The 3 Stages of Event Planning Everyone Should Know

Hi there! If you clicked on this article, you’re probably starting to learn about event planning, or maybe you have an event in the works, right? Event planning is a complex process that requires careful preparation to get the best results. Using event management tools helps streamline the process, reduce risks and keep your event running smoothly. This article will walk you through the event planning process and its 3 key stages.

Basically, event planning breaks down into 3 main stages:
Pre-event: the preparation stage
During the event: simply put, the main event itself
Post-event: the stage after the event wraps up

Each stage comes with a different set of tasks for the organizer, spread over a different amount of time! Let’s explore them with PlanZ

1. PRE-EVENT – WHERE EVERY EVENT IS WON

The pre-event stage is the most important stage of event planning

The pre-event stage is when organizers plan and prepare the content and conditions needed to run an event.

Why is the pre-event stage where it all happens?

Simply because it’s the most important step, the key to any successful event. Whether an event has an original idea, how well and efficiently it’s managed, how smoothly it runs, how clean the final report looks: up to 80% of all that depends on the preparation you do at this stage.

Pre-event is the stage that eats up the most brainpower, effort and time in the whole event planning process – usually half to two-thirds, sometimes even three-quarters, of the total time spent preparing and delivering the event.

At this stage, the organizer needs to tick off at least these basic items:

● Define the event’s goals and format
● Define the target audience
● Develop the concept and theme
● Build a detailed plan: including the event content, the execution plan (with a million and one tasks to be scheduled properly), and a detailed list of venue items, logistics…
● Forecast the budget and risks: which of course have to be tracked closely and continuously
…

Of all these tasks, the last two bullet points are the hardest and can take up to 70% of your prep time if done manually. If you want to save time, or you don’t yet have experience managing and running events professionally, try visiting planZ.ai and let AI do most of the hardest work for you.

Define the Event’s Goals & Format

Before organizing an event, a business needs to be clear on its goal, such as launching a new product, promoting the brand or getting closer to customers. Based on that goal, it can choose the right event format. Project management tools like Trello, PlanZ or Monday.com can help track preparation progress effectively.

Define the Guest List

Depending on the nature of the event, a business needs to be clear on who will attend: prospective customers, partners, investors or the media. CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software like HubSpot or Salesforce helps manage guest lists and send invitations professionally.

Detailed Planning & Budget Forecasting

A business needs to build a concrete plan for each item, including sound, lighting, decor and staffing, and forecast costs in detail. Tools like Google Sheets, Excel or specialized software like Eventbrite can help track budget and spending effectively.

2. DURING THE EVENT

This is the stage when PMs get to watch the tree they’ve been tending for so long finally bear fruit. Ermmm… to be honest, we usually don’t do much “watching” – we’re mostly running around like crazy and praying.

The tasks on event day aren’t especially hard or time-consuming, but they demand strong management skills and the ability to react and adapt fast:
● Run the program: make sure everything goes according to plan
● Handle the unexpected: Trust me, 99.9999% of events run into something that never came up in any of the rehearsals. Being ready to react and handle surprises smoothly is an essential mindset and skill for any event organizer.

Running the Program

Once the event starts, the organizing team needs to make sure everything goes to plan. Event management tools like Whova or Bizzabo help coordinate the schedule, assign tasks and send instant notifications to team members.

Handling the Unexpected

Surprises during an event are unavoidable. Internal messaging apps like Slack or Microsoft Teams help the organizing team communicate quickly and fix issues on the spot without disrupting the program.

3. POST-EVENT – THE MOST UNDERRATED STAGE

“The event’s over!!! Let’s party, guys…” (and that’s how stage 3 gets forgotten forever)

The reason the post-event stage is the most neglected and underrated is that organizers, especially amateurs or those running small events, don’t realize how important it is.

Post-event is when the organizer looks back over the entire event journey to:

● Evaluate the organization: workflow, content, staffing, logistics… any issue in how the event was run gets a thorough review so it can be fixed or built on
● Evaluate the event’s results: through revenue, satisfaction levels and attendee feedback
● Draw lessons from these two evaluations for future events.

(Oh, and of course this stage also includes post-event communications and customer follow-up – things PlanZ considers pretty important for scoring points with attendees.)

Evaluating the Event’s Results

After the event, a business needs to evaluate its results against criteria such as attendance, media reach and guest feedback. Survey tools like Google Forms or SurveyMonkey make it easy to collect feedback effectively.

Post-Event Communications

After the event, a business should keep the momentum going by posting photos, videos and articles across its media channels. Social media management tools like Buffer, Hootsuite or PlanZ help schedule posts and track engagement professionally.

Lessons for the Next Event

Finally, a business needs to review what went well and what fell short in order to improve future events. Data analytics tools like Google Analytics or Power BI help assess the event’s success objectively.

Event planning is a process made up of many important steps. Following the preparation, execution and post-event stages helps a business reach its goals and leave a great impression on its guests. At the same time, using event management tools streamlines the process, saving time and money while delivering the best possible results.