Guide to Effective Corporate Events

Timescales

One of the most common mistakes made when organising events, is leaving insufficient time for planning. The time required for planning events is very much dependent on the type and size of the event. However, in an ideal world, the planning process should start approximately six months before the date of the event.

These may seem long lead times, but there are many factors to consider:

• competition for tickets at major sporting events
• availability of venues and suppliers
• deadlines set by event organisers, e.g., submission of order forms
• issuing invitations - at least ten weeks prior to the event.

The level of activity will also vary at different stages of the project. The initial planning stages are usually the busiest. This will be followed by a quieter period which predominantly involves overseeing things to ensure the project is running to plan and budget.

Activity then increases again three to four weeks before the event. The table below shows a month-by-month guide to planning an event. This chart is more applicable to conferences, seminars and client entertainment than to exhibitions, but provides a good indication of the stages and elements involved when organising an event.

Timings for exhibitions are guided very much by the exhibition organisers and the deadlines set in the Exhibitors' Manual.