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How to capture site visit notes for event planners

A plain guide for event planners to record site visit notes on paper, in a spreadsheet or by voice, with steps and mistakes to avoid.

By XP Daily ยท

XP Daily is published by the makers of DaysAid, QuickDictate and YTSort, which are compared here alongside other tools.

Pick one order for your notes, such as venue, access, power, capacity and risks, and fill it in the same way on every visit. Capture the notes while you are still on site, by hand or by voice, so the details are fresh when you compare venues later.

OptionHow it captures notesWhat to check
Paper notebook or printed checklistYou write the answers under the same headings on each visit.Whether you can find each site's notes again later.
SpreadsheetOne row per site and one column per question, so venues sit side by side.Whether it opens on the device you carry on site.
QuickDictateTypes what you say into whichever window has focus. [1]Runs only on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11. [1]

What you need before you start

Capturing site visit notes takes only a few things. Before you walk in, decide what the event needs to know, such as room capacity, access times, power points, parking and any rules the venue sets. Write those headings on your page or in your file so every visit answers the same questions.

Step by step

These steps work with any method, including a pen and a notebook.

  1. Confirm the date, time and address before you leave. Check them against the booking so the visit starts on the right day.
  2. Walk the room with your question list open. Work through the same headings you prepared, such as capacity, access and power.
  3. Note measurements as you take them. Write each figure next to the room it belongs to so the numbers do not get mixed up.
  4. Photograph anything you cannot describe in words. Label each picture with the room and the time.
  5. Record what the venue tells you. Write down the rules, deadlines and costs they state, along with the person who said them.
  6. Mark items you need to check. A short question mark beside a line keeps open points visible.
  7. Speak or type a short summary before you leave. A quick recap while the details are fresh catches gaps early.
  8. Save the notes in one place. Use one file or page per site, named with the venue name and the date.
  9. Send the venue a short follow-up. Confirm anything that was unclear, so the details are in writing.

Tools that can do it

You do not need software for this, and the options below are only a starting point. Check each tool's own page for price, limits and whether it runs on the device you carry on site.

Paper notebook or printed checklist. You write the answers under the same headings on each visit. It needs no setup, and the notes are only as easy to find as your filing.

A spreadsheet. One row per site and one column per question lets you compare venues side by side. Set it up before the first visit so the columns stay the same.

QuickDictate. QuickDictate is a Windows program that types what you say into whichever window you are using. [1] What you say is typed into whichever window has focus, such as an editor, chat box, terminal or web form. [1] You hold a key while you talk, or press it once to start and once to stop, and you can change both keys. [1] For a site with weak signal, dictation can work without internet once a speech model is installed. [1] You can list words and phrases that are sent to the speech service to help it recognise them, and you can set fixed spellings, such as "Chat GPT" to "ChatGPT". [1] While you are dictating, other apps' audio is muted or turned down, and it goes back to its old level when you stop. [1] If you sign in, you can sync preferences such as hotkeys and language between PCs. [1] QuickDictate is free for personal and other noncommercial use, with no subscription or account. [1] From v0.9.0 on, it is free for personal and other non-commercial use, and commercial use needs a separate licence. [1] Releases up to v0.8.0 were MIT. [1] It runs only on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11, and there is no Mac or Linux version. [1]

Common mistakes to avoid

Leaving the notes unsorted. A pile of photos and scribbles is hard to use when you compare venues later. Keep the same headings on every visit.

Trusting memory for the numbers. Measurements written from memory are often wrong. Write the figures down on the spot.

Forgetting to name the room. Notes that say 'the big room' cannot be matched to a floor plan. Label each note with the room and the time.

Keeping a wrong line. Say 'scratch that' right after a wrong line, which discards that text instead of inserting it. [1]

Dictating without a read-back. Speech to text can mishear names, so read the notes back before the visit ends. If a word keeps coming out wrong, add it to your custom vocabulary. [1]

Frequently asked questions

Is QuickDictate free for event planners?

QuickDictate is free for personal and other noncommercial use, with no subscription or account. [1] Commercial use needs a separate licence, so check whether your planning work counts before you rely on it. [1] Cloud speech providers bill you separately for their service. [1]

Can QuickDictate type site notes into a spreadsheet or notes app?

QuickDictate types what you say into whichever window has focus, such as an editor, chat box, terminal or web form. [1] The window you have open on your screen is where the words land, so click into the cell or page before you start speaking. [1] Check that your spreadsheet or notes app accepts typed input on the device you use on site.

Does QuickDictate need an internet connection on site?

It does not need one if you use a local speech model. [1] Choose Local in Settings and install a speech model such as Whisper Large v3 Turbo, and dictation then needs no internet connection or API key. [1] Install the model before you leave the office. If you choose a cloud provider instead, that provider bills you directly. [1]

Can QuickDictate keep a record of past dictations?

Yes. You can browse and filter your last 50 dictations in Settings, and the history survives a restart or self-update. [1] Copy longer notes into your own files, because Settings keeps only the last 50 dictations. [1] If you sign in, settings such as hotkeys and language can sync between PCs, but API keys, audio and transcripts are never synced. [1]

How can QuickDictate discard a wrong line?

Say 'scratch that' straight after the wrong line. [1] That discards the text you just dictated instead of inserting it, and it is the only voice command shipped. [1] Check the text on screen after each short burst of speech, so a mistake is caught while the room is still fresh in your mind.

QuickDictate is free for personal and other noncommercial use, with no subscription or account. Cloud providers bill you separately for their service. [1]

Try QuickDictate

Sources

  1. QuickDictate's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)

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