Planning Checklist
It is helpful to develop a Planning Checklist for your event or meeting; this allows you to jump into the planning and delegating without trying to “re-invent” the wheel with a plain notepad. You can even assign each category to the qualified attendees.
• Profile the audience
• Work plan or work flow
• Determine the needs
• Registration, invitations, programs
• Site selection
• Staffing
• Budget
• On-site coordination
• Publicity plan
• Evaluation and accounting

What are your Needs?
Make a list of what you think will be your immediate need. Will you need a facility, or can you do it at your own location, home or business? Will you need to arrange transportation? Air or ground? Will you include food and hotel lodging for your event guests? Will you need meeting rooms and function space? Will you need audiovisual equipment? Will you need printed materials, signage, extra staff?

Sub-Category Questions
These are general questions, but this is the beginning of a needs list. From this general list you will naturally develop your sub-category of questions including: site selection criteria, room rates, bus or shuttle, etc. And then the fun begins….negotiating what you want!

Scheduling
Determining the “schedule” of an event needs to start in the initial planning stages! Changes and more changes will occur, but having a sense of timing for the various aspects of a two-hour meeting, a one-day seminar, or a five-day conference will help set the groundwork for selecting the site and vendors. Decide what “TYPES” of activities your group will be involved in during your meeting or event. For example: business portions, social portions, recreation free time, exhibits, etc. Begin to map out a schedule of events.