CMP cheat sheet

SMART objectives are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound; each event goal should meet all five criteria.

A needs assessment identifies the gap between the audience's current state and desired state; objectives are written to close that gap.

SWOT maps internal strengths and weaknesses against external opportunities and threats; it informs positioning, not tactics.

PESTLE scans Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental forces affecting the event environment.

Strategic alignment means the event's purpose is traceable to the sponsoring organization's mission and business goals.

Scope, time, and budget form a constraint triangle: a change to any one element forces adjustment in at least one other.

Vision describes a future state, mission describes present purpose, and objectives state measurable targets derived from both.

The planning loop closes with evaluation: objectives → defined measures → post-event measurement → documented findings.

A work breakdown structure decomposes total scope into deliverable-oriented work packages that can be estimated, scheduled, and assigned.

The critical path is the longest sequence of dependent tasks; it determines minimum project duration and carries zero float.

Float (slack) = late start − early start; delaying a task beyond its float pushes the project finish date.

Three-point estimate = (Optimistic + 4 × Most Likely + Pessimistic) ÷ 6, weighting the most likely value most heavily.

Crashing adds resources to shorten duration and raises cost; fast-tracking overlaps tasks and raises risk.

Scope creep is unapproved scope expansion; the change control process documents, evaluates, and approves or rejects changes.

A RACI matrix assigns each task one Accountable owner, plus Responsible, Consulted, and Informed parties.

A Gantt chart displays tasks against calendar time; a PERT network displays task dependencies and sequencing.

Risk score = likelihood × impact; scores rank items in the register so response effort targets the highest exposures.

A risk register records description, cause, likelihood, impact, owner, response strategy, and current status for each risk.

Threat responses are avoid, mitigate, transfer, and accept; opportunity responses are exploit, enhance, share, and accept.

Transfer shifts financial consequence through insurance, contracts, or indemnification clauses; it does not eliminate the risk.

An emergency action plan addresses life safety (evacuation, assembly point, roles); a business continuity plan addresses continued operations.

A force majeure clause excuses non-performance for unforeseeable events beyond the parties' control.

Risk appetite and tolerance are set by the organization; planner authority to accept risk is bounded by an approval threshold.

Crisis communication uses one designated spokesperson and pre-drafted holding statements released before full facts are known.

A post-event risk review updates the register and response plans for the next cycle.

Break-even attendees = fixed costs ÷ (revenue per attendee − variable cost per attendee).

ROI = (net profit ÷ total investment) × 100, where net profit = total revenue − total expenses.

Fixed costs do not vary with attendance (venue, speakers); variable costs scale per person (catering, badges).

Variance = actual − budgeted; an expense above budget is unfavorable whether shown as positive or negative by convention.

A contingency reserve covering identified risks is commonly set as a percentage of total budget and released only on approval.

Deposits received before an event is delivered are liabilities until the revenue is earned.

Cost per attendee = total event cost ÷ number of attendees; it benchmarks efficiency across comparable events.

Cash flow timing matters: deposits, cancellation penalties, and 30/60/90-day payment terms affect liquidity, not just totals.

Employees are paid and covered by employment law; volunteers are unpaid and governed by a volunteer agreement instead.

Tuckman's stages - forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning - predict team behavior and required leadership focus.

Herzberg distinguishes hygiene factors (pay, conditions) that prevent dissatisfaction from motivators (recognition, growth) that drive effort.

A job description lists duties and reporting lines; a job specification lists the qualifications the candidate must hold.

Span of control is the number of direct reports per supervisor; wide spans reduce individual coaching and oversight.

An onsite staff briefing covers schedule, assigned roles, chain of command, and emergency procedures before doors open.

Worker classification (employee versus independent contractor) affects tax withholding, liability, and control over work methods.

A performance gap caused by lack of skill is closed with training; a gap caused by lack of motivation requires a different intervention.

A stakeholder is any party that affects, or is affected by, the event - including sponsors, exhibitors, speakers, vendors, attendees, and the host community.

On a power/interest grid, high power + high interest stakeholders are managed closely; low power + low interest are monitored.

Stakeholder analysis records each party's needs, influence, current attitude, and the planned engagement strategy.

Engagement levels run unaware → resistant → neutral → supportive → leading; the target level is set per stakeholder.

Communication frequency and channel should scale with a stakeholder's influence and degree of impact.

Sponsor and exhibitor value is a defined exchange: exposure, audience access, and activation weighed against fulfillment cost.

Community stakeholders require attention to permits, local economic impact, resident sentiment, and disruption mitigation.

Contract negotiation is a stakeholder alignment tool, since terms encode each party's expectations and obligations.

Event design converts stated objectives into the attendee experience: theme, physical environment, program flow, and sensory elements.

Format follows the learning objective: keynote for awareness, workshop for skill, panel for perspective, networking for relationship.

Room set drives interaction - theater is passive, rounds support discussion, classroom supports note-taking, U-shape supports facilitation.

Adult learning principles favor content that is relevant, problem-centered, and immediately applicable, with practice built in.

Attention declines without pause; scheduling breaks and format changes roughly every 60 to 90 minutes sustains engagement.

Universal design accommodates mobility, hearing, vision, dietary, and cognitive needs in the base plan rather than as exceptions.

Program arc: the opening builds engagement, the middle delivers content, the close drives commitment to action.

Experience mapping lists every touchpoint from invitation through follow-up so each is deliberately designed.

Site selection criteria: capacity, location, cost, date availability, accessibility, service levels, and safety.

Function space must be verified for seating capacity, ceiling height, rigging and floor load limits, power, and egress.

Usable capacity depends on room set; theater style holds more people than rounds or classroom in the same space.

A site inspection verifies what the sales materials promise: loading dock, storage, technology, climate control, and connectivity.

Common contract terms include deposit schedule, cancellation and attrition, force majeure, comp rooms, and the room-block cutoff date.

Accessibility requirements are set by law (for example the ADA in the United States) or the equivalent local regulation.

Move-in and move-out timing is driven by dock access, freight elevator availability, and union or building work rules.

Occupancy limits, egress routes, and fire marshal approval are confirmed before the floor plan is finalized.

The marketing mix is product, price, place, and promotion; for events, people and process are commonly added.

Segmentation divides the audience by demographics, behavior, or needs; targeting selects which segments to pursue.

A value proposition states the distinct benefit a segment receives; positioning states that benefit relative to alternatives.

AIDA sequences messaging through attention, interest, desire, and action, with different content at each stage.

The registration funnel is impressions → site visits → registrations → attendance; conversion rate is measured at each step.

Cost per acquisition = campaign spend ÷ registrations attributed to that campaign; it compares channel efficiency.

Early-bird pricing pulls registrations forward, improving cash flow and forecasting accuracy.

Post-event assets such as recordings, photography, and testimonials extend the marketing value of a single event.

The communication model is sender → encoding → channel → receiver → decoding → feedback, with noise reducing fidelity at every step.

Channel choice follows urgency and complexity: complex or sensitive messages need rich, two-way channels rather than written broadcast.

A communication plan specifies message, audience, sender, channel, timing, and escalation path for each communication.

Active listening is demonstrated by paraphrasing and confirming the speaker's meaning before responding.

Onsite communication relies on radios, mobile apps, signage, daily briefings, and a staffed command center.

Crisis messaging acknowledges the situation, states known facts, commits to updates, and avoids speculation.

High-context cultures infer meaning from relationship and situation; low-context cultures rely on explicit wording.

The feedback loop - surveys, debriefs, lessons-learned documentation - converts event experience into organizational knowledge.