All librarians are program planners and programs —of one type or another —are offered in all types of libraries. Typically programs are offered as part of a service such as children’s services summer programs, instruction programs for students, youth or young adult programs for school year after school events, curriculum-based programs for faculty, research content programs for clients, or adult programs for seniors and/or special populations – to name but a few types of programs.

While all of these programs have similar planning aspects, all planning aspects – plus many more – come to bear in planning for special events. How do special events differ from standard program planning? Special events are:

• Typically one-time events;

• Focused on a unique or specific purpose with specific outcomes; and,

• Are often more “intense” or “dramatic” as they are designed to attract attention, educate potential attendees, attendees, and press.

 The critical elements of success relating to planning special events include the choice of the planning team, event goals, strategies and outcomes, event planning tools, event logistics, event marketing and public relations and event evaluation and post-event activities.

Planning Team

Planning special events requires teams of planners working toward the bigger picture of the event and – as needed – smaller focus groups. Teams need diverse input, broad competencies, varied representation, and membership both internal and external to the organization. If in initial discussions special event attendees have been identified, planning teams should have representation from these groups as well. Specifically, planning team member considerations for inclusion typically include:

Mission, Goals, Strategies and Outcomes

Although an obvious statement is that the special event needs to follow the mission of the sponsoring organization, the reality is that the planning team needs to articulate HOW the event matches the institution’s mission and goals. This match should also extend to the design of event goals and strategies and might have to be integrated into the event public relations.

 The event itself should have:

• A summary statement, paragraph or “sound bite” that describes what the event is and how it relates to the mission of the organization

• Event goals for event, team, subgroups/subteams (pre, event, post activities)

• Event outcomes for event, team, subgroups/subteams (pre, event, post activities)

• Team job description of activity and subgroup activities (pre, event, post activities)

• Team job descriptions for team leaders (pre, event, post activities)

• Team job descriptions for team members and others such as resource experts (pre, event, post activities)

• A marketing strategy (pre, event, post activities) (see section below)

• A public relations plan (pre, event, post activities) (see section below)

• Built-in evaluation elements to all documents (see section below)

Planning Tools

Timeline
Timelines should begin an extensive period of time prior to the event and continue through and after the event. Timelines should be designed with all group members present. Individual timelines should be created for all subgroups and event functions.

Benchmark/Supporting Content
Supporting content should include benchmark data as well as examples of events that have had problems for “teachable moments.” Content outlining other successful events should be researched prior to the first meeting for generating ideas, and then group members and subgroups should continue to gather as needed. All ideas should be measured against the specific goals of the special event in question.

Checklist
Checklists or “to do” lists should be used throughout the process and used to educate as well as track activities. Checklists should be designed to match timelines and checklists should be created by subgroups. All checklists should be retained for evaluation. While checklists are typically used for team business, “to do” lists might be created by team leaders and members as tools for preparing for and working through team meetings and event activities such as “the checklist for the meeting with a photographer or food/catering individual.           

Budget
Budgets should include money available – both actual and in-kind, money generated by the event (if applicable) and pre, during and post expenses. Putting the budget together “occurs” at the beginning of the event with an initial budget draft presented to the team, and subgroups should create budgets for activity areas. A budget report should be included on each agenda.

Communication List
Communication elements include standardized agendas, note-taking forms, budget forms, letterhead and letters, emails and – of course, public relations content. Communication lists should also be created for all those involved in and contacted throughout the process. Audience members should be listed as well and as appropriate such as audience representatives or communication venues to reach those audience members such as electronic lists, organization newsletters, etc.

Logistics
The basic logistical elements involved completing the event profiles. Profiles elements include:

Logistical questions include:

1. Are streets going to be closed? When streets are closed for any radius around an event, traffic for miles around the event are affected related to parking, rerouting or turning traffic away from the event itself. What are the egress issues for fire and safety? What are the egress issues for area businesses, individuals and/or organizations such as churches and schools?

2. Is public transportation an issue with the event? Starting times? Access to the event itself?

3. Will food be served?

4. Will music be played? Are noise levels an issue? Types of music an issue? Will music impact audience behavior?

5. What are the crowd issues? Moving the crowd to and from the event? Moving the crowd around during the event? Moving special needs crowd members around? Are there ramps? Is parking readily available? Are TDD phones available? Do portable toilets accommodate special needs?

6. Are there any related events? Around the community? Before, during and contiguous to the event? Do any events affect or reduce or increase attendance at the event?

7. What are the permits needed? Do you need to meet with people to obtain permits or “goodwill” such as neighborhood groups? Can permits be completed online? Local, state and federal agencies require additional permitting? Some examples include the Health Department (food sales) State Alcohol Beverage Control (serve liquor) Transit Authorities (public transportation.) Examples (which may have budgetary impact for fees) include:

   Special Event Permit Application Informational Brochures Special Event Ordinance Fire Prevention Introduction or sponsorship support documents  Sign requirements (onsite, offsight, egress signage for highways and pedestrian) Planning for alcohol at your special event Storm water concerns Sanitation and recycling Facility use applications Food preparation – cooking and/or serving (pre, during and cleanup)

   Alcohol permits (regular vendors, temporary “daily” sales…what type of license is needed? (Banquet, banquet special event, mixed beverage?) Sales permits (food, other) Police use (on duty, off duty) Proof of insurance (for pre, during and post activities) with – typically – million dollar liability for major events – cost based on risk levels but alcohol and pyrotechnics cost more Special events calendars for city, county, state, community, etc. Infrastructure support (larger tents, stages) Fireworks (explodes, rises into the air, moves across the ground or shoots projectiles into the air – legal or illegal in your area) Animals involved? Need special permits?

Marketing and Public Relations

Marketing

Marketing the event takes unique expertise, extensive content on the potential audience and event goals and strategies. Marketing information needed includes:

• Data on the event – content, goals

• Data on past successes and failures

• Data on the audience …who are they, what do they attend, what’s “in it for them”

• What’s the message? What message will appeal to the audience?

Public Relations

Designing and delivering publication relations takes unique expertise as well and includes advertising and publicity for all media and methods for reaching potential audience members (radio, television, web-based venues, newspapers, magazines, etc.) Public relations information needed includes:

• Data on community, local, state, etc. communication venues in general

• Data on communication venues that have worked with this potential audience

• Content for media message including are you informing, educating or entertaining? Are you making people aware or delivering in-depth content and/or creating an ongoing base of support for future activities?

• Match of content to media/method

Evaluation/Post-Event Activities

Evaluation should be pervasive throughout the process and should be present in event activity design, delivery and document retention. Evaluating should go beyond measurement of aggregate attendance, number of press pieces distributed or money spent or raised. Current evaluation should:

• Include measurable goals

• Include articulated strategies

• Include outcomes

• Be conducted as event planning moves along as well as immediately after AND for scheduled post times (timeline depends on goals)

• Include a method of evaluation for attendees and program planners and workers such as event volunteers

• Include the evaluation of program elements such as:

• Did the communication plan work?

• Did press received match the audience?

• Did the intended audience attend? Get the message?

• Did planning team members complete assignments? Who would you “ask back?”

• Was budget reasonable? Meet needs?

• What three things would you do the same next time?

• What three things would you do differently the next time?

Giving Thanks

Thanking is a critical part of making events successful and should be considered as a vital part of the communication process throughout event planning.

• Who needs to be thanked?

• What is the “thanking” timeline?

• Was everyone thanked in a timely fashion?

• Did the method of “thanking” match the individual or group? (example: emails are more informal thanks and shouldn’t be sponsor thank you’s)

A general rule of thumb is…you can’t thank too often or too much in the process of making special events successful!

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