As an event planner, having the right forms and templates at your fingertips is essential to executing a seamless event from start to finish.Â
From managing RSVPs to tracking expenses, forms help keep you organized and on budget.
Event Planning Forms and Templates to Use for Your Next Event
Below, we’ll walk through ten must-have event planning forms that every planner should have ready access to.
With these forms in place, you’ll be prepared to expertly handle event details both big and small.Â
1. Event Planning Checklist
No event can get off the ground without a comprehensive planning checklist.Â
This critical event planner form outlines each and every task that needs to be completed to pull off the event.
Checklists allow you to see the big picture and identify any gaps in your planning.
They also enable you to delegate tasks and track progress.
Maintaining an up-to-date checklist ensures critical details don’t fall through the cracks.
For a major event like a conference or gala, your checklist may be pages long.Â
It should cover everything from budgeting and venue selection to marketing and staffing.
For smaller events, a simple bulleted checklist will do. Just be sure to customize it to your specific needs.
- Develop event goals, theme and agenda
- Research and secure venue
- Send save-the-date announcements
- Arrange catering, A/V, rentals etc.
- Hire event staff
- Make travel and accommodation arrangements
- Plan entertainment, activities, speakers
- Create and send invitations
- Set up registration and payment collection
- Promote on social media and other channelsÂ
- Develop contingency plans
- Print programs, signage, name badges
No matter what, your checklist gives you an instant overview of outstanding tasks and deadlines.Â
Review and update it regularly to make sure you’re on track.
With a rock-solid checklist guiding your efforts, you’ll feel confident in your ability to deliver an exceptional event experience.
Check out our detailed guide for virtual events here.
2. Event Proposal/Request Form
For corporate or non-profit events, an event proposal or request form allows clients to share their vision while providing key details you need to develop an event plan.
This questionnaire captures:Â
- Background on organization/purpose of event
- Proposed event date(s) and location preferences
- Estimated number of guests/attendees
- Preferred budget parameters
- Desired theme, entertainment, activities
- Necessary staffing and resources
- Goals and expected outcomes
With this overview document, you can shape initial recommendations, timelines and proposals for the client.
It provides a framework to define the event scope collaboratively.
Make the process easy for requestors by providing the form via your website or email.
The more details they supply upfront, the better you can tailor the event to exceed their expectations.Â
Need a place to start? Try creating a simple Google form with the above questionnaire items or try this basic template.
3. Event Budget Spreadsheet
Another essential event planning form is a comprehensive budget spreadsheet.Â
Tracking income and expenses in one centralized document provides visibility into the financial health of your event.
A budget spreadsheet typically includes columns for budgeted costs per item, actual costs, notes and more.
This at-a-glance view makes it easy to analyze where your dollars are going and catch any discrepancies.
Key elements to include in your event budget spreadsheet are:
Income
- Sponsorship revenue
- Ticket sales
- Vendor booth fees
- Merchandise sales
- Any other event revenue
Expenses
- Venue, rentals, catering
- Entertainment and speakers
- Printing and supplies
- Marketing and promotions
- Staffing and labor costs
- Travel, transportation and accommodations
- Equipment and rentals
- Insurance, licenses, permits
- Contingency fund
As you fill in actual costs, formulate formulas to tally subtotals by category and calculate bottom line profit.
Set up your spreadsheet to clearly show income vs expenses. This allows you to quickly adjust your budget if certain costs are higher than expected.
Refer back to your budget frequently while planning to ensure you’re staying financially on track.Â
With this vital form in hand, you can make smart spending decisions that keep your event out of the red.
Try this template to hit the ground running.
4. Catering Planning Checklist
For events involving meals, snacks and refreshments, a catering planning checklist helps guide discussions with your caterer.
Outline every consideration including:
- Type of cuisine
- Dietary restrictions
- Number and timing of meal services
- Bar/beverage requirements
- Linens, servingware rentals
- Staffing for setup, service and breakdown
- Tasting and menu finalization date
- Payment schedule and contract
With all food-related requirements spelled out, you and your caterer can ensure flawless service.
5. Guest List and RSVP Tracker
Once event promotion kicks off, RSVPs will start rolling in.Â
A guest list and RSVP tracker form is the perfect solution for managing responses.
This simple form includes columns for name, contact information, number of guests, attendance status, payment status and other details.Â
Sorting and filtering features allow you to group guests by key criteria.
A centralized tracker makes it easy to:
- Quickly tally acceptances versus declines
- Follow up with guests who haven’t responded
- Add new names as needed
- Note special requirements like dietary needs
- Send targeted reminders as the event approaches
- Coordinate parking passes and name badges
For large events, automating the process through online registration and event management software can save time.
But a basic Excel spreadsheet works fine for tracking RSVPs to smaller gatherings.Â
Pro Tip: Build in buffer capacity to allow for last minute cancellations and no-shows. Assume 10-20% of invitees won’t attend, even if they RSVP “yes.”
Overbooking slightly helps ensure you meet minimum headcount.Â
With an organized guest list form, it’s smooth sailing to confirm attendance, accommodate guests’ needs and verify that payments have been received.
You’ll deliver optimal guest service while maximizing event participation.
To get started, check out this neat guest list tracker from RSVPify.
6. Event Program Schedule
For multi-day conferences or events with multiple speakers and sessions, an event program schedule form is a must.
This template clearly outlines the agenda so guests know what to expect.
Event programs typically provide:
- Name and date of event
- Schedule broken down by day/time
- Session titles, descriptions and speakers
- Room assignments
- Sponsor acknowledgements
- Maps, advertisements and other details
An electronic version can be posted on the event website for previews. Printed programs are handed out onsite.
Some key tips for your event program schedule:
- Make it visually engaging with color, photos, logos and graphics
- Allow time between sessions for breaks and room transitions
- Note sessions that recur multiple times (e.g. “Lunch and Learn”)
- Highlight featured sessions and keynote speakers
- Use consistent fonts and formatting for easy skimming
- Include page numbers and index to help guests navigate
Creating a well-organized, easy-to-follow program sets clear expectations. Attendees can plan their days accordingly and make the most of the event.
Pro Tip: Leave a column blank to jot down notes about sessions you want to attend.
This helps when deciding on the fly.Â
With all the details at their fingertips, guests will enjoy a stress-free event experience.
For an easier time, go for pre-formatted and customizable templates from Canva.
7. Vendor Contact List
Securing vendors for food, rentals, production and more takes extensive research and coordination.Â
A vendor contact list form tracks all your event partners in one place for easy reference.
For each vendor, your form should include:
- Company name
- Primary contact name
- Phone number
- Email address
- Link to website
- Services provided
- Payment terms/deposit required
- Notes and date booked
Before you know it, the rows will fill with the various vendors handling venue, catering, rentals, entertainment, transportation, production, marketing and all other event details.
A centralized vendor list offers several benefits:
- Refer back to confirmed bookings and contact info at any time
- Share with staff and event partners as a reference
- Easily provide payment/billing information
- Track deposits and balances owed
- Record contacts and links for future events
- Streamline thank you notes post-event
Keeping vendor details handy in one spot makes vendor communications organized and efficient.
Pro Tip: Designate an owner and backup contact for each vendor in case your primary contact is unavailable leading up to or during the event.
With a detailed vendor contact list in place, your event team can seamlessly partner with suppliers to execute your vision.Â
Check out ClickUp’s list of customizable templates to get a head start on your contact form.
Easy starting packages • Advanced options • Proven results
8. Event Feedback Survey
Once the fun is over, one last event planner form provides valuable insights – the post-event feedback survey.
Asking attendees directly what they enjoyed (or didn’t) yields data to help improve future events.Â
An electronic survey is the easiest way to collect feedback. Survey Monkey, Google Forms and similar tools make it simple.
Craft thoughtful questions to extract constructive observations. For example:
- On a 1-5 scale, how would you rate the overall event?
- What were the most valuable sessions and activities?
- How could we improve your event experience?
- Would you attend this event again next year?
- Are there any speakers or topics you would like to see included?
You can also gather feedback during the event. Provide comment cards for lodging compliments or complaints in real time. Monitor social media for candid attendee reactions. And simply observe people firsthand to gauge engagement.
Pro Tip: Incentivize survey completion with a prize drawing. Feedback is most constructive when gathered from a diverse cross-section of your guests.
Analyze results to determine what worked and what missed the mark. Apply lessons learned to enhance return on investment for future events.Â
Continuously collecting feedback demonstrates that you’re committed to improving. This inspires loyalty from your clientele over the long-term.
Take a look at our popular post-event survey questions guide to get expert advice on event feedback collection.
9. Incident Report Form
Despite the best planning, unforeseen incidents may occur at events. Report forms document issues like:Â
- Guest or staff injuries/illnesses
- Catering mishaps or shortages
- A/V malfunctions
- Security or safety issues
- Damaged property
- Weather disruptions
Capturing details surrounding each incident provides important documentation and context should legal action or claims arise.
10. Post-Event Summary Report
The final crucial event planner form is a post-event summary report.
This overarching document compiles learnings, metrics and financial data all in one place.
A summary report typically contains:
- Quantitative metrics like attendance, revenue, sales
- Budget vs. actual cost analysis
- Recap of event program, speakers, entertainment
- Synopsis of publicity efforts and media coverage secured
- Testimonials and social media highlights
- Feedback survey findings
- Photographs and videos from the event
- Challenges encountered and successes achieved
Circulate this report to stakeholders, sponsors and your team to showcase results. Having all the details in an easily digestible format illustrates the event’s return on investment.
The report also serves as a playbook for planning similar events going forward. You’ll know what strategies worked well to replicate, and where there’s room for improvement.
Pro Tip: Meet with staff post-event to conduct a debrief.Â
Identify solutions for any weaknesses that came to light. Get input on enhancements for next time.Â
Compiling an in-depth summary report ensures critical institutional knowledge is retained in one place. By documenting wins and lessons learned, you equip yourself to make each future event even more impactful.
Check out this helpful guide from Currinda to help you get started on your report.
Final Thoughts
Event planner forms help organize details both big and small when planning corporate events, conferences, weddings and other special occasions.
Leveraging templates and best practices ensures no stone is left unturned.
With this checklist of must-have event planning forms, planners can strategically track all moving pieces for flawless execution.
Customize these tools to suit your specific needs.
The right forms provide structure, guidance and continuity from planning through post-event follow up.
Implementing these best practices results in polished events that impress guests and clients while staying on budget.
However, many event management platforms provide functionality that replaces the need for some of these templates.
Online registration, guest management, budget tracking, vendor contacts, and more can often be handled directly within an end-to-end event software solution.
So be sure to consider leveraging technology to streamline processes where possible. See our comprehensive guide on online events software to find the best fit for your needs.Â
With useful planning forms and tools integrated into your event management process, you can skillfully orchestrate events that drive meaningful connections and business outcomes.
You now have a wealth of knowledge on critical event planning forms to utilize for your next event.Â
But executing enterprise-level virtual conferences, hybrid experiences and large in-person gatherings solo can be overwhelming.
Why not have the backing of specialists?Â
We & Goliath offers full-service event production and marketing to turn your vision into an immersive reality.
Our end-to-end solutions include dynamic virtual platforms, riveting video content, and strategic promotional campaigns to boost engagement and achieve your goals.
If seamless execution and peace of mind sounds appealing, schedule a free strategy session with our team today.Â
We’ll review your needs, brainstorm creative ideas, and outline a plan to deliver a best-in-class event that leaves a lasting impact.
Partner with the experts and ensure your next conference is an unprecedented success!
