How to plan an event: a beginner’s checklist

Events are one of the best ways to build your brand, meet new customers, and create a memorable and fun experience for everyone involved. But planning, organizing, and executing an event can quickly become overwhelming if you’re just starting out. 

You’ll need to cover elements like these:

• Choosing a venue
• Creating a site map
• Determining your budget
• Sourcing essential equipment and supplies
• Commissioning signage
• Planning event safety
• And more!

To get started, it is first necessary to define the goal of your event. Are you hosting a trade show to sell more products? Are you throwing an outdoor festival for entertainment and to bring people together? Is your city looking to create community with a local farmers’ market? Whatever your reasoning, it is essential to plan your event in alignment with your ultimate goals.

Then, you can make a detailed budget, pick the date, work with sponsors, and get to work planning your event! Planning early is key; a year out may seem like a long time, but it is actually ideal, though 4 to 6 months can work if you plan carefully. For a more in-depth look, here is OTW Safety’s ultimate event planning checklist:

How do you choose the venue?

The venue is crucial for creating a successful event. Choosing the city or the area of town first can help narrow down your choices, but it is important to consider logistics before making a decision. Are you going to need private, designated areas? Crowd control? Extra parking? 

Consider the predicted number of people attending, the space needed for entertainment areas or vendors, and most importantly, your estimated budget. These factors will determine the minimum amount of seating, land space, road access, and bathrooms required for your event venue.

What is a site map, and why should you start with it?

The site map is the most important part of the event planning checklist. This map provides an aerial view of the site so that you can plan the layout of your seating, entertainment venues, bathrooms, walkways, and the fine details of your event. It can also help you determine where and how to enclose your event perimeter or smaller, specific areas of the venue. Seeing the venue from above provides a rough estimate of how many barricades, barriers, or fences you will need, along with the best way to design well-flowing and well-organized footpaths. Once the layout is set, you can fill in the rest! 

What types of essential equipment and supplies will you need?

It can be easy to forget the smaller details, such as basic equipment and supplies. Plan to have water, ice, trash and recycling bins, toilets, first aid supplies, Wi-Fi (if needed), food, and video and/or sound equipment on hand for your event. Working with caterers, suppliers, or production services can help ensure that these details are taken care of. 

Additionally, contacting potential vendors and sponsors early can help you adapt in the future if vendors drop out before the event. Starting with a rough idea of how many vendors and entertainers you want at your event is also important for arranging an accurate site map.

How can you utilize new technology to enhance your event?

Many organizers are switching over to digital entry, AI assistance, and new technology to help enhance their events and streamline the guest experience. Determine which types of technology would be an asset to your event, price them out with multiple vendors or suppliers, and watch your event shine! Keep in mind that adding digital elements means adding the customer service to go along with it, as well as visuals and audio requirements. Ensure that you have the proper equipment to support the tech you choose to use!  

What kind of signage will you need?

Events are an excellent opportunity to advertise your business and the businesses of sponsors. Take advantage of the number of people who will be attending your event by utilizing plastic barricades to display your logo and/or signage with sponsor logos, your own brand, and directions & guest guidance. Plastic barricades are already a great way to manage crowd control and provide added security and safety to your event, so increasing your ROI by finding sponsors and showcasing them during the event is a double whammy! 

How can you ensure event safety?

Insurance, barricades, and on-site security are all important parts of ensuring your event’s safety. Liability is a big deal when you’re hosting an event, so doing everything in your power to ensure the safety of attendees is paramount. This can include adhering to local regulations, providing first aid stations, mental health safe spaces, security booths, and more.  

If you need assistance with your perimeter or select areas, OTW Safety can recommend the necessary coverage for your unique situation. Consider using color-coded barricades to easily designate areas like First Aid, Security, or restricted areas such as bars or other 21+ locations. Additionally, you can use custom signage to provide additional instructions or directions for your guests, so everyone knows exactly where to go.

Thinking ahead — should you rent or buy?

There are plenty of pros and cons to buying vs. renting, depending on your situation. If you run multiple events in a year, purchasing your own barricades could be a great solution. OTW’s barricades are portable and easily stored and are great indoors and outdoors. Plus, our crowd control barricades can easily link up with any metal ones you may already have, until you can make the switch to all plastic. 

If buying doesn’t make sense for you at the time, however, you can also rent your barricades! Keep in mind that each time you rent, you may be shopping around, so make sure to get quotes that include availability, delivery, and set-up costs. Luckily, here at OTW Safety, we can do all of that for you! 

Start Planning Your Event with OTW Safety!

OTW Safety can help you plan and execute your event successfully. From working with your site map to delivery & deployment of your safety equipment, to day-of coordination when working with production services, our team is prepared to help you every step of the way. 

Contact us for help mapping out, planning, and managing your event!

*Updated 7/9/2025