Build an event master schedule from preparation to closeout

Start with the work that begins before the event

The planning lead preparing an event master schedule should gather the work from preparation through dismantling and closeout in one place. Include objectives and budget decisions, venue checks, procurement, participant recruitment, permits and safety coordination, production, delivery, setup and rehearsal, operations, dismantling and restoration, settlement and final reporting. Rather than deleting an item that may not apply, record who will confirm whether it is needed. Place work that can happen in parallel, such as recruitment and production, in the same period, and identify decisions such as venue approval that affect later work.

Dover District Council in England publishes an example timeline from event purpose, venue and safety checks through on-site operations and post-event cleanup. Its lead times and deadlines are local examples. Do not treat them as uniform requirements in Korea; check the actual terms set by the venue, relevant authorities and contracting parties.

Record the start, finish and response for each task

The planning lead should record the owner, start time and completion deadline, required inputs, the next task, the person who must confirm it and the status. Distinguish when information was sent from when the recipient confirmed it. Sending paperwork is not the same as its receipt or approval. If a date has not been supplied, mark it unverified and name the person and deadline for obtaining a response.

The following is a fictional example assuming an event on 15 May 2027. The dates, times, roles and states are neither a real event nor recommended lead times.

Seoul’s guidance on temporary use of city parks lists an event plan, installation and restoration plans, and safety-management documents as application materials. Park procedures and event conditions can differ. Do not use the fictional dates above as application deadlines; check with the relevant park authority.

Connect the work that must finish before the next step

If venue conditions must be confirmed before final procurement requirements can be set, link those tasks. Record the arrival of the equipment vehicle, availability of the loading area, completed installation, technical checks and start of rehearsal as separate states. A planned vehicle arrival is not evidence that installation is complete or rehearsal can begin.

Where different teams share a loading area, lift, stage or power supply, check their overlapping times and areas and agree who tells whom when the preceding work is complete. Do not force tasks that can run concurrently into a single sequence. The UK HSE also describes coordinating phased work and informing the relevant people during delivery, setup, dismantling and load-out. This is UK safety guidance, not a basis for deciding domestic legal duties.

Recheck connected work and costs when a date changes

If venue access is delayed or a supplier changes its delivery window, the schedule lead first informs the affected task owners. Each owner replies whether the work can proceed and whether additional staff, cost or a contract change is needed. Update the schedule after the authorised person decides; follow procedures confirmed by the relevant specialists and the venue for safety matters.

In the fictional example above, a late delivery permission does not automatically make rehearsal complete. The logistics lead checks the new delivery window, the technical lead reviews installation and testing time, and the programme lead decides how the start time is affected. Until resolved, retain the original time, proposed change, outstanding question and response deadline. Do not recover lost time by rushing unsafe work.

Include post-event work and share one current version

Assign owners and deadlines to post-event work such as receiving settlement evidence, confirming supplier balances, checking venue restoration and submitting grant results. Overseas exhibitions may specify separate deadlines for outbound documentation and carrier arrival. GES’s guidance for one 2024 exhibition separately lists documents to submit after packing and the carrier arrival deadline. Check the current rules for the specific show rather than applying that event’s times elsewhere.

Show the schedule’s reference time, version, author and recipients, and communicate what changed from the previous version. Completion means each task has an owner, time, prerequisite and response status, and people are assigned to unverified items and post-event work. Separately confirm the site safety plan, venue permission and deadlines in individual contracts.

Use the form for the next handover

Use the Master schedule, prerequisites and reply log for the records described here. The XLSX contains Blank, Example and Instructions sheets. Write your event in Blank; the fictional example is a guide to what to enter.

Give each task an ID, owner, planned time, deadline and time zone. Link prerequisite IDs and required approvals; do not impose a sequence on work that can run in parallel.

The schedule owner sends the version, as-of time and change impacts to each lead. Confirm receipt and completion replies before updating the next task’s prerequisites.