How to Plan a Large-Scale Event
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1. Establish your event goals
Your event might be about sharing ideas, creating conversations, or sparking inspiration. You might even have concrete goals from your event to indicate return on investment.
Establish your event goals and keep them close when planning all aspects of your event. For example, if your event prioritises networking, you would want a programme which includes ice breakers and allows for plenty of time for people to talk.
You would also need to create an environment for those conversations to happen – either by providing a large space where people can mingle freely, or perhaps a breakout area with tea and coffee to encourage casual chats.
2. Develop your event programme
Your programme is a vital document that acts as a running order for what will happen when. You might work off two programmes, a public programme which, as the name suggests, is what you share with your attendees, as well as an organiser’s programme which includes behind-the-scenes details. These two programmes should include times and locations and it should be clear who is managing each section of the event if you are dividing responsibilities in your team.
When developing your event programme, you should consider how people are getting there, whether you are having interactive sessions, keynote speakers or panel discussions, how much time are you allotting for breaks and entertainment, and your catering needs.
For more inspiration about the planning phase of your event, check out our 7 key tips for hosting large-scale events.
3. Determine your guest list
As well as your goals, your guests should be in mind during all decision making. Your guests might be internal, ie: they come from the same company or institution as you, or external, but both groups will expect top hospitality and an engaging programme that made your event worth leaving their desk for.
Consider how you can make this event high-value for individuals from your event content, and pick a top-notch venue that can handle the rest.
For planning a large-scale event, you’ll need to have an effective system to track your RSVP numbers and any special requirements needed for attendees. Determining your guest numbers goes hand in hand with picking your venue, as you want to give people an engaging, lively atmosphere with plenty of breathing room.
4. Find a venue
The venue is make-or-break to your event success. Guests’ physical comfort has a large impact on how receptive they will be at your event and whether they will remember it positively.
Therefore, it’s imperative that you pick a comfortable environment that meets your event’s needs. If you need a large-scale function space with access to nearby accommodation and amenities, you can find some excellent options here at Warwick Conferences.
The Slate, our modern conference venue set against a beautiful lake, offers a large, customisable interior so your event can be shaped into something personalised and purpose-built. Or, get a feel for our architecturally stunning University campus by picking one of our Central Campus Venues. Here, you can immerse yourself and your guests in a prestigious academic setting.
5. Share your event
How do you organise your large-scale event without planning an effective communication strategy? If you want guests to get excited about attending your event, you need to nail three communication principles: notice, value, and action.
Providing notice is essential as it helps your guests prioritise this event in their busy calendars. Your notice period may be affected by circumstances like the scale of your event or whether you are expecting any international guests or speakers.
Value refers to what the guest can get out of the experience. You need to communicate why it’s so important for guests to attend and all the amazing aspects they should look forward to. Consider how you can make your invite compelling by providing a glimpse at the event programme or by highlighting a particularly sought-after speaker. Your invitees will measure value up against the time and convenience of the event.
Lastly, action shows what the guest needs to do next to take action on this invite (RSVP and confirm attendance). So, communicate the window of time they have to reply, how they can RSVP and who they can contact if they have queries. If you can establish notice, value, and action in your event invite, you are one large step closer to putting on a successful event!
6. On the day wins
If you pick a venue like Warwick Conferences that can support you with running your event, this gives you the time and energy to identify all the amazing wins that come from your event.
See what conversations unfold around you, and document and share any exciting moments. Having a photographer can be a big help for recording these on the day wins and capturing the success of the event.
7. Follow up and future planning
Your event may be over, but you shouldn’t stop there! Your guest list provides you with an amazing opportunity to collect feedback from motivated individuals. These people can help contribute insights to shape your next event, helping it to be even better than the last. You and your team should also reflect personally on what went well and what could be improved upon next time.
As part of this reflection, don’t forget to consider useful data like the carbon footprint of your event which you can measure using our handy carbon calculator. This can help you ensure you’re meeting your organisation’s values and inform your goals for future events.
Photo credit: Adam Gasson
Amy Nugent
Amy is a Digital Communications Executive at Warwick Conferences, she specialises in written and audio-visual content production.