I’ve done a few events in my past, but they were always small scale or I did not play a hugely critical role in the planning of the event.  As the SFU Food Bank Coordinator, I took on Trick or Eat. Trick or Eat is a nationwide event where volunteers go to houses and collect canned goods on Halloween, instead of candy.  I was absolutely serious about doing an amazing job with this event, and Trick or Eat quickly became my “baby”. For half of September and all of October, I basically lived and breathed, “trick or eat”.

Events take a lot of planning, and the bigger the event is the more details you need to plan.  So, how did I tackle this huge event?

1. Make a Plan

One thing that has been consistently important in my (minimal) event planning experience is to outline a plan.  If you are preparing for “big” events like Trick or Eat, tradeshows, or an event run by a large organization, they will often supply you with a timeline, which is really helpful! This timeline will typically outline the deadlines that you need to meet, and it might cost you if you don’t pay attention to it.  IE: You might be charged more for signing up for something late, you might not get the materials you need, etc.

Whether you use a timeline, a to-do list, or your amazing brain, you need to know how you are going to prepare for your event.  I personally found it helpful to use the timeline that was provided by Trick or Eat, and combined it with other things that I needed to do specifically for my event.  I also had a daily to-do list, which I found helped to keep me on track.  With this event, I made sure to do things early, giving me ample time to prepare.  From promoting the event, recruiting volunteers, contacting new sponsors, and working out the logistics of the night, there is a lot to think about and a lot to do.  So the best possible advice I can give you is to start early!

2. Delegate

When it comes to event planning - no matter how much of a superstar you may be, I suggest delegating tasks if you can.  I was so fortunate to work with an amazing team of Food Bank Assistants and they were able to help me SO much for this event.  In my “planning” phase, I sorted out roles that I needed help with.  For instance, we needed people to help register volunteers at the event, or a couple “drop off” points for all of the donations we collected, and we also needed a photographer.  This really made a huge difference in the organization of the event, because I was not doing everything and running around like a crazy person.  I was only running around like a mildly crazy person!   

3. Execute

On Halloween morning I dawned my Panda costume and I felt pretty darn ready!  I thought I had planned out every incremental detail and felt like the event should run smoothly.  The fabulous Food Bank team knew their roles and were incredibly enthusiastic.  The volunteers that signed up for the event were also really excited, and did a great job!