If you’re planning an event, you’ve got a lot on your plate already.
Some events take months to put together — budgeting, working with vendors, getting the right supplies, and getting the word out there.
So at Eventbrite we’ve used our experience working with event creators to put together a set of easy-to-use event planning templates to make your life a little easier.
These templates will help you with everything from writing marketing emails to checking off every step of your event planning process. Whether it’s a concert, non-profit gala, or workshop, our event planning templates will help you pull off a successful event.
Table of Contents
Event operations templates & tools
How to make your event planning a breeze
Event operations templates & tools
“Event operations” refers to key activities around running an event. That includes calculating reports on the event’s outcomes, figuring out the return on investment (ROI), creating materials like event programs, and even taking care of your mental health afterward (it’s a stressful job!).
Here are four helpful event planning templates to make your event operations go as smoothly as possible.
1. Event report template
An event report provides all the essential information on the event after it’s taken place, such as the:
- Event’s concept
- Background behind the event
- Purpose of the event
- Actual outcomes of the event
- Next steps to take
An event report gives you a one-stop source of information on past events. That lets you organize key takeaways from the past that you can apply to future events. It also gives you a resource to prove your track record of past successes.
To create an effective event report, make sure to include as much data as you can get your hands on. That includes attendance numbers, a list of vendors, breakdowns of costs, and any other relevant data points. You never know which metrics might matter to you in the future, so it’s important to keep good records from the start.
If you want a template to make sure your event reports are organized and standardized, we’ve created one specifically for our event creators.
Download the free event report template here
2. Event ROI calculator
Part of that event report should be a discussion of your ROI. But how do you calculate that ROI in the first place? Don’t worry — Eventbrite has a tool to help you out.
Sometimes, ROI is a simple calculation. If you’re focused on bringing in revenue from ticket sales, you just subtract your costs from your revenue. But there are plenty of other ways to measure your return on investment.
That’s why Eventbrite’s ROI calculator walks you through the different ways you might get a return on your investment. Whether you’re looking to increase the number of event attendees, gather leads, or improve attendee enjoyment, this calculator will help you calculate your total returns.
Access the Event ROI calculator
3. Event program template
One of the first things attendees will want to know is the event schedule. An event program will provide all the information they need about when and where each part of your event is taking place.
At a minimum, that should include:
- The name of each activity
- A brief description of each
- The times each activity starts and ends
Event programs are also great for presenting any sponsors you may have.
Eventbrite has an event program template to help you send out consistent programs with each event. This will help ensure attendees have all the information they need to get the most out of your event.
Download the event program template here
4. Event de-stress checklist template
The days leading up to your event can be hectic. You might be starting to feel a touch anxious, (or going into full on panic-mode!) But it’s important to keep your wits about you in the run up to the event, so take some time to refocus and de-stress before the event so you’re at peak performance on the day. After all, creating an event can be pretty taxing — more than one in three feel anxious or burned out!
Our de-stress checklist ensures you prioritize the important things before the event, and allows you to take control of your timeline and your thoughts.
Once you’re all de-stressed and refocused you’ll be ready to smash your next event!
Access your pre-event destress checklist here
Event marketing templates
What turns a good event into a great one? Making sure you have plenty of attendees with effective event marketing. Here are some templates and tools we’ve created to help make your event promotion run more smoothly.
5. Social media ad templates
One of the most important ways to market your event is through social media, where the average internet user spends 2.5 hours per day. That’s why we’ve put together some templates to make it easier for you to plan and write great ads that will help get more people interested in your event.
Our social media ad templates don’t just give you formats to copy, they also give you multiple kinds of great advice:
- How to measure your ads’ success
- How to use multimedia ads
- How to make it easy for your target audience to buy tickets
- How to advertise your events to sell more tickets through Facebook
Access the social media ad templates here
Market with Eventbrite and sell more tickets on Facebook.
6. Event marketing email templates
Successful emails like event invitation emails shouldn’t just deliver information such as the time and place of your event. They need to have attention-grabbing subject lines and engaging content to entice your invitees.
To help you with this, we’ve created 17 event marketing email templates for you to try. These vary from emails to repeat attendees to emails designed to create urgency. Whether it’s party planning, corporate event planning, or any other event project, you can choose which one works best for your event.
For example, concert promoter DSP Shows sends regular emails to attendees ahead of their events, to make sure they have all the information they need.
Once you’ve chosen a template, you can send it out through Eventbrite’s built-in platform for creating online invitations. Not only will this give your email a sleek design, but you’ll also receive real-time feedback on your event invitations.
Access the event marketing email templates here
7. Save-the-date email template
A save-the-date email isn’t just a nice way to let your attendees know when they need to be present. It also gets them all excited for what’s to come. Make sure you give them enough information so they can plan ahead — it’s easy to forget something that might seem obvious to you yet is crucial to them.
Our save-the-date email template ensures you provide all the necessary information in an attractive, creative way to make sure your attendees are excited to come to your next event.
It also pairs well with Eventbrite’s online RSVP tool. The RSVP tool helps you create an easy, seamless experience for your attendees to let you know they’re coming. It also lets you track who’s responded and who hasn’t, so you can reach out to anyone who needs that extra nudge.
Access the save-the-date email template here
Event planning templates
As an event creator, you’re likely spending plenty of time planning your event and writing event documents. That’s why Eventbrite made planning templates and checklists to help you speed up your process and organize your thoughts.
8. Event planning checklist
When you need to make sure nothing slips through the cracks, using this event planning checklist could save the day. Use it at any point in the event planning process to reduce stress and ensure no detail is forgotten.
This checklist will take you through the whole process of planning your event, from setting event goals and choosing the event venue to analyzing your results. It also includes a handy event timeline template so you know exactly when to start each step so that everything fits smoothly into place on the big day.
Access your event planning checklist here
9. Event strategy template
Before you start planning, you’ll want to outline your event strategy. That means figuring out a few core details:
- Your event’s overall concept
- The target audience
- What activities will make up the event
Our event strategy template walks you through all these steps in a systematic way so you don’t miss any important parts of the planning puzzle.
Access the event strategy template here
10. Event budget template
An event budget template is an incredibly valuable tool for event planning. It offers a clear and organized framework to manage all the event expenses.
With this template, you can easily track income and expenditure, ensuring that no detail is overlooked. It promotes efficient allocation of resources and eliminates any guesswork. Plus, it provides a realistic projection of the total event cost.
An ideal event budget template should encompass all potential cost categories, such as venue rent, catering, event staff, marketing, entertainment, and permits, to name a few. It’s not just about itemizing expenses but making sure that every dollar spent contributes to the success of the event. Let’s plan an amazing event together!
Access the event budget template here
11. Event proposal template
If you’re looking for funding or assistance from someone else, it’s a good idea to have an event proposal ready. That’s how others will judge you and your event’s readiness regarding sponsors and other people who could help you run things.
Eventbrite’s event proposal template will make sure your proposal is organized and professional. Using this template, you can be sure you won’t leave out any key information, and you’ll have a proposal you’ll be proud to present to anyone.
Access the event proposal template here
12. Event speaker outreach and sourcing template
If you’re planning on reaching out to speakers for your event, you’ll want to make sure you do it in a professional and organized way. You should make a list of all your potential speakers, create contact sheets for each one, and have a plan on how you’ll reach out.
Our event speaker outreach and sourcing template will help ensure you don’t miss any important steps. It’ll also help you keep track of all the important information you have on your speakers.
Access the event speaker outreach and sourcing template here
13. Request for proposal (RFP) template
An RFP is a great way for event creators to get bids from vendors, identify the right venues, and find the accommodations your attendees might need. But they can be painfully time-consuming to make, even though many of them tend to follow the same format.
That’s why it’s so helpful to have a good RFP template. Having a standard, complete RFP template will save you time, make sure you get the information you need, and keep you in compliance with your policies on RFPs.
How to make your event planning a breeze
No matter what type of event you’re planning, using these 13 event templates will make your life a little easier.
And even better, you don’t need to worry about breaking the bank while planning your event — all our templates are absolutely free! These resources will save you time and money so you can focus on other important aspects of your event.
There’s one more tool you can use to save yourself time and bring your event to the next level: Eventbrite’s marketing suite is built to make it as easy as possible for you to get the word out about your next event and have your hard work pay off.
