Today I want to talk about utilizing Asana for Event Planning. You may already be thinking of ways this (free) software can be useful. I use Asana to keep my entire team focused. You probably have a “to do list” for your to do list and try as you might, something always falls through the cracks, until that “oh shit” moment. If you are like me, I have a million tools to keep me organized; a day planner, the phone calendar, and an app for notes. Everything is everywhere and none of it is helping.
I want to alleviate this stress from your shoulders because really, you have bigger things to worry about, like getting those seats filled. You may or may not have heard of Asana, but I 100% believe it is the personal assistant you’re looking for.
Why Use Asana?
Asana is a task management software that you can invite your entire team to use. Create tasks as broad or as specific as you want, and assign them to individual team members. For example, you can delegate a task to your graphic designer to create an image for Instagram, then create a sub task for your social media manager to post it.
Each individual gets their own dashboard where they can see just the tasks assigned to them. This cuts back on overwhelm and burnout. Each member will see the full project dashboard and view all tasks regardless of who they’re assigned to.
Let’s say you’re planning a conference for a Holistic Wellness Summit. As you know, there’s tons of areas that need attention in planning a conference, and with Asana by your side, you can break it down into bite sized steps, complete with deadlines and reminders.
The very first thing I do, is create my vision and brainstorming board. Here is a sample screenshot:
I set up a visual aspect for the event including the following columns:
- Brand Inspiration + Colour Palette
- Brainstorming for Event Design
- Swag or Tote Bag Ideas
- VIP Restaurant Options
- Food Inspiration
- Agenda Flow
- Event Sales Page
You can add or remove what you want in this board, but it’s a great idea to start to get the theme look and feel as a visual right off the bat.
For some clients I set up separate projects for Event Planning, Event Marketing and Event Sponsorship – that way it keeps teams in different companies organized. Especially because I’m working with a remote team 99% of the time. Here is an example of an Event Planning Board for a client:
I start with bigger categories and create subtasks in those categories. Not only does this keep it clean, but it’s easy for you and your team to find information easily. Rather than having to sift through dozens of tasks on the main dashboard, it allows the event tasks to be grouped and sorted. I can delegate sub tasks within tasks. For example, take a look at this other example of a project
For my Event Marketing board, it looks something like this:
I’ve broken down the Event Marketing board into months, as it’s easier to navigate and add very important deadlines to.
One of my favorite times to use Asana is in the middle of the chaos. Before I discovered Asana, the days leading up to the event were very cluttered! I had sticky notes in my binder, notes on my hand and reminders on my phone. I would remember that I would need to do x, y and z and I need to stop at the store to get a, b and c. Asana makes it easy for me to drop those reminders right onto the event dashboard.
Asana is available to access via web browser on your computer but there’s also an app, allowing you to keep notifications and updates from your team right in your pocket. It doesn’t matter if you are at home or on the go, everything you need is easily accessible.
I’ve created an amazing tool to help you identify your set up on Asana if you are planning an event. Download my checklist to get a jump start in planning now!
What’s your favorite task management system? If you love Asana, let me know in the comments!
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