Event planning checklist

For community-scale events — meetups, workshops, socials, launches. Work top to bottom; everything is ordered by when it must be locked, not by importance.

6 weeks out — lock the skeleton

• Define the one-sentence purpose. If you can’t say it, attendees can’t either.
• Set date and time; check against holidays and competing events in your scene.
• Confirm venue in writing: capacity, seating, A/V, food rules, access times.
• Set the budget ceiling and, if ticketed, the break-even price (hard costs ÷ 60% of capacity).

4 weeks out — publish

• Publish the event page: clear title, real description, cover image, exact address.
• Set capacity, ticket types or RSVP rules, and the refund policy.
• Book speakers/facilitators and confirm their tech needs.
• Announce once in your strongest channel. Don’t blast everywhere yet — save powder.

2–3 weeks out — promote

• Announce across remaining channels and relevant communities.
• Send 20–30 personal invites. This fills small events more than any broadcast.
• Line up a cohost or volunteer for the door — you cannot host and check people in at once.

1 week out — logistics

• Order food/drinks with a headcount at ~70% of RSVPs.
• Print or prep signage: building entrance, room door, Wi-Fi password.
• Walk the venue once if you’ve never run an event there.
• Second promotion push to fill remaining spots.

Day before

• Reminder blast to all RSVPs (automatic on Espeya).
• Charge everything. Pack a kit: tape, markers, name tags, extension cord, HDMI adapters.
• Write your 2-minute opening: who you are, why this exists, what happens next time.

Day of

• Arrive 45–60 minutes early; test A/V first, then set signage.
• Check guests in as they arrive — the attendance list is your community record.
• Start no more than 10 minutes late. Rooms forgive a soft start, not a drifting one.
• Take three photos. You will want them tomorrow.

Day after — where the community is built

• Thank-you blast with a photo and one clear next step (next date, or a channel to join).
• Note what broke while it’s fresh: room too hot, talks too long, food too little.
• Announce or at least date the next event within a week. Momentum decays fast.