Ultimate Checklist for Planning Your Next Oakland Event

June 28, 2024 Something Incorporated

Planning an event can be more complicated than people realize - many steps are practically invisible to attendees but absolutely vital to the process, making first-time event planning intimidating. This is especially true in bustling cities like Oakland, where minor missteps can mean long wait times and delays.

As long as you know what you’re getting into and what you need, though, event planning can be seamless and simple, especially if you’re working with seasoned professionals like the staff of Culinary Eye. Here’s a convenient checklist of steps you can take when planning your next Oakland Event.

Get the scope of the event

The first step in event planning is narrowing down exactly what it is you want to achieve with the event. Are you celebrating a particular occasion, like a wedding or anniversary? Is this a corporate function designed to encourage networking? Decide what your goal is and what kind of event you’re looking to host.

Kinds of events include:

Weddings
Private parties
Galas
Corporate dinners
Award ceremonies
Industry conferences

When you’ve established the type of event you’re hosting, you’ll need to then establish the following logistical parameters:

Who is running the event? List your entire available coordination team.
Who is sponsoring the event, if anyone?
What is the overall budget for the event?
Given this information, how many people can you reasonably accommodate for this event?
How long is the event going to go on? A few hours, a full day, or multiple days?
What is the minimum amount of time you need to prepare for this event?
When will the event be held?

Answering these questions in order can help you to work out the answers to the next question in line.

Decide what you need and when you’ll need it

Once you have the scope of the event, it’s time to work out logistics and decide what vendors you’ll need. Here’s a list of factors you might want to consider:

The venue and its available amenities

Overnight accommodations (if necessary)
Proximity to food and/or interesting activities for downtime during or surrounding the event
Parking
Indoor and outdoor space
AV setups
Tables and chairs for each room
Kitchen and bar availability
Included accommodations such as custodial service or catering

The vendors necessary for the event

Catering
Bar Service
Speakers and presenters
Entertainers
Custodial staff
Security and emergency services

The prospective schedule of the event, broken down by the hour and, for multi-day events, by the day

Consider your options and make decisions

When you’ve determined exactly what it is you need for your event, you can start looking for appropriate providers. Make lists of local vendors that offer the services you need and consult with them to find the right option for your event. It’s a good idea to check out previous customer reviews as well, to ensure that the vendors actually deliver on what they promise. You’ll need to do this for each of the services you need.

Once you’ve started booking, make sure that you keep all of the appropriate contact information and details of what they need from you in one place. This will help you stay organized later on, especially if plans change.

Smooth out the final details

When you have all of your vendors sorted, it’s time to make a detailed schedule for the event. This can help you spot any last-minute gaps that need to be filled and get those covered as soon as possible, which can make the actual event itself significantly less stressful for everyone involved. Make sure everyone - the planning team, guests, and vendors - has a copy of the itinerary and an open line of communication so that, if they’ve got any issues or conflicts, they can let you know.

Follow through and review

When you’ve heard back from everyone and you’re sure that all conflicts and issues have been handled, it’s showtime. During the event, you’ll want to make sure that you’re communicating with your vendors and your guests. Make sure that you’ve left some room for flexibility in your schedule; things rarely go perfectly according to plan, so it’s best to be able to meet needs on the fly if you have to. If things change, use your contact information sheet to quickly inform all necessary parties so that the day can still run smoothly.

After your event, you should sit down with your planning team and review how things went. What were the strong parts of the day, and where could you improve next time? Ask your guests what their experience was like, and take this feedback into account. It’s considered a courtesy to leave positive public reviews for vendors you were pleased with so that future customers can reference them. You may also offer constructive feedback to your vendors if you notice something that could be improved on in their services.

Full-service event planning in Oakland

Culinary Eye offers full-service event planning for a seamless and stress-free experience. It’s the ideal choice for any event, personal or professional, in Oakland and the wider San Francisco Bay Area.

Since 2010, Culinary Eye has built a reputation for unparalleled, immersive, and dynamic experiences. The talented team at Culinary Eye includes chefs, designers, and artists, who collaborate to create exciting and memorable events from start to finish. They offer a comprehensive range of services that can be tailored to meet the needs of any occasion, ensuring a perfect fit for their clients’ visions.

From custom menu creation to venue selection and preparation, Culinary Eye handles every aspect of event planning. Culinary Eye's services don't stop at food and drink catering or logistics, either—they also offer entertainment arrangement services, A/V support, photography, valet assistance, and more.

Whether you're planning a big corporate gathering or an intimate social celebration (including weddings), Culinary Eye is equipped to exceed your expectations. They strive to ensure that every detail is taken care of, making the event planning process effortless for hosts.

You can learn more and book a consultation at their website.