning your Event

8. Registration

If your event requires registration, you should create a system for keeping your records, and, just in case
of emergency, more than one person should be able to access the records at all times. In your registration
materials, you should have the:
• Participant’s name.
• Participant’s contact information.
• Organisation with which the participant is associated (including a school or university).
You should also include:
• Whether or not the participant needs lodging.
• Whether or not the participant requires special meals (vegetarian or specific food allergies).
• Whether or not the participant has paid the registration fee.

I co-ordinated registration for a national workshop. As delegates called to register, I noted

where they were from. When I saw two or more out-of-town delegates coming from the
same place, I emailed them all so that they could make their travel plans together!
Najia, Morocco

9. Lodging

If your participants and speakers will be staying overnight for your event, you need to organise lodging
for them. Often out-of-town participants and speakers will stay overnight with participants from in-town,
while sometimes participants will stay at a conference centre, a youth centre, or a hotel or hostel.

We co-ordinated the lodging for more than 300 participants for a conference at the uni-
versity. To save costs, we found scores of students at the university who were willing to
host participants in their rooms. Believe us, it was a very detail-oriented task! When the
day of the conference came and participants began to arrive, we realized that we had
forgotten to tell participants one key detail: to bring their own bedding. Fortunately, many of the par-
ticipants had gone ahead and brought a sleep-sack or a blanket, but many had not. The first evening,
instead of joining the opening dinner, we were rushing around the university looking for blankets and
extra bedding! Anna and Lana, Ukraine

10. Transportation

If you will provide transportation to and from the airport, bus station, or train
station, you need to organise the transport ahead of time. Also, if you will
need transportation from site to site during the event, you need to arrange that ahead of time, too.

I arrived in a foreign country after a long trip and found a representative from the confer-
ence waiting at the station to bring other delegates and me to the conference centre. I
was totally relieved that transportation was taken care of and I didn’t have to navigate a
new city at the end of a long and tiring journey! Esteban, Mexico

11. Document your event! Make a documentary and

show it after the event!
There are a number of ways for you to document your event: Interview participants,
• Take copious notes during sessions, speeches, and discussions. speakers, and organisers.
• Take many photos. Edit the tape and hold a screening
after the event. It’s a great way to
• Make an audio or video tape of the event. follow-up with your participants!

Event Planning Handbook 34 Section 2: Planning your Event

 LET’S EXECUTE YOUR EVENT!

SECTION 3: EXECUTING YOUR EVENT

The start of your event has arrived! You’ve invested time, energy and resources into planning, and your
big day is finally here!

By now, all of your major planning should be done, and you should only have small tasks left, like picking
up the food and drinks and displaying your materials.

Before your event begins, think about the objectives you want this event to accomplish. Keep those objec-
tives in mind throughout the event and guide your event towards the goals you set. Also, the goals you
aim to achieve will guide you if you need to address any unexpected situations that might arise.

Don’t forget:
• Communicate with the other organisers throughout the event!
• Greet your participants!
• And go with the flow of the day!

Event Planning Handbook 35 Section 3: Executing your Event

 Chapter 10: Executing Your Event +
Tips for the Day of Your Event

While you’re planning your event, remember that these tasks to be completed during the event:

1. Welcome everyone!

Make sure that participants are welcomed as they arrive at the venue. If you are having speakers, wel-
come your speakers outside of the venue and escort them in.

I attended a training a few months ago with a trainer from Canada. At the begin-
ning of the training, the trainer welcomed everyone into the room and gave special
acknowledgement to the leaders who were with us. I have attended other trainings
with non-African trainers who don’t take the time to get to know our culture, and I was
struck by how respectful it was for this trainer to learn what was appropriate for us in Ghana!
Rabi, Ghana

2. Registration

You have a few tasks to take care of for registration. They include:
a. Assigning of name tags.
b. Giving out of event materials, including the schedule.
c. Making sure that lodging is taken care of.

3. Information table/Registration desk

Make sure that someone is available throughout the event to answer questions or direct participants who
get lost. Also, if your event is longer than a day, you may have people who will need to register after
the first day.

4. Venue Maintenance

The venue must be prepared before the event and maintained throughout the event. And if the event is
longer than a day, the venue must be tidied daily!

I just came back from a country where smoking cigarettes is only allowed outdoors.
The organisers of the workshop didn’t supply ashtrays, so the smokers left their ciga-
rette butts on the ground around the entrance to the venue. By the end of the first day,
the place was a mess!
Paul, Netherlands

Event Planning Handbook 37 Section 3: Executing your Event

5. Staff the event

To staff the event, you must have people doing things such as staffing the registration table, welcoming
participants and speakers, and tidying the venue. You should have someone:
• Introduce the speakers
• Moderate discussion
• Keep time
• Record the talk and the discussion

6. Co-ordinate the media

The media contacts should co-ordinate the media at the event. They should meet and greet the journalists,
give them their packets of materials, and organise people to give interviews.

7. Transportation

If your event requires transportation, organise it!

8. Evaluation Forms

Encourage your participants, speakers, and organising committee to complete the evaluation forms and
then collect the completed forms! At some events, you will give out the evaluation forms at the end of the
event. At other events, evaluation forms will be included in the materials packet. However you give the
form, make sure you get it back completed!

I recently went to a festival and rally where the organisers gave out a piece of memo-
rabilia to everyone who returned a completed evaluation form! Completing the evalu-
ation form was the only way to get the memorabilia!
Goodwin, Kenya

9. Record your event!

Take photos, videos, and written notes of the event.

What to do if something goes wrong:

Before the event, the organisers must authorise a person or a few people to make emergency deci-
sions during the event, in case something needs to be changed or corrected. This during-the-event
decision-making process is an essential part of making sure that the event runs smoothly, and keeps
running no matter what!

What could go wrong? What to do about it?

• Bad weather? Have an indoor venue just in case!
• Fewer participants show up than you expected? Divide the room in two and hold a more intimate
gathering!
• Speaker cancels? Have a back-up plan! Have someone stand in and speak, or moderate a
discussion, or show a film!
• The venue is locked until 9 but the event starts at 8? Start outside!

Event Planning Handbook 38 Section 3: Executing your Event

 LET’S WRAP UP YOUR EVENT!

SECTION 4: AFTER YOUR EVENT!

Congratulations! Your event is over, and hopefully you achieved all or most of your objectives. Now it’s
time to wrap up!

You might be experiencing a mixture of feelings – perhaps you’re exhausted from all the hard work;
maybe you’re exhilarated by the new ideas and connections that your event brought to life; you could
even be frustrated by something in your event that turned out unexpectedly. Hopefully your event also
generated something positive that was unplanned and surprising.

Whatever you’re feeling, there is still more to do to actually finish your event: thanking supporters and
contributors; disseminating post-event materials; and following up on any other commitments you made
during the event.

Also, you should take time to reflect on your event and think about what lessons you can draw from it.
Soon you may be preparing for your next event!

Event Planning Handbook 39 Section 4: After your Event

 Chapter 11: After Your Event

Once your event is over, you should take time to reflect and assess on how it went and follow-up on
opportunities that were created out of the event.

Reflect and Assess

Asyou reflect on your event, think about:

• How did the event go overall?
• Who was there? Did your target participants come to the event?
• Did you follow your agenda? Did the agenda meet the participants’
needs?
• How was your media coverage?
• How was your pre-event planning? Were you prepared for the event?
• What would you do differently in the planning of your next event?

Listen to the impressions and opinions of different people – organisers, participants and observers.
By discussing the event with different people, you’ll gain a much deeper understanding of what
the real impact of the event was.
Be sure to discuss the organising process with the organising team!
The evaluation forms, included in your participation materials, can assist you as you think over
the event.

Follow-up

Your event follow-up can be thought of in three categories:

1. Correspondence
2. Delivering post-event materials
3. Thinking ahead

1. Correspondence
After your event, you should be in touch with the people who were a part of the event. Reaffirm the
relationships that you are building. You should write thank-you letters to:
• Your sponsors.
• Your speakers.
• Your venue hosts, your caterers, and other people who were a part of making the event happen.
• If it’s appropriate, your participants.
In your thank you letter, you should recap the event and the role the sponsor or speaker played in making
it. If you have photos you can send them, include them in the letter.

If you’ve already created a website, you can post your photos on the website! Let all the partici-
pants, sponsors and speakers know that the pictures are up too!
If you received media coverage, you should follow-up with the journalists who covered your event.
Stay in touch with them, and be sure to invite them to your next event!

Event Planning Handbook 41 Section 4: After your Event

2. Delivering post-event materials
Send participants, speakers and sponsors the relevant documents or materials that come out of your event,
like:
• Minutes or a summary of the proceedings.
• A declaration.
Send donors and participants copies of your media coverage! Let everyone know how successful your
event was!

3. Thinking ahead
As this event ends, think about what you can take from it to your next event. Did you:
• Make new contacts?
• Start to plan future collaborations or events?
• Gain insight into how to organise an event?
As you reflect on your event after its over, remember to take notes of your thoughts and ideas. You can
use them to innovate your next event!

Event Planning Handbook 42 Section 4: After your Event

 APPENDIX I

CHECKLIST FOR PLANNING YOUR EVENT

Have you…
c Decided on the objectives for your event?
c Decided what kind of event you want to have?
c Decided if you will organise the event on your own or with a team?

If you decide on organising as part of a team, have you…

c Found other people who will organise the event with you?
c Divided up the tasks that need to be accomplished?
c Decided how you will make decisions in your group?

In your list of tasks to be accomplished, have you included…

c Setting a date for your event?
c Picking a venue?
c Setting a time?

Have you…
c Made a budget?
c Made a plan for obtaining funds?
c Secured your venue?
c Created a plan for promoting your event?
c Created promotional materials?
c Decided what type of media coverage you want?
c Set an agenda?
c Invited speakers?
c Invited participants?
c Written or collected the Welcome Pack materials for your participants?
c Written or collected the Welcome Pack materials for your speakers?
c Written or collected the Welcome Pack materials for representatives of the media?
c Made sure your venue caters to people with disabilities?
c Organised documentation of your event?
c Taken care of all the details, like:
c Organised transportation, if necessary?
c Ordered the food and organised the meals?
c Organised lodging, if necessary?
c Confirmed the attendance of your participants and speakers?
c Arranged for child care, if necessary?
c Arranged for translation, if necessary?
c Created a map to your venue or given directions?

Are you prepared to…

c Be flexible in case anything unexpected happens?

c MOST IMPORTANT, IS SOMEONE ACCOUNTABLE FOR MAKING SURE EACH OF THESE

TASKS IS ACCOMPLISHED?

Event Planning Handbook 43 Appendix

 APPENDIX II

CHECKLIST FOR EXECUTING YOUR EVENT

Have you…
c Made sure everything is ready:
c The Welcome Packs?
c The venue?
c The food?
c The props that the speakers will need?
c Made a back-up plan, just in case?

Is someone…
c Welcoming the participants, guests, speakers, and media representatives?
c Registering the participants and giving them their Welcome Packs?
c Co-ordinating the media and making sure the journalists have what they need?
c Staying at the registration/information desk during the entire event to give assistance?
c Staffing the event, facilitating the meeting, introducing the speakers?
c Making sure the venue stays clean and neat?
c Documenting the event?
c Passing out the evaluation forms?
c Collecting the evaluation forms?

Event Planning Handbook 44 Appendix

 APPENDIX III

CHECKLIST FOR AFTER YOUR EVENT

Are you…
c Reflecting on and assessing your event?
c Reading your evaluation forms?
c Writing thank you letters to the speakers, the media, your funders, and anyone else who supported
your event?
c Creating and delivering post-event materials?

Will you…
c Think ahead about how you pursue connections made and ideas generated during this event?
c Think about how you can organise an even better event next time?

Event Planning Handbook 45 Appendix

 APPENDIX IV

SKILLS FOR RUNNING A MEETING OR WORKING WITH A TEAM

Here are a few tips…

• As you begin, give everyone a broad picture so that you all know where you’re going. If people know
what the end-goal is, it’s easier for them to dedicate themselves to the process.

• Create the agenda together with the participants. Get their input!

• Set a Time Limit! For a meeting, set time limits for the meeting and for the topics you cover within the
meeting. As a team, set up a time frame that everyone abides by.

• Affirm people’s comments. A little affirmation really does go a long way.

• If you want to host a discussion, ask open-ended questions.

• As you conclude a meeting, focus on what was discussed, what the next actions to be taken are, who
the people responsible for the actions are, and what the time frame is. This way, everyone in the
meeting and everyone on the team will know exactly where you’re all going!

Event Planning Handbook 46 Appendix

 APPENDIX V

SAMPLE AGENDA

Your agenda can look a take a few different forms. It can be as detailed as to assign specific times,
coordinators, and locations, like this agenda here:

Time Activity Who’s responsible? Location

10:00 – 10:15 Arrive, get refreshments, sit down Juan Room A

10:15 – 10:45 Presentation of the Agenda; Ice-breakers Diego Room A

10:45 – 11:25 First half of the workshop Bernal Room A

11:25 – 11:35 Break Cafeteria

11:35 – 12:15 Second half of the workshop Jairo Room B

Or your agenda might look more like a list of the topics that must be covered. In the interest of saving time
and facilitating a good discussion, you may want to include a time estimate for how long the discussion of
each topic will last. For example, if you are planning a fund-raiser of a dance party, your agenda might
look something like this:

1. Recap of what’s been decided:

a. The date of the fund-raiser
b. The venue where we’ll hold the fund-raiser
2. What the fund-raiser’s theme will be. (10 minute discussion)
3. Other event details – create committees to be in charge of these:
a. Promotion:
i. Invitations
ii. Publicity
iii. Media
b. Music
c. Food
d. Budget

As you make a meeting agenda, keep in mind the results you want to have come out of your meeting.
In your meeting, you have ideas that need to be discussed, so you must have discussion, and you should
come to decisions from your discussion. Discussion and especially decisions should be recorded in the
notes (called minutes) taken at the meeting. You also have tasks that need to be accomplished in order to
run your event, so you need people to take responsibility for the tasks to make sure they happen. Who
commits to doing what task should also be recorded in the notes.

Event Planning Handbook 47 Appendix

 APPENDIX VI

SAMPLE APPLICATION/REGISTRATION FORM

This form is for an overnight conference, but it can be adapted to suit the needs of your event!

Please complete one registration form per participant

Organisation: _______________________________________________________________________

Name: _______________________________________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

City: _______________________ State / Province: __________________________

Zip/ Postal Code: ___________ Country: _________________________________

Telephone: ____________________________ Fax: ____________________________________

Email: ____________________________ Website: ________________________________

Will you require housing? c yes c no

We will provide breakfast, lunch and dinner. Do you have special dietary needs?

c Vegetarian. Other: _______________________________________________________________

c Food allergy. What allergy? _______________________________________________________

Conference Registration Fees per Person

c Full registration: $200 c Student registration: $100

The registration fee includes all materials required during the conference.
Refunds cannot be granted for cancellations made within 72 hours of the event.

Method of Payment

c Check Enclosed c Money Order

c Credit card c Visa c Master Card c Discover c Amex

Card # __________________________________ Exp. Date ______________

Name as it appears on the card: ________________________________________________________

Event Planning Handbook 48 Appendix

 APPENDIX VII

SAMPLE EVALUATION FORM

Name (optional): _____________________________________________________________________

Contact Information (optional): __________________________________________________________

Name of event: ______________________________________________________________________

Content:

What did you think about the content of the event overall? __________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

How interesting did you find the topics? __________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Were some topics of particular interest to you? Why? ______________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

What would you do differently? _________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Organisation:

What did you think about the organisation of the event overall? _____________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Did the event run on time? _____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Was it easy to get around? _____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Did you know where to go at the right times? _____________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Is there anything else you’d like to add? __________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Event Planning Handbook 49 Appendix

 APPENDIX IIX

MORE PRESS RELEASES!

YOUTH EMPLOYMENT SUMMIT ATTENDS

WORLD YOUTH FORUM
Our president should be addressing The Youth Employment Summit 2002 (YES2002) and the
youth employment and give us - the Earth Restoration Corps are hosting a workshop on “Promoting
youth - the kind of opportunities that Sustainable Livelihoods for Youth” at UN World Youth Forum in
would build our character, benefit
Dakar, Senegal, Tuesday August 7, 6-8pm.
our families and ourselves and our
countries because we’ll have young
leaders with ideas and actions that This workshop is an example of YES2002’s commitment to mobilize youth
will make the country prosper. as active participants in the YES2002 Global Campaign of Action designed to
Carolina Garcia Travesi- create sustainable livelihoods for youth.
Earth Restoration Corps
The workshop asks the following questions:
Let us be clear. Half educated, • How can we be agents of change and champions of youth employment and
unemployed youth with no prospect sustainable development?
of being integrated into a better • What do we need to do to make this a possibility?
future is a prescription for disaster.
If young people do not have a • What initiatives can we carry out in our own communities?
stake in the existing social order and • To do this effectively, what support systems do we need?
political order, if they do not feel • What barriers exist?
there is a way forward for them,
• What are the potential dangers of employment creation that does not take
why should they sacrifice for a better
into account the need to incorporate sustainable development?
tomorrow? Why should they have
an interest in protecting the stability • How can networking strengthen us?
and social safety of that system?
Dr Ismail Serageldin - Director, Presenting the workshop are young leaders from three continents:
Library of Alexandria, Egypt
Carolina Garcia Travesi is from Mexico, and has been involved in
environmental protection and advocacy since she attended the Rio Earth
We are our countries’ present and Summit in 1992 at age 12. Carolina works with the Earth Restorations Corps,
future. The choices we make today which is based in Colorado, USA.
will affect our countries tomorrow, Bremley Lyngdoh is from India, and is a very active youth organizer. His
this is why we should choose to achievements include coordinating Global Youth Service Day 2001; he is a
promote work opportunities that are Youth Advisor to the Youth Employment Summit 2002; and he was selected as
in the frame work of sustainable India’s Youth Delegate to the United Nations’ Millennium General Assembly
development. in 2000.
Bremley Lyngdoh - Youth Advisor, Dumisani Nyoni is from Zimbabwe, and is a policy advisor with the
Youth Employment Summit 2002 Youth Employment Summit Secretariat, after a period coordinating the Earth
Charted Your Initiative at the Earth Council in Costa Rica.
www.youthemploymentsummit.org
Telephone: 1 617 618 2743 Fax 1 617 969 4902
email: Fred Clark, Media Coordinator, [email protected]

Event Planning Handbook 50 Appendix

 August 16, 2001
Mexico City

NEWS RELEASE

On August 14, Frank J. Devlyn, President of Rotary International 2000-2001

(www.rotary.org) confirmed his acceptance as National Trustee of the
Mexico Youth Business Initiative (JEMAC for its initials in Spanish).

In a telephone conversation with Victor del Rosal, Director of JEMAC,

Mr. Devlyn, expressed his enthusiasm and support to JEMAC, offering
to collaborate so that Mexican youth may have better opportunities for
consolidating their own business projects.

On March of this year, Richard Street, Director of Youth Business International

(www.youth-business.org), participated with Frank J. Devlyn at the Joint Confer-
ence on Population and Development of Rotary International and the United
Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Brasilia, Brazil, manifesting how relevant
it is for Rotarians to get involved with Youth Business in setting up local
programs, and as business mentors, as is the case in India, for example.

Mr. Devlyn, who recently concluded his tenure as President of one

of the world’s most important NGOs, Rotary International, is also the
President and Chief Executive Officer of the Devlyn Optical Group of
Mexico, retailers, distributors, and manufacturers of optical products, the
largest retail optical company in Latin America. (www.devlyn.com.mx)

A businessman himself, he acknowledges: “I think I inherited from my father the

desire to expand our single shop to become a small optical chain. Working
closely with my father, we opened additional stores.” When Frank J. Devlyn
turned 22, his father died. By that time, the Devlyns had opened their
seventh optical shop. Frank J. Devlyn then had to lead the family business
with the help of his mother and two younger brothers. In both hard times
and good times, the Devlyn chain of optical stores has continued to expand.
Today there are more than 400 stores in the Devlyn Optical Group, the
largest retail optical company in Latin America, with branches in Mexico,
Colombia and Guatemala. Full info: http://www.frankdevlyn.org/rotarian-1.htm

For his seasoned experience in business, his great public relations abilities,
and connections within the international community, Mr. Devlyn will be a huge
asset to the Mexico Youth Business.

On behalf of Youth Business International and JEMAC, we give you, Frank J.

Devlyn, a warm welcome to Jovenes Empresarios por México, A.C.!

JOVENES EMPRESARIOS POR MEXICO, A.C.

Serapio Rendon 76, Mexico City, Mexico 06470
Ph.: +52 (5) 566-0520, Fax: +52 (5) 546-6483
[email protected]
www.youth-business.org

Event Planning Handbook 51 Appendix

 APPENDIX IX

ICEBREAKERS!

An icebreaker is a type of activity that can assist you to accomplish a particular objective in your meeting,
workshop, or session. Generally, the objectives people want to accomplish with icebreakers are:
• To learn participants’ names.
• To help participants learn each others’ names.
• To get people to sit next to new people.
• To get people to talk to each other.
• To get people to move around.

A few basic rules for icebreakers:

• They should be ten minutes long or shorter.
• Everyone should be able to participate.
• You can use props!

A few icebreaker suggestions:

• The birthday game! Ask everyone to get in a circle by order of birth day (from January 1 to
December 31) WITHOUT speaking or writing!
• Break your group into groups of two and ask the new couples to introduce themselves to each
other. Then bring the group back together and ask each person to introduce the other person
in their couple.
• Toss a ball back and forth among the participants and ask them to say the name of the person
they throw the ball to.
• Sit in a circle, and ask everyone to say their name in the order of the circle. The trick is: each person
has to say the names of everyone before him, in order, and add his name at the end!

Introduce yourself to the group using the letters of your name. For example, Ida is Intelligent, Dedicated,
and Adventurous!

Event Planning Handbook 52 Appendix