4 Easy Steps to Begin the Event Planning Process

Event planning can be easy if you follow the correct steps and have the correct frame of mind. Follow these tips from to get started planning an event that will be a raging success!

1. Find the venue
It’s not difficult to find a venue these days. Establishment owners of today realize the benefit to having guaranteed clientele without spending a dime on advertising. Sometimes it can take a couple of tries to find the right venue for your event, but once you do, you’ll know it. The owners or manager will be happy to help you with most aspects, and may even offer extra perks for your attendees. These are places that appreciate events and new clientele, and make the job of planning an event easy and enjoyable. If you are getting bad vibes from a place, move on. Don’t waste your time trying to convince a venue to accommodate you. If it takes too much persuasion, it’s not worth your time or energy – especially when the dessert bar next door would jump at the chance to be involved.


2. Determine your demographic
This can either be the first or the second part of your planning process, depending on the type of event you’re throwing. For example, if you are hosting a fundraising event, you will have identified the demographic ahead of time. When hosting a speed dating event however, you will use the venue you’ve selected to help determine the demographic. In the case of a speed dating event, your demographic will also be the age range of your daters for that particular evening.

3. Set the start time
Based on your venue and your demographic, it’s now time to figure out what time your event will begin. Using the previous two steps, examine the facts. If you’re hosting an event aimed at 60 to 70-year-olds at a curling hall, you will set your start time earlier than if you were organizing a fundraiser held at a local pub, aimed at a 25 to 30-year-old demographic. Also, take into account the trends of your venue; the intimate pub turns into a rowdy dance club after 9pm, when they move the middle tables aside so people can dance. Naturally, in this case, you won’t want your event to go past 9pm!

4. Get the word out
The fourth and quite possibly the most important part of the event planning process is getting the word out, but this can not happen until you’ve nailed down your venue, demographic and event start time. Once all of these details are sorted, you’re ready to promote the heck out of your event! Use free resources online like clubzone.com to list your event if it’s appropriate. Pin up posters on the community board at your local grocery store or Starbucks. Send press releases to the lifestyle section of your local paper, and suggest they write an article about your event. And, of course, ensure you post your event on Craigslist.

Leigh Clements, the Shot In The Dark Mysteries / Your Date With Death Mystery Maiden, writes murder mysteries, non-murder mysteries and custom mysteries for Shot In The Dark Mysteries, and coordinates, hosts and facilitates local events both for Shot In The Dark Mysteries and Your Date With Death Murder Mystery Speed Dating. She can be contacted at mysterymaiden@shotinthedarkmysteries.com or mysterymaiden@yourdatewithdeath.com. Aside from plotting murder, she enjoys yoga, reading and hanging with her golden lab.