Veterans’ Health Week Event Planning Checklist

The Veterans’ Health Week (VHW)Event Planning Checklist is a useful guide that can help you plan your event. You may need to add specific items that might assist in planning. You do not need to submit this document to DVA.

Early event planning
Name of your event
Description of event
Date(s) of your event
Has this been confirmed?
Start and finish time of your event
Has this been confirmed?
Location of your event
Has this been booked and confirmed?
Event contact / Name:
Main point of contact for your event / Number:
Email:
Networking and partnerships
Are there any organisations or groups you could be linking with?
Participants—who
Who are they? How will you reach them (promotion)?
Aim—why
What do you want to achieve with your event?
Message—what
What do you want your participants to know/learn?
Promotion
What communication channels are best to reach people to attend the event?
Risk assessment
Identify possible risks and develop strategies to minimise these risks
Checklist
☐ Who will be involved in the event and what will they be doing? (a list of people with a description of what they are responsible for in the planning and executing of the event)
☐ Evaluation criteria established (this could be numbers of participant feedback)
☐ Does your event have appropriate insurance coverage?
Early event planning / Person responsible / Action / Date to be completed
Budget
☐Organisation allocation
☐Sponsorship (external)
☐Quotes obtained to ensure accurate budget estimates
☐DVA funding (correct amount requested?)
☐ Break-even point established (if required)
☐Have you accounted for GST?
Promotion
☐ Nominated spokesperson
☐ Promotional material developed (e.g. posters, flyers)
☐ Promotional material distributed
☐ Social media posts
☐ Contact media (e.g. press, radio, TV, newsletter)
☐ Ask to advertise in organisation newsletters/publications
☐Media release developed
Products / Resources
☐Products purchased for distribution at event
☐DVA VHW logo guidelines applied
☐VHW resources sourced from DVA VHW website
☐VHW resources printed for distribution at event
Invitations
☐ Mailing list generated/updated
☐Invitation list compiled
☐RSVP and date set
☐ Invitations sent with sufficient time to RSVP
☐Names on list and titles/addresses checked for accuracy
☐Special guests/speakers alerted to make time in diaries
Catering—if required
☐ Decide on catering and food requirements
☐ Allocate catering management to staff/volunteer
☐ Organise catering and book (if required)
☐ Appropriate storage and facilities for cooking/serving
Venue
☐ Suitable venue booked and confirmed (date and times)
☐Access checked (e.g. wheelchair access)
☐ Safety check venue for possible risks
☐ Venue liability and insurance cover
☐Toilets and amenities are suitable
☐ Transport options are available (e.g. public transport)
☐ Adverse weather contingency plan
Guest speaker (if required)
☐ Booked and confirmed
☐Guest speaker briefed
Signage
☐ Organise signage if necessary and check wording
☐DVA pull-up banners (contact your state DVA office)
☐Download posters from the VHW website
Program/running sheet
☐Write running sheet
☐Check running sheet wording, dates, times etc
☐Prepare program/running sheet and send to speakers
Logistics
☐ Develop risk management plan
☐ Occupational health, welfare and safety concerns attended to
☐First-aid provisions available
Audio visual equipment (if required)
☐Audio visual equipment available and booked
☐ PA system/microphone
☐ CD player
☐ TV/projector
☐Audio visual equipment checked and working
☐Suitable lighting
☐Extra electrical requirements
Staffing and volunteers
☐ Staff or volunteers available to assist throughout the day
☐ Set-up
☐ Tasks during event
☐ Pack-up
☐Staff and volunteers briefed on responsibilities
DVA VHW Participant evaluations
☐ Nominated person reviews evaluation instructions/advice and prepares required paperwork.
On-the-day event planning / Person responsible / Action / Date to be completed
☐ All staff a briefed on housekeeping (e.g. emergency exits)
☐ Time for set up, by whom
☐ Time to dismantle/pack up, by whom
☐ Signage set up with clear directions
☐Set up chairs, tables etc.
☐ Set up and check audio visual equipment
☐ Registration table and name tags
☐ Persons responsible for photography (if required)
☐ Photo permission obtained from participants (if required)
☐ Monitor safety throughout event
☐Event promotion on the day e.g. social media updates
☐DVA VHW participant evaluation paperwork distributed and collected.
Post-event planning / Person responsible / Action / Date to be completed
After the event
☐ Clean up venue
☐Event staff and volunteer debrief and thankyou
☐Use the DVA VHW Certificate of Appreciation (website)
☐ Send thankyou to guest speakers
☐ Send thankyou to participants (e.g. mail, email etc.)
☐ Post success on social media
☐ Record staff/volunteer/participant feedback
☐Send photos of your event to your state DVA contact
Evaluation and acquittal
☐ Collect all receipts for purchases related to the event
☐ Complete acquittal form and return to DVA no later than two weeks post VHW
☐ Complete Event Organisers Survey sent by DVA
☐Send completed Participant surveys to DVA
☐ Prepare organisation evaluation report of event

Veterans’ Health Week Event Planning Checklist: Version 1.0 (March 2018)1