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Tools & Templates

Event planning templates

Templates: guides, ideas and tools from EventPlans.ca for planning events in Toronto and the GTA.

What the templates are

The templates are the working documents of event planning: the proposal that wins the job, the brief that aligns the vendors, the budget sheet that tracks the money, the contact sheet and run of show that hold the day together, and the survey that tells you whether it worked. Each one is a printable outline with the sections planners actually use, written for Ontario conditions, so HST, Special Occasion Permits and certificates of insurance appear where they belong rather than as afterthoughts.

Using them in order

The templates follow the life of an event. The proposal template and the creative brief come first, during discovery. The vendor contract outline, budget sheet and risk register belong to the planning months. The performer tech rider, vendor contact sheet and run of show are finalised in the last few weeks. The post-event survey closes the loop. If you are new to planning, working through them in that order is a reasonable way to make sure nothing is missed.

Adapting a template

Treat each template as a frame rather than a form. Delete sections that do not apply, but think twice before you do: the lines people want to skip, such as insurance, cancellation or rain plans, are usually the ones that matter when something goes wrong. Keep the language plain, write times in a single format, and put names and cell numbers rather than company switchboards wherever a person is responsible. A template that fits on one printed page is far more likely to be read on the day than one that runs to six.

Keeping versions straight

Most problems with event documents come from people working from different copies. Date every version in the file name, send changes as a complete new copy rather than a list of edits, and nominate one person to hold the master. In the final week, print the run of show and contact sheet and bring spares, because phones die and venue Wi-Fi is not always reliable. For a full picture of what to prepare and when, the master event checklist links each template to the stage of planning where it is needed.