Post Event Wrap Up. You can breathe easy – the event is over. But your job isn’t. Post-event evaluation is necessary not only if you plan to hold the event again, but as an overall gage of how the event went.

No later than two weeks after the event, have your team meet. Be sure to bring some happies – whether it be lunch or something special – to thank them for all of their hard work. Start out the meeting by covering the basics – how many people were in attendance, schedule adherence, major problems and great opportunities. Use a portion of the meeting to discuss what would be done differently and what was extremely successful. If the event will be an annual occurrence, decide who will be the event chair, and who will be on the other teams now. That way you can get an early start on planning to make sure the next event is bigger and better.

Also be sure to discuss any thank you notes or compliments the team received because of the event. These messages are a great way to make those involved feel good about what they accomplished, as well as keeps them motivated enough to help if another event arises.

To plan a successful event, you only need a few things – a great group of motivated people, time, and seeing the big picture while paying attention to details. Whether it’s a child’s birthday party or an executive program, event planning is the key to success.