Your Event Checklist

Event organisation takes a lot of work, with many individual tasks cluttering your mind at once. 

That is why it is so important to have a well organised checklist to help you stay on top of things. The checklist is an event organiser’s best friend, adding structure to your processes and ensuring nothing gets forgotten. Below is a basic outline for a sports event checklist.

Initial Planning

• Have you defined the theme of your event?
• Have you defined the objectives of your event?
• Have you defined the budget for your event?
• Have you researched the success of similar events in the past?
• Involve your team members in brainstorming

Booking & Invites

• Prepare your list of invitees into a database
• Prepare an event landing page on your website
• Do you have sports participants/teams booked?
• Do you need sponsors?
• Research venues – find out capacity, price, facilities, accessibility etc.
• Visit venues
• Book your venue
• Send out your ‘save the date’ invitations
• Arrange equipment hire
• Arrange event insurance
• Arrange any additional entertainment
• Arrange any catering required

Promoting the Event

• Book advertising placements for your event and inform press contacts
• Start a social media campaign around your event – remember to create your own hashtag to encourage engagement
• Get any flyers, posters etc. printed and distributed
• Publish pre-event blogs and articles
• Submit your event to online publications such as local newspapers
• Send out official invitations
• Keep your database updated to track who is attending, who cannot make it etc.
• Send out reminders to your accepted attendees/anyone who has not replied
• Ensure all marketing material is prepared in advance

On the Day

• Have you packed all your equipment ready to take with you?
• Leave early to ensure the venue is set up appropriately e.g. registration area, attendee seating area, sports area etc.
• Is the correct equipment laid out for attendees and sporting participants?
• Are the catering arrangements prepared?
• Ensure sporting participants, speakers etc. arrive early for final briefing
• Greet your guests and ensure they know the arrangements for the day
• Follow your event plan throughout the day, ensuring each specific activity is successful
• Offer guests something to take away with them to remind them of the event/your business and get in touch with them again after the event to thank them for coming
• Pack up all equipment to take home
• Make sure venue is in a good condition in accordance with your contract

Depending on the nature of your event, you will most likely need to customise or add to this list so that it fits with your activities. However, this list does create a basis for you to get the ball rolling and start making things happen.