Don’t let a logistical misstep spoil your day.
Especially after putting so much hard work into organizing the perfect event.
These expert event logistics tips will help you cross your t’s and dot your i’s and pull off your best event yet!
Using Eventbrite, thousands of event organizers have run successful events — from small-group shindigs to massive music festivals. We know a thing or two about event logistics, and this guide lays out all the juicy details to ensure a smooth operation at your next event.
Nailing logistics for an event doesn’t need to be complicated, but it does require some advanced planning. For simplicity, you’ll find dedicated sections for each category of logistics. Jump to the good bits with the links below.
Table of contents
Day-of-event logistics best practices
Post-event logistics best practices
The basics of event logistics
Event logistics covers everything to do with successfully running an event.
What are the logistics of an event? Categories can include:
- Venue selection and setup
- Vendors and professional services
- Accommodation and transportation
- Event technology
- Merchandise
- Delivery management
- Health and safety logistics
- Tear-down logistics
It’s crucial for event organizers to focus on the above areas of logistics, as they can make or break the success of your next event!
Logistical thinking needs to take place long before the day of the event to avoid overwhelm on the big day. Let’s start with 10 great pre-event logistics best practices.
Pre-event logistics top tips
During your event planning process, logistical factors should be high on your to-do list. Many of these steps should ideally be tackled 4–6 months prior to your event date. The tips below will help with planning logistics for an event well ahead of time.
1. Plan a detailed event budget
Making a budget should be step one, as money can influence so many other decisions. Using an event budget template can help you get a jump start.
During your budgetary planning, keep these key items in mind:
- Staffing
- Venue
- Event technology and infrastructure
- Speaker fees, travel, and accommodation
- Event swag or merchandise
- Marketing and advertising
- Supplier costs
- Miscellaneous costs
- A buffer for unexpected costs (there’s always something!)
Event costs, in general, are rising (73% of event marketers reported budget increases in 2023). So be sure to overestimate your costs so you’re never caught off guard.
Start with the most expensive items. For most events, that’s your venue choice, staff, and marketing/advertising costs. If you’re on a tight budget, reduce costs by considering volunteers and finding a free venue.
2. Consider attendee demographics and event type in your venue selection
Finding a venue is a crucial early step in your logistics planning. Find a venue that fits your budget — but also make sure you consider your attendees’ demographics during the search.
For example, if you host a charity gala, your target audience should skew older (charitable giving peaks at age 61-75). In this case, select a venue that’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant and has ample parking.
You’ll also want to consider your event type and the vibe you’re going for. A professional networking event may benefit from a different venue than a casual social event, for instance. Make sure your event venue matches your attendee demographics and preferences.
The demographic data you gather will also be useful for your marketing efforts. Use Eventbrite ads and social ads to target the people who are most interested in your event style.
If you run a hybrid event, consider how your venue selection might affect the virtual component of your event. For instance, are there good places to set up cameras for live streaming? Is the internet stable with good upload speeds? Nearly half of event professionals predict that managing hybrid event logistics will be their biggest challenge.
One final venue-related consideration is the classic indoor vs. outdoor debate. Here, you should consider the average weather around the date of your event based on historical trends (WeatherSpark is great for this). If you do opt for outdoor or indoor/outdoor, be sure to plan for bad weather by making sure there are enough tents or covered areas!
3. Find and secure your venue early
From securing dates to completing event paperwork and permits, finding a venue takes time. It’s always smart to start your paperwork as soon as possible.
Most experienced organizers build a buffer into their schedules to prepare for the unexpected.
Locking down a venue early can help:
- Save you money.
- Increase your options.
- You get a jump start on the rest of your logistical planning.
Finally, be sure to know what your venue’s policies are for event cancellation should you need to cancel your event or change dates.
4. Map out the event venue
Getting a grasp on the layout of your venue can help you plan ahead and avoid all sorts of logistical issues. The last thing you want is to realize too late that there aren’t enough bathrooms for the number of attendees or that the food vendor area is too small for the food trucks!
Start by asking the venue for a detailed floor plan, or go there and measure yourself if they don’t have one.
Next, map out your venue grounds. Count and measure the ticket and vendor kiosks, restroom facilities, and any other venue features. Determine where any food trucks, entrances, and generators will go. Once you figure out all the elements of your event map, it’ll be easier to figure out the best entry process and work out how to accommodate lines.
Try to maintain an open space around the entrance and exit so your guests can get in and out with ease. Have a plan for ADA accessibility, and follow federal rules for ADA-accessible seating. Using an event check-in app for mobile ticket scanning and check-in can help move things along.
5. Create clear signage for the event
Work with the event venue to make sure signage is clear, such as to the bathrooms and emergency exits. You may need to source your own signs if the venue doesn’t include this.
If you’re selling VIP tickets to your event, make sure to have clearly defined VIP access areas. And, to save costs, make reusable signs to use for future events.
6. Use technology to streamline event logistics
Technology can save your team time, money, and headaches. The first tech decision should be choosing an event management platform like Eventbrite, which helps you plan your event, sell tickets, run marketing campaigns, check attendees in, and much more.
You’ll also need point-of-sale systems if you plan to sell merch or refreshments. Other apps that streamline event logistics can help you go paperless and automate repetitive tasks, like sending event reminder emails. And if you’re incorporating a virtual or streaming element into your event, consider the Eventbrite virtual events platform.
Make sure to test all of your tech prior to your event to check everything works.
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7. Source vendors and suppliers with care
It’s your event, but the vendors you choose will significantly affect the experiences of your attendees. Take care in selecting the right vendors.
When shopping around, there are a few strategies that can help:
- Read Google reviews.
- Get quotes from multiple vendors.
- Work with vendors you know.
- Ask other event organizers for recommendations.
- Discuss whether they provide their own booths, POS systems, etc., and have a plan in place to meet their requirements.
8. Hire the right people — and set them up for success
Your staff determines how smoothly things go on the day of the event. Carefully recruit quality staff members and, if possible, increase your hourly pay rate to target more experienced staff.
Take steps ahead of time to delegate responsibility and improve efficiency. You should create a clear chain of command among onsite staff.
For instance, appoint a gate or box office manager with in-depth training. That way, if an issue arises, such as an attendee who has misplaced their ticket, staff will have a point of contact to help resolve it.
9. Create contingency plans
Great event organizers are masters of planning for the unexpected. Use learnings from past events to anticipate problems, like traffic jams, bad weather, or electrical issues.
When you create a contingency plan, bear in mind the unexpected:
- Plan ahead for the most common issues.
- Create a generic backup plan for a variety of potential issues.
- Create a chain of command within the staff to delegate responsibility (more on this later).
- Have a plan for event cancellations and ticket refunds.
Once you come up with a plan to resolve any issues that could arise, make sure your staff is fully briefed on any actionables.
10. Communicate clearly and consistently
Staff, volunteers, vendors, and attendees should all have similar information so everyone is on the same page.
For “behind the scenes” folks, like vendors and staff, it’s okay to have a centralized communication system that keeps everyone in the loop. Keep vendors informed of where to park and venue rules. Any last-minute changes should be communicated ASAP and spread to all relevant partners.
For attendees, email communication is efficient because it’s easy to send updates to everyone at once. With Eventbrite, you can email event attendees directly through the platform. That said, if you have any very last-minute changes, like a speaker moving to a different stage, in-app messages and text messages could be appropriate.
You can also prepare ahead with a FAQ page for attendees on your event website and your Eventbrite listing. Make sure staff are briefed on these, too.
Day-of-event logistics best practices
The big day is finally here 🎉
Use these logistic event management best practices to keep things running smoothly.
11. Have a detailed hour-by-hour plan
Here’s where you can get nitty-gritty with a plan for event day. Write out your plan starting with the second you get the venue keys, all the way to the end of the event.
Here’s what to keep in mind:
- Secure the keys to the venue as early as possible.
- Have a plan in place for venue logistics.
- Communicate clearly with vendors on when they can start setting up.
- Batch your tasks (for example, check in all your vendors at the same time).
- Create a timely plan, but assume things will take longer than expected.
- Get detailed with your planning.
Your plan can be distributed to staff, volunteers, and vendors ahead of time.
12. Delegate responsibility and decision-making
As the event organizer, you likely have a lot on your plate on event day. You don’t want every little problem to run through you — so delegate decision-making powers to your staff.
Have a chain of command in place. Small issues could be handled by frontline volunteers or staff, while anything more serious could be escalated to a manager.
During an event, issues tend to arise in critical areas like the box office, IT, or ticketing. Assign dedicated staff as the point of contact in each of these areas. Then, inform all department leads about where each type of issue should be escalated.
13. Schedule time for a technical run-through
At larger venues, there will likely be a tech team onsite to help with troubleshooting. However, you still need to ensure everything is fully functional before the big day.
The day before attendees arrive, do a complete technical run-through of all your equipment and setup features. Some things to pay attention to include:
- Functionality checks for microphones, screens, WiFi, etc.
- Sightlines and audio check (sound levels, etc.)
- Walking paths and trip hazards
- Parking lot signage/markings to keep cars organized
Use your team to test the sound levels on the stage, with people listening from both the front and back of the audience area.
14. Have a plan for internal comms
Make sure staff, volunteers, and vendors can communicate with you and one another. Have staff use wireless headsets to ensure they get notified — a phone ringing at a concert can be hard to hear.
If that’s not possible, ask staff to turn their phones to vibrate. And do a quick walk-through of the venue to ensure that there’s a cell signal throughout.
If you do end up in a venue without a reliable cell signal, try two-way radios (AKA walkie-talkies). These devices are inexpensive and have enough range for most small venues.
15. Stick around for bump-out
Clean-up is equally important to organize to avoid problems with the venue. Avoid hassles and fees by staying onsite until the last vendor leaves — or pay a trusted staff member to oversee bump-out.
Post-event logistics best practices
That’s a wrap! But for event organizers, now it’s time to make sure you tackle these post-event logistics.
16. Follow up with attendees via email
Email marketing is a huge tool to help event organizers sell tickets, and it’s also a great way to collect data post-event.
After your event, send out a post-event survey to attendees. You can also ask for feedback on social media. What went well? What wasn’t so great? Would you recommend this event to a friend? Use your event hashtag to catch the attention of attendees.
At this stage, you can also ask attendees if they want to opt-in to relevant marketing messages for future events you’re hosting.
17. Analyze your event’s financials
Once the dust has settled, dig into your event’s financial performance metrics to track your spending.
Start by adding up all your revenue:
- Ticket sales
- Merch sales
- Sponsors
- Vendor payments
Then, tally up your expenses:
- Venue costs
- Staff
- Cost of goods sold (merch, food, etc.)
- Cost of swag and complimentary refreshments
Finally, subtract your expenses from your revenue to calculate your profit.
You can also now compare actual financials to your projected financials. Pull up your event budget and compare those figures to how much you spent.
These practices help you identify areas of improvement for future events. Maybe you went over budget, and it dug into your profits. Or perhaps you didn’t generate enough ticket sales to earn a profit.
18. Follow up with vendors
If your event had vendors or service providers, now’s a great time to send them a quick message thanking them for their help and asking for feedback.
Leave them a review to build valuable business relationships. If you’re in the event planning business, you may end up working with these folks again.
19. Learn what worked (and what didn’t)
Finally, take some time to reflect on the event. Identify areas that went well and areas that could use improvement. Use the Eventbrite analytics tool and your internal records to dig into your numbers.
You can perform this analysis for both hard numbers (like profit) and more broad concepts, like your overall event logistics efficiency. Were you and your staff members stressed, or did things go smoothly?
These lessons can then be compiled and applied to future events.
Logistics can make or break your event — get the right tools for your toolbox!
These event logistics best practices can help your team excel at your next event. But the perfect event can only be pulled off with the right plan, the right people, and the right arsenal of tools.
Give your staff, vendors, and attendees the best experience possible with a suite of tools from Eventbrite. Eventbrite simplifies the entire process of planning, running, and ultimately profiting from events.
