Logistics

Logistics can be explained as the management of the flow of things between the point of consumption and origin in order to meet requirements of the customer. Coordinating the logistics is very important simply because confusion can occur on the day in question, crashing, causing complete havoc for the entire event.  Therefore ironing out small glitches, informing all what are their duties are crucial for the complete success.

Order of Proceedings   

Order of proceedings can be explained as a sequence of events occurring at a particular place or occasion. This is very similar to a program however the difference is a program is writing on paper what should follow whereas the order of proceedings is the step before; planning who should speak first, enter the hall first or other details according to protocol. This should be drafted at least two weeks prior to the event and circulated to the stakeholders involved. At this point, there is sufficient time for minor changes if it is deemed necessary.

Event Briefing for Speakers

There should be an event briefing for speakers at least one week before the day of the event. In this briefing a few details must be touched on to ensure the speaker would be ready for the day. Firstly reconfirming attendance is important. There are many times where speakers have change of plans and forget to inform. Therefore ensuring they are going to be present before moving on is very important.

The next time should be to remind the speaker what topic they are asked to speak on and who are the audience they would be presenting same to. Sharing details on the program is also very important for a guest speaker. Many speakers are unable to attend an entire function but would show just in time for their speech. Sharing the program or even giving specifics on what time they are expected to speak helps as the speaker now has time details to work with.

Not knowing where the venue is causes many persons to be late or no show for events; a big cause for concern.  To avoid instances, giving a map or using technology to give directions makes a difference. This allows persons to be more assertive on where they are going so they can arrive on time. Within that direction should also be details on what parking space has been allocated to them. This is also very important as no parking is also a cause for concern.

The last point should be at least two (2) emergency numbers of team members/staff of the planner. Even though all details has been communicated to the speaker, emergencies do happen, the planner should be well informed at all times so they can arrange accordingly in such an instance. 

Question: Do you think briefing a guest speaker one week before is sufficient enough time?