1. Shape your event and set the timeline
2. Complete the templates which apply to your event
3. Draw up your budget
4. Invitation, visa and confirmation of employment letters
5. Contracts and memorandum of agreement with venue and service providers
6. Event page and Logistics Advisory on apc.org and Participants’ Registration page on LimeSurvey
7. Finance matters
8. Onsite Logistics and Finance Staff
9. Logistics Evaluation Form
10. Participants List
11. APC members and friends and local public events
12. Communications checklist
Almost all APC staff and interns get the chance to be an Event Focal Point for events such as workshops, trainings, publications launch and fora. She/he is supported by the Events and Logistics Coordinator for the timely, economical and efficient organising of the events.
How do you go about it? Here’s a step-by-step guide :
Note: Templates or forms in italics are available for download at the bottom of this page. For the sake of brevity, participants, resource persons and staff attending an event are collectively referred to as “participants” in this guide.
1. Shape your event and set the timeline
Ideally, at least 1.5 to 2 months is needed for an event to gestate. But a lot depends on various factors like:
a. The number of participants to the event and where they are coming from – the bigger the group, the more labour-intensive it will be in terms of travel and visa processing support.
Longer visa processing time is needed for people who are coming from less developed or war-stricken countries, especially if the event will take place in a developed country. More often than not, developed or rich countries tend to have more stringent visa rules on nationalities of economically-challenged countries .
Also, more turn-around time is needed if the participants are coming from the areas where internet connectivity is limited.
b. How simple (one meeting only) or complex (like a string of activities within a conference) is the event or events
c. Where the event is being held: country, city and venue
For example, participants need to travel international then domestic by air, then have to take a ferry or bus to get to the venue
d. Language and translation support
e. Budget
This is the time to be very clear on what remote and/or onsite support you are going to need from the Events and Logistics Coordinator and other people who are going to be involved in the pre, in the course of and post-event logistics. This is also a good occasion to review and familiarise yourself with the APC Travel Policy.
2. Complete the templates which apply to your event such as :
a. Events Checklist or Publications Launch Checklist
b. Events Timeline and Tasks Checklist
c. Events Budget Template
Send the completed copy of these documents to the Events and Logistics Coordinator and other key people.
3. Draw up your budget
The working budget is drafted by the Event Focal Point using the Events Budget Template and should reflect travel costs, per diem, venue and accommodations, and other projected costs.
Know and be clear on where to charge the following:
a. Programme
b. Project
c. Activity
d. Accounts allocation
If you are unsure about the correct allocation codes, please consult the Finance Manager.
Remember to send a copy of the final working budget and the charging details to the Events and Logistics Coordinator and to the Finance Assistant.
4. Invitation, visa and confirmation of employment letters
Invitations and letters for visa purposes are prepared and signed by Events and Logistics Coordinator. Refer to the Visa Letter-sample and APC Letterhead.
Other invitations are to be signed by the Executive Director.
The confirmation of employment letter for APC staff is prepared by the Finance Associate.
Please refer to the APC Finance and Administration Correspondence to know who is in-charge of which letters and/or certificates.
5. Contracts and memoranda of agreement with venue and service providers
Only the Executive Director is authorised to sign a booking contract or agreement with hotels, transport and other service providers, and to contract labour by individuals and organisations on behalf of APC. Please review the terms and conditions first and make sure these are clear and just before the contract or agreement is forwarded to the Executive Director for signing.
After the contracting parties have signed the agreement, kindly send a copy to the Administrator of the APC Executive Director’s office for filing.
6. Event page and Logistics Advisory on apc.org and Participants’ Registration page on LimeSurvey
At the onset, the following pages should be created :
a. The Event Focal Point should create the Events page in apc.org. It should bear the title of the event, the start and end dates, where it is happening and a link to the Logistics Advisory.
b. The Events and Logistics Coordinator will gather the necessary information and input the following data in the Logistics Advisory on apc.org
b.1 Travel preparation: prerequisites related to passport, visa, vaccinations, travel bookings and arrangements
b.2 Venue and accommodations
b.3 Money matters: what costs APC is paying and which are considered the counterpart of the participant, reimbursements and per diem
b.4 APC’s Travel Policy on personal costs, room-sharing, claims and payments
b.5 Internet connectivity and communications
b.6 Meals, weather, electricity & plugs, currency, health, safety and security reminders, and local culture and sights
b.7 Contact details of the organisers including the emergency contact for APC
Basically, the Logistics Advisory is giving the participants all the information they need regarding the support available to them in the upcoming event .
Aside from making it available on apc.org, the PDF version of the Logistics Advisory should also be sent to the participants. You may refer to the advisories of past events as an example.
c. The Events and Logistics Coordinator will create the Participants’ Registration page in LimeSurvey
https://www.apc.org/limesurvey/admin/admin.php
and prompt the participants to complete it. The information generated from the survey will be the basis of the logistics preparations.
Note : The Participants Registration page used to be lodged in apc.org. But for reasons of keeping people’s information private, it was moved to LimeSurvey, a more secure platform.
7. Finance matters
a. Shop for cheap fares
Compare flight costs and the ticket’s terms and conditions from online sources, APC’s travel agencies, local travel agencies prices before booking. Take note of carbon emission factors and explore the train, boat, bus option whenever possible.
If it is cheaper to buy the plane ticket locally, then request the participant if it is possible for her/him to advance the payment for the ticket. Alternatively, APC could also wire the payment to the local travel agent directly.
You may find the Directory of Service Providers handy.
Please refer all air fare claims to Events and Logistics Coordinator.
b. Compare venue costs and explore those who are environment-friendly, who observe fair labour and gender practices and other good causes. Assess if they are affordable and if they provide equally good service.
c. Request payments for the venue and service providers as well as onsite cash from the Finance Assistant well in advance.
d. Reimbursements
Big amounts such as air fares are paid through bank transfers. If a participant was requested to book locally, request her/him to complete the Payment Requisition Form and send this together with a scanned copy of the receipt to the Events and Logistics Coordinator.
It takes 5-10 days for the wire transfer to be processed. The original receipt should be submitted to the Event Focal Point onsite.
The following costs are disbursed onsite : small travel costs such as visa fees, airport transfers, airport taxes, visa processing costs, and travel and onsite per diem.
Remember that all payments must be supported by receipts, invoices or stubs. It is important to note that some funders have stricter audit procedures and will only accept official receipts/stubs/invoices. It is good to confirm this during the project approval stage and communicate this to the participants and the Onsite Logistics and Finance Staff. If it is acceptable, you may use the Travel Reimbursement Form as documentation in lieu of missing receipts for amounts equal to USD40 or less.
e. Post-event finance reconciliation
All supporting documents like worksheets, receipts, invoices, completed forms and signed worksheets as well as leftover money should be kept by the Onsite Logistics and Finance Staff or turned. She/he will then work with the Finance Associate and the Events and Logistics Coordinator in liquidating the expenses and providing information for the event finance report.
8. Onsite Logistics and Finance Staff
If this is still you, then you will have to carry out the following tasks:
a. Check out the venue set-up before the event.
b. Ensure the reserved equipment are available and are in good working condition.
c. Liaise with the venue, accommodations and technical staff.
d. Purchase supplies and materials.
e. Assist the Events Focal Point and the participants.
f. Undertake photocopying, printing and other errands.
g. Transact with the bank as needed
h. Disburse travel/onsite per diem and small travel costs
This is going to be pre-computed by the Events and Logistics Coordinator and a worksheet sent to you. For small meetings (about 10 participants), you may create your own using the Per Diem and Small Travel Costs Schedule.
i. Collect receipts, invoices and other supporting documents for APC Finance
ALL money releases should have a corresponding receipt—except for the per diem. Participants will be requested to sign the Per Diem and Small Travel Costs Disbursement Schedule.
j. Work with the Finance Assistant and Events and Logistics Coordinator in reconciling the finances after the event.
Please refer to the Guide for the Onsite Logistics and Finance Staff for more details.
9. Logistics Evaluation Form
The Logistics Evaluation Form may be integrated to the event evaluation form or administered directly to the participants through LimeSurvey. The purpose is to get a comprehensive feedback on what worked/did not work to fine-tune future initiatives.
10. Participants List
The purpose of the Participants List aims to keep track of the people who are participating in APC events. The Event Focal Point and the Events and Logistics Coordinator should work on the list.
11. APC members and friends and local public events
It is a good practice to inform local APC members and friends that APC is having an event in their country. It would be good to invite them together with local civil society members and friends to the APC public events.
12. Communications checklists
When you want public attention to your event make sure to work with APC Comms to produce a communications checklist or strategy. This also (especially!) applies to big events that are key to our advocacy agenda, even if we don’t organise it (such as the IGF).
See below some examples that might be useful.