6–12 months before: establish the commercial and strategic case
For large conferences, summits, festivals and corporate events, the earliest phase should answer whether the event is worth doing and whether the concept can support the desired scale. Avoid committing major money while the audience, proposition and business model are still vague.
- Define purpose, audience and success measures.
- Build the first budget and revenue model.
- Research date conflicts and venue options.
- Identify partners, sponsors and anchor speakers.
- Create a high-level programme and project plan.
3–6 months before: turn the concept into a sellable event
This is where the event needs to become concrete enough for attendees, speakers, sponsors and partners to understand. Confirm the elements that affect the public promise and prepare the systems that will capture demand.
- Confirm venue and key suppliers.
- Finalise ticket structure or registration model.
- Prepare the event page and tracking.
- Build sponsorship materials and prospecting lists.
- Confirm programme anchors and content themes.
- Create the marketing strategy and campaign calendar.
Your Next Great Event connects audience strategy, registration, marketing, sponsorship, delivery and post-event growth in one practical event planning book.
Order a Copy8–12 weeks before: launch with enough proof
The launch should make the value proposition easy to understand. If speakers are central to demand, use their credibility and ideas as part of the campaign rather than treating them as names on a flyer. If community or experience is the draw, show what participation will feel like.
- Launch registration and core campaigns.
- Activate partners, speakers and community channels.
- Start paid acquisition where appropriate.
- Monitor traffic-to-registration conversion.
- Follow up incomplete registrations and enquiries.
4–8 weeks before: optimise demand and delivery together
At this stage marketing and operations should run in parallel. Use registration data to understand which messages and channels are working, while the delivery team closes supplier, production and attendee-experience details.
- Shift marketing spend toward converting messages and audiences.
- Confirm technical production and room plans.
- Collect speaker materials and requirements.
- Send attendee preparation information.
- Confirm sponsor activations and deliverables.
- Build the event-day staffing plan.
2–4 weeks before: reduce uncertainty
The final weeks should remove ambiguity. Everyone who owns a task should know what success looks like, when they are needed and who they escalate to if something changes.
- Lock the run of show.
- Run team and supplier briefings.
- Confirm guest lists, access and accreditation.
- Prepare signage, print, content and backup assets.
- Reconfirm payment, registration and check-in processes.
- Prepare emergency and contingency procedures.
Final 72 hours: protect the essentials
Do not use the last three days to redesign the entire event. Prioritise the things that protect safety, attendee clarity, programme delivery, sponsor obligations and team coordination.
- Issue final contact sheets and schedules.
- Reconfirm venue access and supplier arrival times.
- Test equipment and registration workflows where possible.
- Prepare attendee updates for any last-minute changes.
- Make decision-making authority explicit.
Within 1–7 days after: convert attention into lasting value
Follow-up is part of the event, not an administrative afterthought. The faster you act while attention is still high, the easier it is to collect feedback, extend relationships and preserve commercial value.
- Thank attendees, speakers, sponsors and suppliers.
- Send promised resources or recordings.
- Collect feedback and outcome data.
- Follow up qualified leads.
- Report sponsor results.
- Run the internal debrief and document lessons.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to plan an event?
It depends on size, risk, venue availability, programme complexity, sponsorship and procurement. Large events often need several months; smaller events can work on shorter timelines. The important principle is to work backwards from dependencies rather than choose an arbitrary planning period.
What should happen first in an event planning timeline?
Start with purpose, audience, desired outcomes and budget viability. Venue, programme, marketing and sponsorship decisions become easier when those foundations are clear.
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Your Next Great Event connects the decisions across planning, marketing, registration, sponsorship, delivery and follow-up.
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