How to Create an Event Management Scope of Work

The event industry is a billion-dollar industry with companies of all sizes looking for support to produce trade shows, conferences, and brand launches — but they can’t do it alone. 

Companies turn to production companies or event management consultants to help plan, market, and support their live (and virtual) events. 

If you’re an event planner, producer, or marketer, there are a few must-haves to include in your event scope of work template. 

What is Event Production?

Event production is the process of planning and producing an event for a company. Event production typically includes every phase of an event, from start to finish — from pre-event planning to onsite management, to post-event reporting. The bigger the event, the more planning and management that goes into it, and the more freelance support that is needed. 

Event management and event production can be used for a range of small and large-scale events including: 

• Corporate events like conferences and trade shows 

• Sporting events

• Concerts and festivals 

• Brand activations 

• Grand openings

• Networking events 

• Workshops 

How to Become an Event Management Consultant

If you want to run a business with event production expertise, there are several roles you can choose from. 

There are typically three phases of full event production: 

• Event planning 

• Event marketing 

• Event management 

As a consultant, you can choose to offer services that fall into any or all of these categories. You may also want to team up with other freelancers in the event space so you can execute a large-scale event with everyone focusing on their area of expertise. Let’s go over what each phase entails. 

Event planning

If you love to strategize, scout venues, and source vendors, then being an event planning consultant is probably a good fit for you. The event planning phase is typically the first step in any full-scale event production. 

You’ll start by discussing the client’s goals for the event, target attendees, size, and timeline. Getting on the same page about all of the details will help you find the perfect venue, vendors, and partners to execute the event. 

Event marketing

Event marketers are also involved in the project early on to plan the right marketing channels that will help spread the word about the event. Some deliverables you might offer include branding support, public relations, social media, and partnerships. 

If you want to focus on event marketing, focus your attention on sponsorships. Sponsors are the foundation of any event — in fact, finding sponsors is a priority for 85% of marketers. Sponsors help fund the production, drive traffic awareness, and help build credibility for an event. Having experience in securing sponsors will help you level up your event marketing skills. 

Event management 

Event management can encompass many tasks, but it specifically focuses on the activities that happen as you get closer to the event such as coordinating volunteers and on-site staff, finalizing last-minute schedules, and providing day-of support to ensure everything runs smoothly throughout the event. If you are energized by a live event, skilled at leading a team, and like to stay on your toes, then focus on specializing in event management. 

How to Create a Scope of Work for Event Management

Ready to create your next event production proposal? Follow these steps to build an event management scope of work template that helps you team up with other event specialists, secure bigger projects, and get paid faster. 

Determine the timeline 

The timeline for an event is one of the biggest aspects of your event production scope. It will determine how much time you have to build a team, source location and vendors, secure sponsorships, and generate ticket sales. 

Make sure you and your client are on the same page about how much time is necessary to successfully produce an event. 

Define your phases 

As we mentioned earlier, there are typically several phases of a full-scale event production starting with pre-event tasks and finishing with post-event management. 

Figure out how you want to structure your event scope. For instance, maybe your client is handling the event marketing and only needs help with the planning and management. Or perhaps you specialize in on-site support and want to focus a majority of your scope on that phase. 

If you need ideas for how to structure your scope, check out our Event Production Scope of Work template. The community-sourced scope of work breaks down the event services into five phases:

• Pre-Event Management

• Public Relations & Event Branding 

• Sponsorship Management 

• Live Event Management 

• Post-Event Management

To see a detailed breakdown of services and recommended pricing, check out our Event Production Scope of Work template. 

Build a team

Once you know what the event timeline is and which phases you’ll need to include in your scope of work, it’s time to build your team. 

Team up with other event freelancers who specialize in the areas you need support with. If you’re an event planner or manager, partner with an event marketing freelancer who can help build a communications and distribution plan to help generate more sales. 

If you’re new to the industry and don’t have a network of freelancers to reach out to yet, consider joining a freelance community to connect with others. You can also try sending a cold DM to someone you follow online who you think could be a good collaborator.

The events industry offers a wealth of opportunities for freelancers. Before you set out to secure your next event management project, make sure that you can confidently price and pitch your services. Be ready for every event opportunity that comes your way by using our Event Production Scope of Work template.