So you´ve been given a new project to run, which sounds great in theory, but in reality, can be incredibly overwhelming, especially if it´s not something you´ve done beforehand. It can be hard to know where to even begin, especially if you´ve had little to no direction so we´ve done a bit of research to help you get started.
Step #1 - Define the objective
This is absolutely the first thing you have to do. Without a shadow of a doubt. And I´m not just talking about a vague “We want to run a conference about technology”. Why do they want to? Is it a money-making exercise for the company, is it an internal training exercise, is it a loss leader with the aim of increasing company visibility? Find out what the principal objective is of the project and make that not only your starting point, but the anchor for every decision you make along the way.
Once you know the why, you need to figure out the how and this involves specifics. Now if you know me at all, you´ll know that generally I absolutely hate acronyms (mainly because I can never remember what they stand for), but for the purposes of project management, I would absolutely recommend setting SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound).
Dealing in vaguery (is that a word?) is frankly anathema when talking about project management. Let everyone else deal in blue sky thinking, your job here is to figure out HOW to make these things happen and for that you need to be precise. I´ve worked on events where there was no budget, no clear objectives, and no real plan and let me tell you, it´s a nightmare. An expensive nightmare.
So, let´s break it down.
What is the project as a whole? This is literally step one and should be clearly defined to you by your executive.
What are the principal objectives? As above, do not even leave the initial meeting until you have this information (this will help define things like budgets and pricing if applicable)
How can this realistically be achieved? (define timescale, resources necessary, budget)
Now, not to scare you, but this is literally stage one. But to be more specific, I have to BE more specific, so let´s pretend I´ve been tasked with running a one day internal conference (that way we can avoid talking about marketing, profit margins etc. Definitely important, but not necessarily relevant to every project, and definitely something you should be delegating anyway).
Here is a quick checklist of what I need to think about:
What is the project?
What needs to happen during the event? E.g Speakers, team building activities etc.
What is the budget? (find out both budget as a whole and budget per person. Remember, travel and hospitality will be charged per person, so it´s an important number to keep in mind)
Where will the event be taking place? (Geographically speaking. There´s no point in me spending hours trawling for suitable hotels in Manhattan if they want the event in Boston) Get as much information as possible and consider the travel options to and from the venue. A fabulous golf course is great, but if you need to order 100 taxis to get your guests there, you´re eating into the budget.
Will you need external providers? (some venues can provide everything, others outsource AV, décor, entertainment etc) Find out, and put it in your budget.
Will you need to organise travel and accommodation? If so, for how many and from/to where? Get this information as early as possible. Gone are the days of last minute deals. The earlier you organise this, the more flexibility you´ll have in terms of choice and cost.
So, this list isn´t exhaustive by any means, but you get the idea. The most important thing when running a project or event is being in control of the details (which is where you excel after all!). The important thing to get right straight away is knowing what needs doing, what the budget is for doing it, and (VERY IMPORTANT) who is doing it. Don´t be afraid to delegate (in fact on larger projects, insist upon it, and if you can´t do it internally, do it externally). If you insist on juggling everything then some plates will be dropped and that´s the last thing you want.
So, where do I start?
There are tons of checklists, budget planners and project management tools available online for free, so I´d recommend you having a look at what´s available, but we have compiled a few here for you if you want to save yourself the trouble.
Remember, the key to successful project management is planning, planning and more planning. Get those checklists ready, check the budget, delegate and last of all try and enjoy it!
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