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EVENT
PLANNING
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by Robyne Beaubien
Below are some great tips and helps for event
planning, including leadership team job descriptions and a basic planning
timeline.
The bottom line of events is...what is the purpose? A lot of effort
and planning goes into an event and it is important to know why we
are doing it and what we hope to accomplish through it. Special events
can provide fun, fellowship, and renewal for weary Christians and
non-Christians alike. With informal settings and non-threatening
environments, special events can attract even the most reluctant
un-churched people - building bridges for them to experience unexpected,
but pleasant, encounters with God and His people. Through special
events, we teach that God's church is not merely a building, but
a body of believers who enjoy serving God together and reaching out
to others. Some of the information below is from a book called The Planning Remedy.
It is no longer in print but provided a wealth of information on planning
events.
Special events can help us:
- build relationships
- encourage one
another
- exercise spiritual
gifts
- welcome strangers
- learn and grow
- study God's
word informally
- worship and
pray informally
- share the Gospel
- relax and have
fun
Most events should be offered free to those who wish to attend,
however, don't be afraid to charge for others, such as special
banquets, high
profile events, and retreats. Special scholarships or sponsorship
programs can be set up to help people with limited funds.
Keys to Planning An Event
Passion - Most events grow from one or two people who have experienced
something they would like to share or a need that they see.
Prayer - A good plan always begins in prayer. I have personally seen
events rise and fall on the basis of prayer. I am not saying that if
you do not pray about it your event will fail, I do believe that God's
fullest blessing will be poured out on an event where He has been involved
in every step of the planning.
Purpose - What do you want to accomplish with this event and how does
it relate to the overall purpose of your ministry. I like to write
out a sentence or two that describes the purpose of the event and even
the anticipated outcome.
Proposal - This may or may not be a step in your planning. If you
are just beginning a WM, you may need to run a proposal for each event
by a Pastor or staff member. Or you may be a lay person who would like
to organize an event that needs to be run by the WM Leadership Team.
A proposal should include:
- What the event
is and why it is being held
- When and where
it will be held
- What does the
church need to furnish
- What will the
person/team planning the event furnish
- How will the
event be financed
- How will the
event be publicized
- How many people
are expected to attend
Planning - Not all of the areas below will be applicable to every
event, neither will each of the items listed in each area,
but they are all
included for you to pick and choose what you will need in planning
your event.
Areas that need to be considered when planning an event are:
Timeline: Set a timeline of when various things need to be accomplished
before your event. When will you start publicity or registration? How
far in advance of the event do you need to set up? When will registration
close?
Publicity: Printing and distributing flyers and posters, announcement
for the church bulletin, registration forms, and handouts.
Registration: Collect registration fees, names, and other information
of those attending. Prepare finance statement for event and channel
money to proper area.
Setup/Decoration: Wherever you meet there will be some setup involved.
If you are doing a themed banquet there will be a lot more setup
than if you are hosting an in-home Bible study. If your are planning
a themed
event with moderate to elaborate decorations you will need to
have a team for setting up and decorating, trust me! Even if
you expect
only 20 women, it takes time to get the tables and chairs set
up, put out tablecloths and decorations, start the coffee and
hot water,
etc...
It is a lot of fun to share these chores with others and double
the blessing. It can also be a time when you discover hidden
talents!
Food: There are many ways to provide food at an event. You may
choose to provide the food, have the participants bring the
food, have the
event catered, or hold the event at an restaurant, hotel, or
retreat center that provides the food.
Program: Icebreakers, door prizes, music, skits, small groups,
schedule, emcee, will you include some personal testimonies,
etc...
Childcare: It is important to determine if you will provide
childcare for an event and let the participants know when
the event is
publicized.
Speaker Selection: Choosing a speaker will be an important
part of the event. There are many wonderful speakers
available and
sometimes they can be found in your own church! Always
listen to a speaker
before you ask them to speak at your event. Even when
someone is an excellent
speaker, they may not click with your particular event.
If you decide
to find a speaker from outside your church, there is
some information in the retreat planning page on finding a
good
speaker and
the paperwork trail.
Cleanup: Make sure that whatever facilities you use are
properly picked up after you use the room. If you are
using a room
at your church find
out if you will need to take down all the tables and
chairs and vacuum. My rule of thumb is "leave it the way you found it... or cleaner." It
is a great idea to gather some volunteers to help with
cleanup before the event. Many hands make light work
and it is a lot of fun to hear
what the others thought about the event.
Follow-up: May or may not be necessary.
Feedback: There will be times you will want to collect
feedback from the attendees of an event to help
in future planning.
LAST FEW TIPS ON
EVENT PLANNING...
People - You will need an Event Coordinator who
is responsible for the overall planning of the
event
and leading the
Planning Team;
a Planning Team that includes the Area Coordinators
of various committees; and committees (work teams)
who will
be responsible
for various areas
such as publicity, decorating, speaker, etc. An event planning team may meet twice or twelve times, depending on
the size and scope of your event. A retreat will require more meetings
and planning than a one-time Ladies Night Out event. Always meet with
your planning team the day of the event to pray for God's blessing
on the event and the lives of those who attend.
Promotion - Posters can be displayed for a month or two before the
event and flyers should be made available within 3-4 weeks of most
events. The exception to this would be retreats which should be advertised
for several months and have a 6-8 week registration window. Be sure
to have plenty of flyers so that those attending can also use them
as invitations for their friends.
Program - Good planning will ensure that everything moves smoothly
during your program. Write out a time schedule that indicates what
is happening when and who is involved. Be sure that each person participating
in the program receives a copy and is aware of whether they will be
introduced or follow the person in front of them.
Personal follow-up - Most events will only require follow-up with
those who have made a decision or have asked for counseling. Follow-up
will also be good if you are doing a kick-off event for a specific
ministry or study to personally invite each one who indicated an interest
in the ministry or study. Follow-up can be helpful in collecting feedback
about an event, like a retreat, to determine what changes may be necessary.
Product (results) - This is the exciting part! Seeing lives changed,
watching women connect with each other, and seeing ministries grow!
Sometimes it takes time - but there will be fruit!
F.Y.I. - As you plan your special events, don't be discouraged when
problems arise - they're inevitable! Trust God to help you through,
and He will honor the time and effort that you spend in building events
to further His kingdom.
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Special Events Coordinator Job Description #1
General
Ministry Task - oversee all plans for this special event.
Specific Tasks
- Review needs
and wants of people invited and any tips from past coordinators
who planned similar events.
- Recruit the
Planning Team (coordinators of various areas or committees).
- Lead
Planning Team Meeting (see sample agenda below)
- Delegate and
follow-up on tasks assigned to team members.
- Pray for each
member of ever committee.
- Act as liaison
between church leadership and the Planning Team.
- Coordinate and
assist team members at the event.
- Lead a follow-up
evaluation meeting.
- Prepare a report
of successes, challenges, and recommendations for future events
to share with the church leaders
and future coordinators.
- Train someone
for future leadership.
Gifts and Abilities Needed
- Spiritual maturity
- Commitment to
prayer and service
- Leadership ability
- Organizational
and time-management skills
- Sense of being
called by God for the position
- Ability to delegate
tasks while being sensitive, encouraging, and supportive
Helpful Hints
- Keep a sense
of humor.
- Delegate to
coordinators/committees as often as possible.
- Keep in touch
with the Planning Team members by phone or mail at least once a
week.
- Encourage Planning
Team members to use a calendar in scheduling tasks to be done.
- Don't act as
emcee at the special event; be available behind the scenes to encourage
and trouble-shoot.
Special Events Coordinator Job Description #2
There are many gifted women in the church who are unable to commit
to a long-term position in WM, but they would love to be a part of
a short-term project. These women are prime candidates for heading
up a special event.
First let’s define a “special event.” They are usually held once a
year or maybe even once every two years and have a specific theme or
focus. For example, a Mother/Daughter Event or a One-Day Conference.
I would not include a retreat in this definition, because they usually
take several months to a year to plan and a special event can usually
be planned from start to follow-up within a few months. Of course,
your timeline will vary due to the size of your church, the popularity
of your chosen speaker and the projected attendance at the event.
Key – To oversee the planning of every area of an event
Gifts/Abilities Needed –
- Spiritual maturity
and a good testimony
- Ability to lead
- Sense of being
called by God to serve in the position
- Commitment to
prayer and service
- Ability to organize,
plan, and follow-through
- Ability to delegate
tasks and follow progress without over-managing
- Ability to listen
to the ideas and suggestions of others, making
firm decisions while being sensitive and encouraging
Responsibilities –
- Pray, pray, pray.
- Review the needs
and wants of people invited and review any notes/suggestions from
previous event leaders.
- Recruit a planning
team – look for women with a variety of gifts and abilities. Look
for women who
are not already involved in many other activities at church. Look
in unexpected places, you may find a jewel!
- Determine the goals and focus of the event.
- Lead team meetings.
- Delegate tasks and follow-up with team members.
- Liaison with WM leaders or church leaders.
- Coordinate and assist planning team members at the event.
- After the event,
lead a follow-up meeting with team members. Keep records of the success/needs
of the event. It can also be helpful to keep copies of publicity,
programs anda diagram of how the room was set-up and decorated.
- Prepare a report of the event with recommendations for future events.
- Send thank you
cards to team members – specify something they did or said that was exceptional.
Things to remember –
- Always keep a sense of humor.
- Delegate as often and as much as possible.
- Diffuse a difficult situation before it becomes a problem.
- Keep in touch with the planning committee by personal contact - phone,
mail or e-mail at least once a week.
- Don’t emcee the
event – be available to fix any unexpected situations and coordinate
the event, also to watch for women who might “fall between the cracks” and help
to include them.
- Have fun!
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Planning
Team Meeting Agendas
1st meeting:
Event name
Welcome & prayer
Discussion of event purpose and write a purpose statement.
Devotional on gifts and talents with insights on how to match people
with assignments.
Pass out and discuss planning timeline.
Finalize date and time of the event, if necessary.
Brainstorm possibilities for the program, speaker, and schedule.
Set a date, time, and location for the next meeting.
Spend some time in prayer.
Following meetings should include:
Coordinator/committee reports or updates.
Time of prayer
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Planning Timeline for Events
Most events will require 2-4 months of detailed planning. Small churches
may accomplish the entire planning process and the actual event in
a matter of six to eight weeks, but large or mega-churches will need
to get events on the church calendar months a year, if not more, in
advance. Often a large church will have a basic idea of what each event
will entail and the actual planning period will happen as the event
date draws near. Retreats usually need 6-12 months (or more), especially
if you are wanting a speaker who is in great demand. The timeline below
is for a 6-12 month planning period, you can adjust it for various
events by removing what you don't need or adding the projects you do
need to complete for your event. (If you are a small church the first
two groups of planning steps will most likely be done at once.)
SIX TO TWELVE MONTHS IN ADVANCE
- Select
a planning team
- Select committee
chair/s
- Establish expectations
and ground rules
- Decide on event
type and length
- Decide on a
date
- Select a location
for the event
- Make any necessary
reservations with a location or caterer
- Find a speaker,
if you have not already booked one in advance
- Consider speaker's
subjects and decide on focus (title/theme)
- Brainstorm themes
for workshops, crafts, special meals, logo, etc...
- Develop a budget
- Select a registrar/treasurer
FOUR TO SIX MONTHS
- Select
or create a logo, if not done already
- Create registration
flyer, advertisements, posters, etc...
- Send
a confirmation letter to speaker, let her know you are praying
for her, ask about any special need she might have and
any suggestions she may have for the book table.
- Select
worship leader and special musicians or vocalists.
- Make
arrangements for a book table.
12-13 WEEKS
- Check in with
Keynote speaker (phone call followed by letter)
· Confirm details - printing, door prizes, etc.
- Begin
advertising/registration
- Determine
remaining duties
- Delegate remaining
responsibilities
- Make a calendar
with remaining responsibilities
- Select
someone to MC the event - preferably someone who is
not on the planning committee who will not be stressed out
by behind the scene complications (which there will, prayerfully,
be none of!)
10 WEEKS
- Make any necessary
revisions to your schedule/program
- Confirm with
caterer and/or location coordinator
9 WEEKS
Check
registration numbers and make any necessary adjustments with food
and seating
8 WEEKS
Tie up loose ends.
Check and double check that everything is covered. The better you
plan, the
less likely you will have any last minute difficulties.
6 WEEKS
- Continue to
pray!
- Make
announcements from platform about the event.
5 WEEKS
- Solicit gifts
for door prizes (optional)
- Finish participant and facilitator materials
4 WEEKS
·Hold training for encouragers, women who will pray with others during
invitation, if necessary.
3 WEEKS
Have a time of prayer with your leadership team, thank them for their
help and spend time praying
for the event, the speaker and the women who will be attending.
2-1/2 WEEKS
- Make contact
with speaker via phone
- Confirm program
- Determine
all needed supplies
- Write introductions
for MC, or have them do so
- Write closure for
MC, or have them do so
ONE WEEK
- Have prayer
time with leadership team and encouragers
- End registration
- Get all supplies
- Pick-up books
and misc. for book table or confirm with provider
- Complete any
last minute additions to printed materials/handouts
AT THE
EVENT - Have fun!
ONE WEEK AFTER
Send thank you notes to speaker/s, facilitators, team members,door
prize providers, book table vendor.
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