Event Timelines
Planning a Corporate Function
6 Months Ahead
Determine your reasons for having the function
- Annual Event
- Business Anniversary
- Celebration: a new facility or a new product or service
- Ground breaking / ribbon cutting
- Publicity
- Sale
- Thank you for customers
Determine your budget
- How much are you willing to spend on the overall event?
Where and When?
- One day, weekend, week
- During / after office hours
- Time of the year
- Indoors/outdoors
- In your facility or office/canopy or tent, off premises
When you select the location, logistics must be considered. How many people can the venue accommodate? Where will your guests park?
5 Months Ahead
- Form a committee of people within your organization to work on this event. Assign specific tasks and deadlines.
- Research any possible permits/licenses that may be required. What is needed to apply? How long does it take to process?
4 Months Ahead
- Put together a preliminary guest list. Who to invite?
- Account customers
- Regular customers
- Prospective customers
- Local dignitaries
- Press
- Competitors
- Friends/Neighbours
- Vendors
- Seek proposals from all suppliers involved - caterers, rental dealers, entertainment, florists, and invitations.
- Are you creating a theme for this event? If yes, you should also get a proposal from a decor/prop company
- Inform your advertising agency so they can prepare some special promos.
3 Months Ahead
- Book a rental company and caterer
- Determine type of reception: cocktail-stand up, lunch, dinner
- Determine types of beverages served: wine, beer, soft drinks, punch and coffee
- Check availability of entertainment
- Finalize guest list and order invitations.
- What type of invitations to use? Formal? Flyer? Theme related?
Tips: The type of invitation should dictate the type of event. Keep invitations concise, and print extra. The RSVP date should always be clearly noted and specify the occasion.
2 Months Ahead
- Meet with advertising agency
- Book your florist, decor company
- Book entertainment
- Inform staff and neighbours of the time and place of the event
- Conduct site inspection with rental company and caterer to design layout and flow
- Consider your electrical power requirements. Do you have sufficient power for entertainment, food and beverage, and audio visual equipment?
- Invitations as a statement stuffer, send first mailing now
6 Weeks Ahead
- Apply for necessary licenses and permits
- Plan demonstrations
- Arrange giveaways/door prizes
4 Weeks Ahead
- Mail invitations (if using regular mail)
- Invitations as a statement stuffer - send second mailing now
- Review task assignments within your company. Who is responsible for what?
- Receiving RSVP's. You must get the correct name and spelling of all guests attending
- Prepare location
- Set up
- Hosts/hostesses
- Tour guides
- Demonstrations
- Traffic flow design
- Food serving/refilling/clean up
- Security
- Clean up
3 Weeks Ahead
- Priority mail or hand delivery of invitations
- Media releases should begin
2 Weeks Ahead
- All RSVP's due. This still allows time to follow up invitations by phone
- Prepare a production schedule so all suppliers for the event know when and where they should be arriving at your facility
1 Week Ahead
- Confirm final numbers with caterers and rental company
- Prepare name tags if using. Confirm spelling of any first and last names that you are uncertain of. Do not guess!
Day Of The Reception
- Have the entrance to your event well marked. (i.e. a tented walkway, rope end stanchions, balloons etc!)
- Have your reception table in a convenient spot. Be prepared with extra name tags for last minute attendees.
- Review with staff members all last minute details and jobs to be completed
- Before guests arrive, conduct one last walk through of your facility and restrooms to make sure everything is in place
- Have a plan for any guests that may arrive early
