Outdoor Event Planning Checklist

Outdoor event planning can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to. Breaking everything down into individual tasks is the best way to ensure success, so we’ll make it easier for you with 12 steps for the perfect event:

• Step 1: Define goals and create a budget
• Step 2: Secure a venue
• Step 3: Check the weather and create a backup plan
• Step 4: Ensure you have proper permits
• Step 5: Plan for accessibility
• Step 6: Plan for power
• Step 7: Design a layout
• Step 8: Book catering
• Step 9: Organize extras
• Step 10: Set up and delegate
• Step 11: Monitor the event
• Step 12: Clean up

With this checklist, you’ll never worry about how to plan an outdoor event again!

1. Define Goals and Create a Budget

When planning any outdoor event, always determine attendance numbers and think about your objectives. Calculate the costs for essentials such as the venue, electricity, lighting, audio, and food. Set your priorities and leave a 20% buffer for unexpected expenses.

2. Secure a Venue

Popular outdoor venues often book out in advance, so it’s best to secure a site as early as possible, generally six months to one year ahead. Until you have a venue, you can’t plan your event’s design or organize permits, catering, and other essentials, as these are often location-dependent.

3. Check the Weather and Create a Backup Plan

Keep a keen eye on the weather forecast, but understand that it can change unexpectedly. Contingency plans for outdoor events, such as covered areas or indoor/outdoor packages, can see you covered even if it rains or the wind picks up.

4. Ensure You Have Proper Permits

Outdoor events may require multiple permits (depending on the venue), including noise, food service, alcohol, and parking permits. Most of these take at least 2 weeks to organize. You can usually contact City Hall or the County Clerk’s Office for guidance on this process.

5. Plan for Accessibility

Outdoor venues should be as accessible as possible to ensure comfort for all guests. While the ADA requirements provide a minimum standard, consider adding resting points with seating every 50–100 feet and clear signage to help guests navigate the area more easily.

6. Plan for Power

Lighting, video screens, and sound systems all consume lots of electricity, and outdoor venues may have few outlets. To account for this, consider renting generators, both for convenience and as part of your outdoor event emergency plans. Even if the electrical grid goes down, your event won’t.

7. Design a Layout

Your venue is a blank canvas, and you’ll need to plan entrances and exits, seating, stages, and power source placement around this canvas. Map the site to scale, then anticipate where bottlenecks may occur. Leave plenty of movement space in those high-traffic areas.

8. Book Catering

Outdoor events benefit from a caterer familiar with these types of functions, as they can help with food storage and serving recommendations. If your budget allows, seek multiple quotes and choose a vendor that provides all necessary equipment as part of the service.

9. Get the Extras

After you secure necessities, such as chairs and tables, consider extras that will help your guests feel comfortable and make your event more successful. Some examples include DJs, portable fans, and mobile restrooms. Don’t forget to factor these additions into your power and budget calculations.

10. Set Up and Delegate

Once you’ve booked everything and settled any last-minute event production requirements, you should prepare a detailed timeline.

Plan the setup process, accounting for potential equipment delivery delays. Then, create another timeline for the event itself. Decide who will be responsible for each task and encourage constant communication.

11. Monitor the Event

Communication becomes even more important during the event. Check weather updates and monitor the status of your audio and visual systems frequently. Make sure you have a clear chain of command to help your team understand what to do if equipment fails or any other problems occur.

12. Clean Up

Cleanup is never the most glamorous step, but it’s crucial for getting your venue deposit back and maintaining a good reputation. Plan around the cleanup timeframe your location requires and schedule a crew to handle everything, including trash removal, equipment return, and finalizing interactions with vendors.