Setting Up Your 2026 Events for Success

2026 is only a few months away- which means it’s time to start setting up next year’s events calendar. By giving yourself plenty of time to plan, you’ll not only give yourself a better chance at locking in your preferred venues and suppliers, but you’ll also give yourself plenty of time to strategically plan in line with your goals.

We’ve compiled our top tips for setting up your 2026 event calendar to ensure your events pack a punch. 

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Set Up Your Event Calendar 

The first step to setting up next year’s events calendar is, of course, to understand what events will be taking place. Take the time to plan out each month, first filling in any annual events throughout the year. Gala dinners, Q1 conferences, end-of-financial-year celebrations, and annual corporate off-sites - make sure these are captured and accurately plotted out. Once all recurrent events are captured, you can then shift your focus to planning out any new events. Are you implementing any networking events for new clients, or perhaps this year you’re focusing on more team activities? 

Whilst you don’t have to have the entire year captured, it’s important to note down as much as you can. 

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Outline Your 2026 Event Goals 

What do you want to achieve with your events in the new year? Are you aiming to increase employee engagement with more team activities and workshops? Are you looking to connect with your industry through networking events and conferences, or create a stronger senior leadership team with a corporate off-site? 

Once you have your key event goals mapped out, see how these align with your current calendar to make sure your events are supporting your goals. If you want to upskill your team with more workshop opportunities but only have one workshop in your calendar, consider if you need to re-examine your current event schedule to better fit your goals. 

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Review What Worked and Didn’t Work in 2025

Hindsight is a great tool, so use it to set your 2026 events up for success. Take the time to review your key events in 2025 so you can understand what worked, and what didn’t work. Maybe you booked a new venue that received great feedback from attendees, or perhaps you need to start your networking event an hour earlier so attendees can come straight from work. Make sure to write down each win or key learning; not only will this help to plan a particular event, but you can identify any recurring patterns that can support achieving your event goals. 

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Get a Head Start on Suppliers and Venues 

For key calendar events, some Events teams are now booking venues over 12 months in advance, making it vital to get a head start on your venue and supplier sourcing. With your event calendar mapped out, start with your larger-scale events, as larger event venues tend to have limited availability. If you’re set on a popular venue for your event, getting in touch early is vital; some venues can be booked out over a year in advance. 

The earlier you can book and confirm your venue, the more time you have to work with suppliers. By bringing suppliers into the early planning process, they can tailor their offerings around your event needs (and can do this in even greater detail once a venue has been locked in). 

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Getting in front of your 2026 events can not only set you up for success earlier, but can ensure you return from the holidays refreshed, with a clear action plan in place. From mapping out your event calendar to reviewing this year’s wins and learnings and getting a head start on your venue and supplier sourcing, there’s plenty of steps you can take now to ensure your 2026 events tick all the boxes. 

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