Event planning tools

The following tools and templates may assist with your event planning.

Communications plan

A communications plan is a collation of all your marketing and promotion strategies. It helps you identify who you are promoting your event to, what media you will use, key messages and timings of the communications.

Community event notice

A community event notice provides details about your event to notify the surrounding community in advance and give them a person to contact if they have any queries.

An emergency management plan outlines how you will handle emergencies during the event. It identifies who is responsible for responding to incidents; outline procedures for various situations, e.g. medical emergency or fire; include a contact list for event stakeholders and emergency services; outline evacuation procedures; and identify emergency exits and assembly points on site maps.  Use the Emergency management plan template for small events under 500 people or Emergency management template for large events over 500 people.

Event brief

An event brief document is essentially a smaller version of your event management plan but can be provided to all your staff, volunteers, contractors etc working onsite so everyone has the main details about your event and emergency arrangements prior to the event and to refer to during the event.

Event budget

An event budget helps you estimate event costs and record actual expenses.

Event debrief

An event debrief document is a way of recording all the issues raised at a debrief meeting after the event, and can be saved for use when planning future events.

Event management plan

An event management plan describes all the issues that you’ve addressed in planning the event. Event management plans must address public liability, risk management, traffic management, community safety and security, first aid, electrical safety, gas safety, environmental management, amenities, temporary structures, service of food or liquor, amusement operator requirements and signage/advertising. Use the Event management plan template for small events under 500 people or Event management template for large events over 500 people.

Event planning checklist

Refer to the event planning checklist for common issues to be considered when planning your event.

Event survey

An event survey is way of collecting information about your event attendees and helping you plan for the future

First aid incident and near miss report

Complete the first aid incident and near miss report when first aid has to be administered or a near miss incident is identified that has the potential to cause injury. Completed reports can be filed together in an incident report log.

Incident report log

An incident report log provides a summary of all incidents.

Key contacts list

 A key contacts list documents the names, roles, responsibilities, email and mobile phone numbers of event team members, contractors and stakeholders involved in planning and delivering your event including incident management.  E.g. Event committee, security, traffic control, first aid, entertainment manager, Redland City Council, Queensland Police Service, Queensland Ambulance Service and Queensland Fire and Rescue Service.

Market approval

Council regulates markets on Council land or roads to ensure that they are conducted safely for patrons and prevent nuisances to the surrounding environment.  If your market will have 500 or more people in attendance you can apply for approval by submitting a market approval.

Media release

A media release provides information to media outlets to generate free publicity for your community event.

Risk management plan

A risk management plan documents your risk assessment undertaken prior to the event. The plan should identify, assess and control risks relevant to the event. Use the risk calculator to assess identified risks and complete the risk assessment template. Refer to the risk assessment example.

Run sheet

A run sheet is a timeline of your event. You can create a detailed run sheet that incorporates all aspects including your bump in (set up) and bump out (pack down) order, contractor arrival times, sounds checks, mandatory briefings, event start and finish times and timings for all items. From this you can also create less-detailed versions for specific groups e.g. for performers who only require the event order, not the bump in schedule.

Security incident report

A security incident report is a way of keeping a record of the contact details of people involved, a record of what happened and how it was managed.

Site plan

A site plan is an aerial drawing of the event location that details the layout of all the activities, buildings and facilities at your event. Your site plan should be drawn to scale and include the location of roads, car parking, emergency vehicle access, fire fighting equipment, emergency exits, emergency assembly areas, pedestrian walkways, first aid, areas for lost children and property, each stall and its name, each amusement operator and their name, amenities, bins and audio equipment (e.g. speakers).

Temporary food stall licence

If you have food operators serving or selling food and refreshments at your event, they may need to obtain a temporary food business licence. Generally, food businesses that involve the preparation of food do require a licence. Some exemptions apply to not-for-profit organisations, the sale of packaged foods and the sale of whole fruit and vegetables.

Temporary entertainment event approval

Council regulates temporary entertainment events on Council land or roads to ensure that they are conducted safely for patrons and prevent nuisances to the surrounding environment.  If your event will have 500 or more people in attendance you can apply for approval by submitting a temporary entertainment event approval.

Temporary vehicle access to a Council park or reserve

You can apply for approval to drive a vehicle in a Council park or reserve by submitting a temporary vehicle access form.

Traffic control permit

If you are altering traffic you need a traffic control permit from Council to:

• close a road
• alter traffic conditions on a road reserve
• temporarily close car parks
• conduct cycle events in live traffic

Traffic guidance scheme

Traffic Guidance Schemes show the affected roadways of the event and/or sites, appropriate signage and barricading and traffic control to be installed.  Refer to the traffic guidance schemes examples.

Volunteer registration form

You can ask people to express an interest in volunteering by completing a volunteer registration form.

Event planning guides

Refer to the guides below for more information on event planning

• Event Information Kit – general information about holding events in Redlands Coast – Redland City Council
• A Planning Guide – Nonprofit- fundraising events: alcohol, safety and event management – Queensland Government
• A Planning Guide for Event Managers – Alcohol, Safety and Event Management – Queensland Government
• Events in Queensland Handbook – Best practice guidelines for event delivery in Queensland – Queensland Government
• Queensland Government Accessible Events Guide and Checklist

The templates available on or through this website are provided by Redland City Council as an information source only. Redland City Council makes no statement, representation or warranty about the quality, accuracy, context, completeness, availability or suitability for purpose of the templates and to the maximum extent permitted by law, disclaims all responsibility and liability for all expenses, losses, damages and costs that might be incurred by you or any other person as a result of the use of the templates. Information contained within the templates is suggestive only. Reproduction and use of the templates are at your own risk.