We know how much work, organization, and coordination it takes to plan an amazing event. That's why we've created an event planning timeline with best practices informed by our amazing customers and our own event planning experience. Whether you're planning your first event or you're a seasoned event planner, this timeline is intended to help you plan a successful event with Webex Events products from start to finish. ⏲️
This article introduces two event planning timeline resources — an infographic and an in-depth, customizable event planning document. Keep reading to learn how to access and use these resources! 📚
Event timeline infographic
This infographic is a high-level event planning timeline that provides major event planning milestones over six months. It's perfect as a quick reference to keep you on track as you plan your event using Webex Events products.
Click the button below to access the infographic:
Download it, print it out, make it your screensaver, or whatever is most useful for you!
Prepare and customize the event planning document
Our Webex Events event planning document provides a chronological list of tasks to complete during the event planning process, from 6 months before your event to post-event. Consider it a roadmap with tips to help you allocate enough time for each task, stay on track, and meet deadlines. With built-in filters for products and event type, you can customize it to show only the steps that apply to the products you purchased and the type of event you're planning.
Since every event is different, you may find that your event doesn't require certain tasks, or you may complete certain tasks within a slightly different timeframe, and that's okay! Simply use this document as your base and adjust as needed.
The following steps show you how to copy and customize the document.
Step 1: Open the planning document and make a personal copy
Click the button below to access the event timeline planning document. Make sure you're logged in to a Google account.
💡 Keep in mind, the 'All Events' tasks listed at the beginning of the planning document apply to all events regardless of your products or event type, and they don't necessarily adhere to a specific timeframe. Make sure to reference these tasks and resources!
Click the File menu in Google Sheets and select Make a copy from the drop-down. Rename the copied document something like '{Your event name} Event Timeline' and click Make a copy.
💡 Keep in mind, if you can't select 'Make a Copy' form the 'File' drop-down menu, that likely means you aren't logged in to a Google account. Log in and then try making a copy again.
Now it's time to use the filters on your personal copy!
Step 2: Filter for Webex Events products and event type
Now that you have a fresh copy of the timeline for yourself, use the built-in 'Products' and 'Type of Event' filters to start customizing the timeline. In the Products filter, select the Webex Events products you're using for your event. Disregard the 'Invalid' error.
The 'Attendees' and 'Sessions' options are already selected for your convenience. 😉
💡 Keep in mind, if you accidentally select a product that you don't want to include it in your timeline, clear the text in the filter completely, then select the correct products again. Be careful to include the 'Attendees' and 'Sessions' options, too.
Next, use the Type of Event filter to select your event type. For example, if you're hosting a hybrid event, choose 'Hybrid'!
The timeline planning document populates with all the timeline tasks that apply to your products and event type! Let's take a tour of the spreadsheet now that it's populated with more timeline tasks.
Task Complete - Use this column to indicate and track task completion.
Owner - If you're working with a team, use this column to delegate tasks to your teammates.
Product - This column shows the Webex Events product associated with the timeline task.
Timeline Task - This column shows a summary of the overarching task and includes a timeframe measured in weeks, then days as you get closer to your event.
Tasks Details and Reminders - This column shows detailed subtasks related to the task in the Timeline Task column. Here you can find best practices, reminders, and recommendations to help you complete the Timeline Task.
Resources - This column contains clickable links to articles from our knowledge base, Webex Academy courses and videos, and more. Reference these to help you complete tasks and learn even more best practices.
💡 Keep in mind, the filters you used to populate the timeline document copy data from elsewhere using spreadsheet magic, meaning you can't edit the content in the Product, Timeline Task, Task Details and Reminders, and Resources fields. You can, however, edit the Task Complete and Owner columns.
3: (Optional): Copy the results and paste them into your preferred project management tool
After you're done making filter selections, if you want to customize the timeline even further or simply have it in a format that works best for you, consider copying the content on the spreadsheet and pasting the values into your preferred project management tool.
Providing feedback
We're continually improving our products and resources, and we'd love to hear from you! After you've used any of these timeline resources, consider completing this survey to let us know how it went and how we can improve your experience.
Questions? Chat with us, email support@socio.events, or attend a Face to Face session.