Writing for Event PlanningAnd why it matters you do it well

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Before the writing comes planningGood writing helps create great events because:• Makes the event credible when

information is correct and clear• Helps you organize• Persuades people to attend and

participate

But first, the planning part …

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First things first: Why, oh why?Establish why the event is being held. • Celebration?• Information session?• Fundraiser?• Public forum to air questions, grievances?• Tour of a new facility?• Community open house?• Exclusive thank-you dinner for donors?

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Next, establish the other Ws• Who should be there?

• What will happen?

• Where will it take place?

• When?

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About “who”Start with your wish list and then check against:• Who will want to be there?• Who needs to be there?• Who, realistically, will be there?• How many people need to be

accommodated?

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About where• What space(s) will work best for the

event? • What are the cost and other

pluses/minuses of each site considered?• If no ideal space available, how do you

adapt the event to suit available space?• If preferred location is outdoors, what is

your fallback for inclement weather?

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More on where…Consider the following criteria:• Capacity (how many people do you

expect?)• Length of event• Set-up: seating or no? Exits and

entrances? Accessibility? Parking? Coatcheck? Food / kitchen / servery? Bar / licensing? Sound system? Stage?

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And finally, when?Tips for establishing what date works best for an event:• Check against other already-scheduled

events• Check for public and religious holidays• For any “must attend” guests, check their

availability first• Account for set-up and clean-up time

bracketing the actual event hours

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Setting your timetableYour first piece of work, once the date is set, is building a “workback” from the event date• List all the jobs that need doing• Figure out what needs to happen when• Pay special attention to what jobs need to

be done first before another job can proceed– e.g. need guest list before issuing invitations

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The event itineraryThink of it as a workback on steroids: an hour-by-hour (and sometimes minute-by-minute) map of what happens on the day(s) of the event• Notes who is responsible for various tasks

through the day• This is an internal planning document

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A public event itineraryNotes what is happening when, such as:• Tour times• Cocktail hour• When dinner is served• Some elements not timed in the public

itinerary: for instance, listing speakers at a dinner

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Establishing the event “feel”Who is this party for? What are the clues?

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Party vs party

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And how is this different?

Not every event is a partyWhat planning is needed here?

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Expressing the feel, or theme• Drives the look of all event materials, from

fonts used to poster design• How is the room lit?• What décor, if any?

When the event is set up, someone should be able to tell, at a glance, who is the intended audience

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To theme or not to themeIf a theme emerges, great, but not necessary. Maybe icon or motif is enough• Fifth anniversary of a children’s play

centre: five colourful balloons as motif• Green Umbrella Award ceremony: begs for

use of green umbrellas• Decide early on colours and motifs, but

don’t go crazy trying to match everything

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Let the writing begin: Invitations• Formal (printed, individually addressed):

should be sent at least six to eight weeks in advance

• In case of fundraising events where people are paying to attend, invitations (actually donation solicitations) should go out earlier

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Invitations, page 2Be very clear in letting people know the costs, if any, to attend the event.• If food is free but people are expected to

pay for drinks, let them know in advance so they are not embarrassed when assuming they can grab a glass of wine off the bar

• List parking charges: people may not have two toonies to put in the automated parking gate unless you warn them in advance

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Formal invitation event wording• Emily Post is your best friend: consider

adding one of these book volumes to your library

• Not everyone may know the conventions for formal event wording, but you want to impress those who do

• Also good source for proper titles when addressing invitations

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What about informal invites?Whatever you can imagine or create:• e-mail, facebook, online• fun printing• Inventive (puzzle, custom-wrapped non-

perishable food) but make sure you have room to include all needed info

Useful for events with shorter lead times and/or with less formality

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Open invitationsFor open houses or community information sessions: no individual invitations issued• Key leaders may get personal calls to make

sure they and their groups know about the event and the invitation to “spead the word”

• People are invited through publicity such as ads, flyers, PSAs, newspaper articles, online event listings, online promotions (e.g., open facebook event)

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Vital information for invitesGo back to the 5Ws, but in a different order:• What is the event?• When is the event? (date and time)

Where is the event?• Who will be there? (Who is it for? Who

may be presenting or honoured?)• Why is the event happening? Persuade

me: Why should I go?

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Invitations requiring responses• Use “RSVP or “Respond please” but not

RSVP please – that translates to “respond if you please please”

• Provide a “respond by” date and how to respond, whether mailed card, phone, email, online form

• Getting a “yes” to a facebook event invitation is not a real response. Take with grain of salt

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Writing basics to remember• Correct spelling and information matters: a

typo in an email address or street address confuses or misdirects people; misspelled proper names can insult your supposed special guest. Proofread your work!

• Follow a consistent style for all materials for things such as date and time; recommend following Canadian Press:– Thursday, June 5, 2014, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

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Most common errors to avoid• Soundalike words (homophones): its and

it’s; complimentary and complementary. Spell check does NOT catch these. You need a competent, human proofreader

• Plurals and apostrophes: A plural does not use an apostrophe; an apostrophe signals a contraction or possessive

• “Needless” quotation marks

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Posters, ads, flyers, online promo• Work with graphic designer to create a look

that “sells” your event: normally it should be consistent with organization’s branding

• Making sure the basic information is present: date, time, location, admission fees (if any)

• Other information to include: directions, transit routes, parking, dress, anything to bring along

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Directional signageScout your venue: is existing permanent signage good? • If not, augment with eye-catching, simple

temporary signage• Put at “decision points”: an intersection or other

spot where people choose which way to go• “Progressive disclosure”: Don’t list room

number at street corner. Information goes from basic to detailed, the closer you get

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Check-in table: You need one if…• You are collecting tickets or crossing

names off attendance list• You are selling tickets at entry of event

– Money float? – Credit card machinery, interac, iPad hookup?

• There are nametags and/or seating charts

• Information packages or other handouts

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Displays• These are not decorations, but ways of

conveying information, from simple table of brochures to a projected, looped video

• Determine what you can do yourself and what requires outside professionals: for instance a video tribute to an award winner, if your organization does not have a video producer on staff

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Décor: aka, event quicksand

Yes, decorations are fun. They can also be a time-suck, expensive and send the wrong message. Determine:• What is needed?• What is nice-to-have?

What is your budget?• What is consistent with the event’s mission

and your organization’s values?

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Decorate to suit your audience• Do donors to a charity helping poor

children want to see vases of expensive roses on every table?

• Will $1-million-plus donors to a major institution take kindly to “keeping their fork” between courses at a fancy dinner?

• Should there be forests of candles at an event attended by dozens of young children?

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How to do more with less• Purchasing versus renting: if you hold

events frequently, amortized purchases may be best but investigate rentals to compare

• Seek donations: For a non-profit event, a florist might provide arrangements for no or low cost for sponsor acknowledgement and business card displays

• Borrow, beg and be inventive

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What does “consistent” mean?• An environmental-awareness organization

would need to use decoration items that are considered “green” (e.g., potted plants that can be later put in a garden rather than cut flowers)

• An event run by a Canadian union should have Canadian-made products in décor, not “made in China” trinkets

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Why is writing important, again?• No. 1: Credibility. It looks (and is)

unprofessional to have errors in material• It’s confusing: if you have a wrong or

misspelled address, physical or online, you may lose your audience

• Good writing attracts your audience: you clearly and compellingly tell them why they should attend

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Happy event planning!

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RSVP: Kelley Teahen, kelleyteahen@gmail.com; Twitter: @kteahen