Are you wanting to ensure that your event knocks it out of the park? Do you want to create an event that people enjoy from start to end? If so, then you need to learn all that you can about how to create an event schedule that works.
Doing so can help you create an event that generates buzz. Your attendance list will grow with each year due to the incredible schedule that you were able to put together.
See below for an in-depth guide on how to create an event schedule and make sure that you’re able to execute it.
1. Consider Your Event Type
Perhaps you’re just in the brainstorming stage of your next event. You and your team are trying to think of an event that will raise funds for your charity, generate employee engagement, etc.
If so, then you should begin by considering the different types of events that you have at your disposal. It’s more than you think!
For example, if you’re wanting to generate interest in your business, then you could put together a trade show or keynote speaker event to get like-minded executives to your event. If you want to target a key demographic and produce various forms of valuable content for them, then a multi-day conference could be a great fit.
The type of event that you throw will help you as you move forward. But what questions should you ask to figure out which type to throw? Here are a few questions to help you get started:
- How does your preferred demographic prefer to get their information?
- Do they prefer to sit down and have the information come to them (i.e. keynote or conference) or have free reign to find the information themselves (i.e. trade shows and social events)?
- How long does the event need to be for your target market to find value?
2. Create a General Outline for the Event
Every grand project starts with a general outline. To write a book, you start by creating a chapter by chapter framework of the material you wish to cover. To create a presentation, you start by addressing the question you wish to answer.
Do the same thing for your event. Start with general details that you can set right now. What day is the event? Where will it be located? What time will your event be? How many days (if applicable) will the event be?
Some of you want a bit of information before you start looking for venues. If that’s the case, then what is your general concept of an event schedule? See the example below:
- 1-Hour Happy Hour
- Keynote Presentation
- Partner Sessions
- 2nd Speaker
- Break for Lunch
- Networking
- Happy Hour
In that outline, you’ve given potential vendors and attendees a broad outline of what you hope to accomplish. They’ll be able to see that your event will drive value with various opportunities to hear from industry leaders, 4 separate opportunities to network with others, and so on.
If you’re having trouble coming up with a general outline, ask yourself this question: what is the most common pain point your target attendant has? How can you solve it for them?
3. Implement Specifics to Drive Urgency
The general outline for your event will show your target audience why they should attend your event, such as a keynote session from a well-known leader in the industry.
However, the specific events within your schedule have the power to drive urgency for your attendants to fill up your guest list.
For example, you could include the opportunity for the first 10 people who sign up to go out for lunch with the keynote speaker and pick his or her brain. Suddenly, you’ll get 20 people that want to sign up as soon as possible.
Think of different things you can do to drive value. How can your event schedule incentivize people to pay more or book their tickets faster?
4. Get Your Production Cues Lined Up
Production is a vital piece of any worthwhile event. If you’re going to be hosting some of the leading people in the industry, you want your event to live up to the hype.
The good news is that high-quality products can be had for a reasonable price. You can find a production company to outsource this need. They’ll provide the necessary equipment, staff, etc.
Once you’ve hired a production company, you can create a production sheet that will outline the entire event and generate different cues. By the time your event occurs, all lighting and sound will become a well-oiled machine.
5. Consider the Pacing
Last, but not least, you need to consider the pacing of your event. If you’re going to have people intake information for hours at a time, you need to have time for them to process that information as well.
Think about a 75/25 breakdown. That means that every block of your event should contain 75-percent of the time committed to sessions and 25-percent of the time for breaks.
So if you have an hour-long block for each segment of your event, 45 minutes of it should be for the session, 15 minutes of it should be for a break.
Create the Perfect Event Schedule Today
Now that you have seen an in-depth guide on how to create an event schedule that works, you should use your time wisely. Make sure to break down every hour of the event to offer your attendants maximum value.
Be sure to browse our website for more articles on event schedule tips, as well as many other helpful topics that you will enjoy.
