Timing is Everything: How to Time Your Event Flawlessly

As a professional event planner, my number one tool is a schedule.  Of course, each event requires its own customized schedule which includes the vendors and other factors unique to the assignment at hand, but a detailed schedule for the day of the event is absolutely indispensable.

I make certain that each of the people involved on event day are provided with the same schedule well in advance so that they can coordinate their role accordingly.  For example, when planning the day of a corporate fundraiser, my scheduling will include the timing for cocktails, hors d’ouevres, the order of speakers, dinner service, entertainment, dessert and coffee service, an so on.  Each event participant – bartender, server, sound system technician – can check the schedule and easily do their part to make the event timing perfect.

Of course, there are always moments during any event that threaten to throw scheduling out the window.  Perhaps the keynote speaker develops a case of nerves and cancels on the spot; maybe the caterer discovers, at the last minute, that one of the dessert options has been forgotten.  In these emergency situations, having a professional planner on hand behind the scenes can literally save the day.  Your planner can do the juggling required to repair the damage, invisibly and effectively, while the event continues on schedule.  Believe me, a professional planner with any experience has learned to think on their feet!

Knowing when the candy buffet should come out is key to timing for a wedding.

Other timing considerations not necessarily covered by a written schedule might be an impromptu music request, the addition of an unexpected dignitary to the speakers’ roster, or even a guest’s spur-of-the-moment desire to make a toast.  With the assistance of your professional planner, any or all of these events can be smoothly incorporated into the seamless timing of the evening.

When you and your guests look back on their experience, they will remember an enjoyable evening.  If all went as planned, the mechanics of the event timing will be the farthest thing from anyone’s mind.  The most successful events are those where the organization is effectively invisible.

Ciao!