Planning an event might sound easy, but it can test your managerial skills. Event hosts must establish an event timeline to assign different tasks to parties. The timeline also allows them to coordinate parties and stay within the budget while achieving the desired goals and objectives. Walk through this article to know more about how to establish a long-term event planning timeline.
A sequence of events at defined dates can construct your long-term timeline for the upcoming event, and you must never underestimate its significance. This post will uncover how to establish a long-term event planning timeline for your next megacorporate show. However, before jumping into the how-to section, let us first understand the event timeline.
Understanding the Event Timeline:
Event planning is more like project management – looking after multiple events in a defined timeline. Therefore, a well-established event timeline is essential to ensure each task is performed within the allotted period and contributes to the overall corporate objectives. A timetable for long-term event planning is a list of events and actions that occur in chronological order.
In event planning, such a time frame is frequently 6 to 12 months. To take complexity and size into account, the range sounds large. For relatively specific events, a six-month timeframe might be excessive; for a large-scale event with thousands of guests, a 12-month timeline might be suitable.
Nothing can help you more than a perfect event timeline, especially if you plan to organize a large event. The higher the number of guests, the more aggressive the event planning should be. Therefore, event planners should understand the event size and design a timeline accordingly for better results!
Why do you need an event timeline?
Coming to the next portion, why do you need an event timeline in the first place? The question might have crossed your mind initially, and here is the perfect answer.
i) Align with your suppliers:
An event timeline can help you get on the same page with your vendors and caterers before the big day arrives. You can remind them of their duties well in advance to stay on the safer side and keep things ready for the event day.
ii) Keep track of contracts:
To make timely deposits and remember to keep track of contracts, considerable planning is required. You can keep track of these elements by creating a (written or drawn) long-term event planning timeline which can be helpful in various aspects.
iii) Event planning decisions:
With plenty of time to make changes, key stakeholders can approve or modify event planning decisions. This will ensure that all parties involved in the process—investors, sponsors, and partners—are satisfied. Do you want a helping hand in the event planning processes? It would be best to hire events companies in Abu Dhabi for better planning and outcome!
Establishing event planning timeline:
Here comes the part that you have been waiting for! Creating an event planning timeline requires you to acknowledge a few things and follow a few steps. These steps are explained in the coming portion. Let us get straight into it!
i) Establish non-negotiable deadlines:
Key stakeholders and partners should determine non-negotiable deadlines that everyone should follow. These timeline anchors can’t be moved and changed, and the involved parties should work hard to achieve the results. Some examples of anchor deadlines are given here:
- Corporate client’s request for a formal check-in meeting
- Securing event sponsors six months before the event
- Scheduling the appearance of keynote speakers on a specified date
These anchor deadlines are often out of your control, and you must plan for them before the event date. Since they are flexible and give you parameters, you can plan well for them.
ii) Add supplier timelines:
Your long-term event planning schedule will also heavily consider your event suppliers. They need to know what is occurring and when to offer the best service possible. By providing them with as much information as you can, you can help them succeed.
Since large events like conferences and trade exhibitions demand more planning on their part as well, you can help them succeed. Nonetheless, your event planning activities must be up to the mark, and it won’t happen unless you hire events companies in Abu Dhabi with lots of experience in the field.
iii) Make different versions of the timeline:
Make several variations of your event timeline if you want it to be as effective as possible. Work on your timeline iteratively, then repeat. You will gain fresh perspectives and original ideas from every new version. Run your draft by a reliable coworker once you have finished it. Ask them if there are any crucial details you are missing.
Make your next corporate event memorable!
You have been planning for your next corporate event, but who knows if it will be successful? What if you are missing out on the essential components? It would be best to hire professional event companies and let them make your event memorable!
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