Event Planning Checklist: From Idea to Execution

Events can take a lot of planning to get from the ideation to execution and finally through the finish line. This is the time to put your organization cap on and fine-tune your checklists. Do you have everything needed to wow your clients and get the job done?

We know firsthand that successful events don’t happen by accident but require strategic planning. Whether you’re coordinating a small pop-up or a large-scale brand activation, the details are everything…especially the small details! This list will guide you through every phase of your event, helping you stay organized, avoid surprises, and create a great experience for your audience.

Phase 1: Early Planning (6–12 Months Before)

• Define your goals & budget: It’s key that the event has a purpose and is measurable.  As an agency, this is where we always start with our clients to have a clear understanding of how we can bring our clients’ vision to life.
• Identify your audience: Who do you want to reach? Knowing who you want to reach helps shape messaging, activities, and engagement strategies.
• Book the venue: Secure your space early, especially in top-tier markets.  
• Secure permits & insurance: Avoid last-minute headaches with city or state regulations. Moderne’s team has extensive experience navigating permitting nationwide, whether it’s city streets to private properties.

Phase 2: Mid-Stage Planning (1–3 Months Before)

• Lock in vendors: At this point it’s crucial to have finalized contracts with caterers, AV teams, décor specialists, and entertainment to ensure availability.
• Hire & train staff: Assign roles and think about responsibilities. Depending on the scale of the event we always like to have an onsite Moderne representative and supplement with vetted brand ambassadors to assist with aspects like setup, breakdown, event flow, and product distribution.  Whatever the roles are, a trained team ensures seamless guest experiences.  
• Build your marketing plan: If budget allows, we always suggest adding on multiple touch points to drive traffic to your event. Social campaigns, paid ads, OOH, email reminders are a great way to drive attendance.
• Plan for safety & compliance: Design crowd flow, confirm accessibility, and prepare contingency plans.  We know all too well how a rainy day can put a damper on an event.  Being prepared with a backup plan helps to avoid last minute headaches.
• Product & Giveaways: Confirm you have enough product and plan for logistics like refrigeration, shipping, and storage.  Moderne always includes these costs upfront so clients aren’t caught off guard.
• Creative Deadlines: This is the ideal time to finalize creative such as artwork, signage, uniforms, product packaging, and any marketing collateral to allow time for approvals, production, print, and shipping.  We typically build in buffer time into schedules so clients aren’t caught with last-minute print or delivery delays.

Phase 3: Final Prep (1 Week–Day Of)

• Site walkthrough: Confirm power access, Wi-Fi strength, signage placement, and load-in logistics so there are no surprises.  At this stage we work with our clients and vendors to have a detailed Run of Show with onsite contact info.
• Staff schedule: Share clear call times, shifts, and point-of-contact information. Address contingencies for cancellations or emergencies, keeping staff safety the top priority.  Our team makes sure that we’ve communicated expectations clearly.  That way when we are on site everyone knows who is in charge of things like last-minute decisions or communications with various vendors..
• Confirm vendors: Double-check all logistics with vendors like load in, setup, delivery, breakdown, etc. to keep everything running smoothly.
• Pack essentials: We have a checklist for this! From extension cords and chargers to toolkits, having the right supplies on hand prevents small issues from derailing the day.  You never know when you’ll need a ziptie!

Phase 4: Event Day Execution

• Arrivals & setup: Build in buffer time so your team can set up without stress.
• Live management: Follow your run-of-show closely, but stay flexible to adapt in real time. There are always bumps in the road!
• Content capture: Invest in photos and videos that provide proof of performance and extend your event’s reach across digital and social channels.

Phase 5: Post-Event Wrap-Up

• Teardown & clean-up: Leave the space as you found it.
• Feedback collection: At the end of each campaign, we conduct an internal post mortem as well as a follow up call with our clients for feedback.  This allows us time to talk through what went well and what didn’t.  It’s great to hear compliments from how great an event was but the biggest takeaways are the learnings on how we can improve for next time.  
• Measure results: Analyze and provide key metrics like attendance, engagement, sample distribution, and lift to evaluate ROI.
• Follow-ups: Send thank-you emails, share content, and leave reviews.
• Proof of Performance - We provide a POP report with numbers, photos, and videos. Visual storytelling not only validates results but also amplifies reach on social media long after the event.

This is certainly not an exhaustive list of everything you will need, but we hope this gives you some good food for thought when planning your next event. Alternatively, reach out to us and we will take care of everything needed to make your event day perfect!