Creative Pre-Production Process Resource Pack

*pre-production = planning the logistics and creative elements needed to produce your dream event.

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★ Step 1: Vision
★ Step 2: Schedule and Planning
★ Step 3: Logistic and Templates

This resource guide is designed to help you set up your own event by providing a structured approach to planning and execution. 

It begins with visualising your event and answering key questions to establish its foundation, such as identifying your message, collaborators, target audience, and desired activities. It guides you through setting aims and objectives using SMART criteria to ensure your goals are clear and achievable. The guide also breaks down the planning process into manageable channels—creative, marketing, and operations—detailing specific roles and timelines. Essential templates for logistics and planning are provided to streamline your efforts, making the event planning process comprehensive and accessible.

This guide was created as a toolkit for our collaboration with IKON Youth Programme, where we are working together to create an event in response to the Culture Crisis in Birmingham. We want to make this resource accessible to all, as this framework is often not taught or readily available.

★ Vision

            ★ Visualising an event that excites you - create a Miro board!

            ★ Useful questions 

                 ✨These will make up the foundational building blocks of your event

WHY What is the overall message of your event? (What do you want to say?)

WHO Who might be great to collaborate with in order to Amplify your message?
There are people who will be able to add value to your event. Who are they?
Get in touch with them and ask them to not just attend, but be part of it.

Who would you like to share that message with and where can you find them?
(who are you talking to and where do they ‘hang out’?

WHAT What type of activities would you like to do at the event? 

See Examples mentioned in the first session.

HOW How do we want people to feel in the space?
How do we create this atmosphere in the space?
      > What lighting do you need to achieve the mood you want?
      > What’s the temperature of the space? Will you have any accompanying sound, like music? 

       > If there is music, what will this be and how will this be used to achieve the desired mood you want?

WHERE Where would you like your event to take place?
Considering all of your needs and where your audience hangs out, what venue would suit all of your needs?

Your venue should fit your idea. Not your idea fitting your event.

★ Defining aims and objectives 

                   ✨ Use your responses from your very important questions to write out your aims and objectives.

Aim - Your WHY (long term, overall direction)
There should be one overall aim of your event.
E.g. Create a protest in response to the Birmingham Culture Cuts to bring the Birmingham creative community together and send them messages of hope. 

Objective - Your WHAT (short-term, measurable)
Think about the puzzle pieces you need to achieve your overall aim.
Have at least 5 actionable objectives that will help you achieve this. Make sure they’re SMART - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-based.  

E.g. We are going to attract 500 creatives to come to our event by handing out 250 flyers and digbeth first friday and posting about our event 10x on their most popular social media channel, Instagram.
E.g. We are going to engage 10 people from the local community to create a collective manifesto to encapsulate the message about our event through online forms 3 weeks before our event.

★ Schedule and Planning

      ★  Assigning final roles and scheduling
It’s easiest to break your workload down into 3 Channels.
CREATIVE / MARKETING / OPERATIONS 
CREATIVE is all about creative direction, atmosphere, context and ideas
MARKETING is all about distribution, social media, paid ads, media and press
OPERATIONS is all about smooth running of the event, planning, risk assessment

✨Consider:

> How long do you need to undertake your project?
> Set a realistic timeline then add 10-20% buffer time on-top to foresee delays/unforeseen circumstances.
> Map this timeline out in the table and highlight who is doing what role in each period of time.


✨MUCK IN:
To work effectively as a team, it’s important that you have designated roles and
responsibilities. But never forget the power of TEAM SPIRIT. If somebody is
struggling to complete their task on time, try and muck in. The more exposure you
have to different parts of the project, the more skills you build. 

★ Logistics and Templates

Here are all of the essential templates you will need to plan your event.
Explain what they are and at what stage of the process you will need them.

           ★ Project planning form - example

             ★ Risk Assessment - example

             ​​★ Reaching out for potential collaborations + distribution - contact list

★ Marketing timeline - example

              ★ Revising the budget - example

There are lots of different admin bits and bobs that you should complete as part of the process of setting up your event.
You might find this the most boring part, but it’s essential and important that you get this done so you can have fun with your project.
Factor these into your planning.

★ Minions on Duty

 ★ Don’t forget to have lots lots of fun and put lots lots of love in every step of the process!!!!!