Ah, the joys of event logistics.
Creating successful events is exciting. But dealing with complex event logistics and managing your agenda of 5,000 tasks? Not so thrilling.
You don’t need to do the boring work, get bogged down with project planning, or use cumbersome tools when you have Eventbrite’s Gantt chart for event planning. Save your precious energy for getting creative with your event ideas instead.
At Eventbrite, we’ve helped thousands of creators shape their events and learned a few tricks from them along the way. In this article, we’re giving away a practical, easy-to-use Gantt chart template to help keep your team focused and never miss important deadlines. Download it for free below, customize it with your event checklist, and keep reading to learn how to start your all-important event timeline.
Why you need a Gantt chart for event planning
So what is a Gantt chart, and why use one for events? A Gantt chart tracks important tasks against a timeline. It shows each task’s start and end dates, duration, and how they overlap or link. A Gantt chart provides a comprehensive overview of your event’s timeline and dependencies between tasks.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re planning an event for 200 or 20,000 people — all events have lots of moving pieces that need to fall into place — and often get missed without adequate organization. From catchy hashtags to catering menus, a visual representation of your timeline and project checkpoints keeps you organized well before your big day.
This allows you to see all the ‘moving parts’ for your event at a glance, such as:
- Tasks that need completing
- When you need to start each task to meet deadlines
- How long you expect each task to last
- Where jobs overlap with each other and by how much
- What you or your team should focus on at any given time
A Gantt chart can be a great supplement to use on top of your event planning checklist. It also offers a macro view of the event planning process, including dependencies between tasks and when they need to be completed. The checklist provides a micro view detailing the specific actions required to complete each task.
Using a Gantt chart helps event organizers identify key activities, allocate resources efficiently, and adjust plans as needed. It also allows contributors to complete their tasks effectively without too much intervention from a dedicated project manager.
Furthermore, a visual interpretation of the project timeline provides an additional resource for stakeholders or event sponsors.
A Gantt chart also pairs perfectly with free event planning software. The chart helps you keep track of your to-do list, and event planning software can help you execute many of those tasks smoothly and efficiently.
How to get started with the event planning Gantt chart template
The template has a simple, predefined structure and a list of common tasks for event organizers. Of course, all events are different, and each will have a unique set of jobs and responsibilities. Our template makes it easy to adjust the time for tasks and timelines for your specific event.
Ready to simplify your event organization?
To do this, you’ll need to take the following steps:
1 . Review the items on the second tab, labeled ‘Event Gantt Chart Data,’ and compare them with the tasks you must complete.
2 . Add any tasks missing from the tab, and delete any that you won’t need. Don’t get too detailed — this should provide an overview of the tasks, not exact instructions.
3 . Add the start and end dates for each item.
4 . As you work, you can update each item’s ‘progress’ column to ensure everyone knows the project progress and keeps to the event schedule.
Then, you’ll see that the first tab, labeled ‘Event Planning Gantt Chart,’ automatically updates to match your timeline so you see your progression in real-time.
How to set your key milestones and timelines
If this is your first event or you’re looking for guidance to create an event planning timeline, below are some suggestions for mapping your key milestones. These help reduce your time on project setup so you can focus on other parts of the event planning process.
In the event template provided, we split event planning into seven critical phases:
1 . Pre-event planning and logistics: This should cover time to plan your event strategy, such as defining your offering and target audience and setting goals or KPIs. This also includes creating a budget. 52% of event planners report that budgeting is the main financial challenge for events, so take your time on this one.
2 . Finding a venue: Report your progress in researching and booking your perfect venue.
3 . Identifying vendors and sponsors involves identifying potential sponsorship targets and determining which vendors would be best to partner with.
4 . Event promotion and marketing: Once tickets are on sale, this timeline should cover your PR, advertising, and marketing campaigns.
5 . Final prep: Allow yourself time ahead of the event to confirm every detail (such as sending event reminders and finalizing venue details) and communicate with your vendors and sponsors for a smooth event day.
6 . Event day: Any last-minute checks you need to make, such as technical run-throughs of sound equipment and a final team meeting.
7 . Post-event activity: Include time in your planning to review the success of your event and report back to vendors and sponsors.
You may wish to start with phase one, mapping out the time you need to prepare so you can select the ideal event date. However, if you already have a date set, start with the event day phase and work backward to find out how much time you have before you need to get started. Just a few quick edits can make this a powerful tool for teamwork and collaboration.
Get the Gantt chart for event planning template
By arming yourself with organizational tools, you can reduce your admin workload and get started on the fun stuff. A Gantt chart can keep you and your team on the ball with simple checklists to provide a visual cue of what you’ve completed and what’s next.
A Gantt chart can also help you easily spot anything you’re missing on your agenda without having to shift through pages of documents.
To ensure your execution is fast and effective, pair your Gantt chart with an event management system that can help make your event a reality.
With Eventbrite, you get an all-in-one event management toolkit packed with the essentials to succeed as an organizer, from event marketing to payment processing and ticketing.
