Free guides for event organizers
Guides to planning events and to year-round events
Steps and practical examples: for people organizing an event and for those working with the seasonality of their area.
48 free articles
Who they are for
Practical guides for organizers, experienced or not
They are written for people who have to make an event happen: the steps, the documents and the numbers to keep an eye on, with concrete examples. They are free and you don't need an account to read them.
First-time organizers
A party, a wedding, a reunion: the beginner guides explain where to start and what not to forget.
Where to startThe four phases of an event: from the idea to the final review
Associations and local committees
Food festivals, village fairs and volunteer-run events: permits, suppliers, safety and accounts kept in order.
Where to startHow to run a local food festival: from the first meeting to the day after
Professional organizers
Risk assessment, supplier management, crowd flows and the final report: the advanced guides go into detail.
Where to startRisk Assessment 5x5: Practical Guide for Safe Events
How they are organized
Two paths, eight topics
The guides follow the two themes of the site: organizing an event from the idea to the day after, and bringing events outside the tourist season. Within each path they are grouped by topic.
44 guides
Organizing events and trips
From the idea to the final review: goals, budget, guests and RSVPs, suppliers, programme, safety, permits and volunteers.
For example: how to run a local food festival, event budgets, the 5x5 risk assessment.
4 guides
Year-round events
What tourism seasonality is, how it is measured and how an off-season event can help a local area.
For example: the seasonality glossary, data on Italy, the guide for local groups.
Featured
The guides to start with
Three reads that give you the full picture: how to organize an event, how to build a budget that holds up, and what tourism seasonality is.
- Strategy
How to organize an event: from the idea to the day after
Purpose, type of event, date, venue, budget, people, suppliers, permits, programme, the day itself and the day after: the steps in order, with a worked example, common mistakes and links to a guide for each topic
- Operations
Event budget: how to build one that holds up
Three questions before the numbers, cost lines by type of event, income, a contingency calculated line by line, scenarios, cost per person, break-even, payment calendar and tracking while you plan, with worked examples
- Strategy
Tourism seasonality: what it is and how to measure it
A definition, six indicators you can compare across countries (peak-month shares, Gini, empty months) with a step-by-step worked example, data for Europe, Japan, Argentina and Australia, the limits of the data, and what public policies really do
The guides
Find the guide you need
Filter by path or topic, or search for a word: each guide shows its level and how long it takes to read.
- StrategyBeginner
Types of Events: How to Recognize and Classify Them
How to work out what kind of event you are planning and what follows from it
classificazionetipologie - StrategyBeginner
Scale and Impact: From Local to Mega-Event
How size affects planning and success
scalaimpattomega-event - OperationsIntermediate
The Role of Suppliers in Event Success
Supply chain, vendor management and checklists
fornitorisupply-chainvenue - TechnologyIntermediate
Virtual and Hybrid Events Post-Pandemic
Strategies for remote engagement and digital platforms
virtualeibridostreaming - StrategyIntermediate
Phase 4 — Post-Event Evaluation and ROI
Measuring success with feedback and metrics
valutazioneroifeedback - StrategyBeginner
SMART Objectives for Successful Events
How to define specific, measurable and achievable goals
smartobiettivikpi
Put it into practice
From guide to tool, for free
Play the Event's free tools help you do right away what the guides explain. They work in your browser, no sign-up needed.
Event Budget Calculator
Split your event's total budget across venue, catering, staff, marketing, entertainment and contingency, and see the cost per person.
Open the tool : Event Budget CalculatorEvent Planning Checklist Generator
Generate an event planning checklist by event type and size, with tasks grouped into four phases: research, planning, on site and after the event.
Open the tool : Event Planning Checklist GeneratorEvent Risk Assessment Tool with Risk Matrix
Build a risk matrix for your event: probability and impact for each risk, with preventive actions and contingency plans.
Open the tool : Event Risk Assessment Tool with Risk Matrix
Ready to organize your event?
Create an account and try Play the Event on your next event: planning, budget, guests and tasks in one place.
Create your account and choose the plan you need: prices and limits are on the Pricing page.