Managing Event Production Timelines

READ TIME: 3 minutes

In event and meeting management, it is critical that timelines are established for the planning team, clients, suppliers, venue, and others involved with the planning and delivery of the event. An event production timeline is a tool that planners use to track deliverables of an event, often in the form of a task list organized in chronological order. It provides structure to a layered and complex project, identifies ownership and accountability for each event element, and most importantly helps to mitigate risk by reducing things “falling through the cracks”.

Of course, managing the timeline itself can be daunting depending on the size of the event. Here are some helpful tips on managing your event timeline. Some of them may seem obvious, but it’s easy to fall into the trap where you get too busy planning and assume that everyone else is on-task and on-deadline.

1. Update Frequently

Update the timeline every week and provide it to the entire production team. Outline outstanding action items in red and follow up with the individuals responsible as necessary.

2. Communicate Updates and Progress

Provide a weekly update email which takes deliverables from the timeline, outlining what is actionable for the coming week, and who owns the deliverable.

3. Monitor Deadlines

Creating a timeline isn’t enough. You really need to keep an eye on the deadline and monitor progress as well as delays. Flag any missed deadlines and alert the team if something is past due.