Events Management
Critical Success Factors

Critical Success
Factor
1
Plan a contingency
Unplanned costs can eat into your whole budget!
Thinking about your event, make a list of what could go wrong.

2
This presentation will take you through some of the critical
success factors when planning an event.

Critical Success Factor
3
Allow enough time
●Start planning at least 3 months in advance of the event
●You can organise a successful event in less time but be
prepared to spend more time and money!

Critical Success
Factor
4
Create a project plan
Write a plan at the outset.
Set tasks against realistic deadlines and define the critical
path – the order in which tasks should be completed.
Consider the support that you will need at each stage of
the plan.

Critical Success
Factor
5
●Venue hire – double bookings
●Weather – if your event is outside!!!
●Catering/Speakers/Prizes – may not turn up
●Equipment – doesn’t work
●The list goes on and on and on…..
Things can and will go wrong so plan for it in advance.
It’s a good idea to build a contingency into your budget
– 10% works well.

Critical Success
Factor
6
Set realistic attendance targets
“If you build it they will come” is not a good plan!
Think about your target audience carefully.
●How many contacts do you have?
●Where is your audiences interest at the time of the event?
Avoid conflicts!!
●Be prepared to spend lots of time marketing your event.

Critical Success
Factor
7
Add value
Don’t run an event about your product or service.
Instead think about what your target audience wants to
learn about – what will make them attend?

Critical Success
Factor
8
Plan how you will capture data
There are plenty of opportunities to capture data from your
attendees.
●Registration
●Prize draw/raffle
●Networking
●Feedback

Critical Success
Factor
9
Think about access, safety and insurance
Conduct a risk assessment prior to the event. This will help
you to:
●Identify any problems/issues in advance
●Plan for scenarios that could happen on the day eg:
No power to trade stalls on day
Electricians number is xxx and is on call for any problems
●Consider all the health and safety requirements – do you
know the fire assembly points? Is a fire alarm expected?
Where is the closest first aider?

Critical Success
Factor
10
Be organised on the day
Prepare a running order sheet for the day!
This acts as a briefing for all of your team and should state
who is doing what and when.
Be precise!
07:00 Venue opens
07:15 Person A sets up signage

Critical Success
Factor
11
●QUESTIONS