Planning an event can be exciting and fun, but failing to plan is a plan to fail. If you want to hold a successful program that will really make an impression, extensive preparation, organization, and detail-orientation are key. A few months ago the ImPRessions account I work with for our client, Cardinal Health, hosted “Pull an All-Nighter with Dose of Reality” at Café Bibliotech in Alden Library at Ohio University.

This event was part of “Dose of Reality Week,” a week aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of prescription drug abuse on OU’s campus. The event was a success! Weeks of planning went in to the production and running of the event. It is vital for public relations specialists to understand how to plan and manage an event. The essentials to planning a successful event can be broken down in eight steps:

1.     Brainstorming

Events need to be fresh and creative. One of the best ways to uncover a great idea is by working with your associates. Bounce ideas between each other; do not be afraid to voice your thoughts and ideas. No matter how outlandish an idea may seem at the time, it could very well be the anchor of thought that leads to the next great event for your client! Be cautious however, because one problem you can run in to with group brainstorming is anchoring bias. Anchoring bias is a mental shortcut whereby people use a number, value—or in this case, a suggested idea—and tend to rely too heavily on the “anchor” when making decisions, or in our scenario, when thinking up fresh proposals. While an anchor may lead to the best idea, it can also hinder your group from discovering new options for events. One way to avoid this is to have each associate write down a few ideas before anyone voices their event ideas out loud. Once the brainstorming session begins, work together, and be honest, kind, and sincere with the feedback you give to your associates.

2.     Client Approval

So you have your event concept, fantastic! Now it is time to get the green light from your client. Be aware of the chain of command operating in your clients’ office. This will help your team organize a time line for approval and event planning accordingly. Not only will you need client approval for the event idea, but you will also probably need some sort of budget. When writing a memo regarding the event for your client, be sure to include a budget worksheet. The memo needs to be comprehensive in outlining the logistics of the event as well as any expenses for space and materials.

3.     Secure the Space

Once client approval is secured, booking the event space early is a must. Space reservations at Ohio University fill up fast, so procuring the location should never wait. For most events at OU, bookings can be made at the event services office on the third floor of Baker Student Center. A reservation request form must be submitted, which can take up to two weeks to process, before any finalizations can be made. While the Baker Event Services office takes care of most requests, some events, such as “Pull An-All Nighter with Dose of Reality,” which was held at Café Bibliotech in Alden Library, have different protocol. When securing the space, make sure you are talking to the right people for approval. In the case of the “Pull an-All Nighter” event, Kelly Broughton, dean of the library, was the appropriate contact.

4.     Line up the Logistics 

What materials will you need for your event? Will you need a tech service team? Will food or drinks be served? What approvals do you need for serving food? What about volunteers to work the event? Is there entertainment? Promotional items? Who is going to clean up once the event is over? These are just some of the questions that should be carefully considered. I find lists are especially helpful in keeping track of logistics. In the memo for client approval you should have already listed materials you will need for the promotion and program itself; therefore, referring back to the memo and budget spreadsheet is a good starting point for material logistics.

“Pull an-All Nighter” offered free popcorn and cotton candy to patrons, in addition to the promotional items such as awareness wristbands, informational handbills, and a display board. It was important that the Cardinal Health account had approval from OU culinary services to distribute food to students. In an effort to increase awareness they also negotiated placing their logo and intended message on Café Bibliotech’s coffee sleeves so students getting their late-night caffeine fix would be reminded of the dangers of prescription drug abuse. Contacting and confirming all agreements is important, whether it is a contract for entertainment or approval for vending, confirm!

Every event needs volunteers or workers to run the program. Schedule participating staff for reasonable shifts during the program. Also be ready, anticipating any needs that may arise. If your event involves airing a video, viewing a webcast, or having a musical performance, be sure to have tech support on hand.

The most important thing to remember about lining up logistics is to be organized and remain flexible.

5.     Promote. Promote. Promote.

The bottom line for hosting any event is to get people to attend. Be creative in your approach towards promotion. Of course, do not neglect conventional means to get the word out about your event, such as distributing news releases to the press, hanging up posters, creating a Facebook event page, and Tweeting.

You can really let the creative juices flow when planning an event on a college campus, as there are a number of unique, creative, and low-budget promo spaces. Chalking on campus sidewalks, writing on classroom white boards, designing table tents that are displayed in the dining halls, painting the designated campus graffiti wall on Richland Avenue, hanging a banner on college gate, and distributing handbills are all low-cost ways to drive traffic to your event and spread awareness about your cause.

The designated graffiti wall at Ohio University on Richland Avenue.

The ImPRessions account for Cardinal Health used these cost efficient promotional spaces to drive traffic to their Twitter handle [@DoseofRealityOU]. The tweets sent out not only gave more detailed information about the event but facts about their cause—prescription drug abuse dangers.

 6.     The Event.

It is finally here, the big occasion! All your ducks are in a row and it is time to go, right? It is not quite that simple. Just because you have worked tirelessly, planning each detail, it does not imply that now is the time to relax. Through out the event you will want to continue anticipating the needs of your publics and remain flexible, as it is highly likely [OK, almost guaranteed] not everything will go according to plan.

Be friendly and open to the attendees. Talk with them about your cause, answer their questions, and encourage them to take action. During “Pull an-All Nighter,” account associates distributed informational fliers and awareness wristbands with the free food they were offering. Associates actively engaged with attendees, discussing statistics and dangers of prescription drug abuse in the Athens area. During the event you also want to be accommodating to media outlets. You want coverage of your event. Pay attention to the media! Take some time to sit down for an interview, let them mingle with attendees, take photos and video.

If your event is held in a public area you should also expect that not everyone in the vicinity would be expecting the event or understand why it is going on. This is a great opportunity to make an even bigger impression for your client. Get up and connect with these passer-bys. The Cardinal Health account dispatched post-its, approved by the library, all around the area. The post-its were informational and also helped to drive traffic to both their event, and their twitter handle, where they were live tweeting about the event.

 7.     Fitting Follow Up

The event is over, but the work is hardly finished. First, show your appreciation by sending hand-written thank you cards out to all those who helped: account associates, vendors, volunteers, hosting committee, event services, etcetera. Gracious gratitude is always in style. Be sincere and timely in delivering thank you cards. Sending out thanks in the form of Tweets to new followers and connections is also a courteous touch.

Follow up also requires compiling an event summary for your client. How many impressions did you make? Set up news alerts for your event, keep track of interactions on social media, include the number of attendees at the event. Prove to your client that your work is worthy.

8.     Rethink & Review 

This step is often overlooked, but event reflection is extremely beneficial. Start on a high note, what did your team do well? What would you do again? Improvements begin with a critical analysis of the event. Do not wait too long after the event before reflecting, you want the program fresh in mind in order to accurately detail the successes and failures. What could be improved? What steps should be taken next time to improve any blunders? Document the analysis so it can be reviewed and an even more successful event can be planned in the future. Always continue striving for excellence.