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  • Writer's pictureWhitney Tran

Event 101: Writing Operational Plans

Updated: Mar 4, 2022

Outside of executing a full run through of your event, the next best option is a well thought out operational plan. While functional areas are the building blocks for your event, your ops plan is the document that provides the required details to execute.


Let's say you're planning transportation for an event. Here's the info you would provide for your guests:


Please meet at 123 Main Street at 5:45PM on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Excellent

Transportation will take you to Arena A. After the event, Excellent Transportation will

pick you up where you were dropped off at Gate F and return you to 123 Main Street.


Here's what your Ops Plan would read:


Transportation Operational Plan

Overview: Company Yay is hosting an event for 25 guests. These VIPs are major sponsors and attending an event at Arena A. It's imperative that their transportation, the first aspect of all events, is run seamlessly.


Departure Trip:

Date: 3/1/22 (Tuesday)

Departure Address: 123 Main Street, City, State, Zip

Staging Time: 5:30PM EST

Departure Time: 5:45PM EST

Drive Time: 30 minutes

Arrival Address: Arena A, 100 Arena Drive, City, State, Zip.

NOTE: Enter and drop at Gate F.

Arrival Time: 6:15PM EST


Guests: 25 total.

Bus Captain: Whitney Tran

Bus Captain Mobile: XXX-XXX-XXXX

Note: Bus Captain will check in all guests and let driver know when to depart


NOTE: Bus to park in lot A during event.


Return Trip:

Staging Time: 8:45PM

Departure Location: Arena A, Gate F

Departure Time: 9PM

Arrival Address: 123 Main Street, City, State, Zip

Arrival Time: 9:30PM


Bus Driver Name: TBD

Bus Driver Mobile: To be provided.


Placard: File attached. Please print two copies. Tape in the front and side window of the bus.

Route: File attached. Please follow the driving instructions attached.


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Do you see how the operational plan adds in the details to how your functional area will work? At the bottom you'll see I noted a placard and route. This is a good space to add any files, information or instructions that is needed to ensure a solid event experience. For transportation this would be placards (those are the signs in the window that assists guests in denoting what bus is the correct bus) along with routing maps (exactly what it sounds like, a map saying how to drive from Point A to Point B). Other functional areas will have different files. For example, if you're working registration you might have a guests list, or instructions on how to use the software to check guests in.


The takeaway is this, your operational plan must capture the steps, information and instructions required, in as much detail as possible. You should be able to hand the ops plan to any event professional, knowing they could execute with no issues.


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