5 Tips for Organizing an Event on a Tight Deadline

Have you been given the responsibility of organizing an event on a tight deadline? As stressful as it may be, you have what it takes to pull it off. As long as you are organized and committed to the task at hand, you may be surprised at what you can accomplish in a short period of time.

Organizing an event on a tight deadline can bring out the best in you and your team. These five tips will help you stay on track during a hectic time.

1. Make a to-do list.

Don’t be fooled into thinking you can keep everything in your head! To-do lists don’t need to be anything fancy. Just something that shows what needs to be done between now and the day of the event. A handwritten list on an 8.5×11 paper will do, it can be copied and handed out!

To-do lists ensure you don’t overlook important details and effectively track progress and highlight the tasks you still need to accomplish.

2. Enlist the help of others.

Are there coworkers who are willing and able? If so, round them up and begin to delegate. Take out your list, initial tasks and hand out copies! The more help you get the better off you will be.

Even if people only take a couple of tasks off your plate, it’s better than no help at all.

3. Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.

Time is of the essence. You are already on a tight deadline, so waiting around until the last minute is only going to make matters worse.

Regardless of how much you have already completed in a single day, forge ahead. You may organize the entire event sooner than you ever thought possible. As a result, you will be left with time to review and make any necessary last minute changes.

4. Answer your most basic logistical questions first.

What are your “needs?” Have you booked a venue? What is the fastest way to market your event? Do you have a payment or check-in process setup? Do you need guest speakers? These are the types of questions you have to answer as soon as possible.

Once you clear the most critical details out of the way, locking in the most basic itinerary and logistical requirements, you can focus on those details that are secondary in terms of importance.

Don’t overreach. Getting five components of your event to run perfectly is better than having ten components fall short! 

5. No time for micromanaging.

As tempted as you may be to oversee every last detail, this is not something you have time for. Trust is the big when in a time-crunch. You need to stick with your own responsibilities while trusting that others will complete the tasks you have assigned to them.

Check in, but resist jumping in. If a task is being done to satisfaction it likely doesn’t matter if its not being done exactly as you would have done.

If you spend too much time micromanaging, nobody, including you, will get anything done.

Final tip: don’t let the stress of a tight deadline hold you back. You are going to feel pressured from time to time, but stay calm, continue moving forward and you will eventually reach the finish line.