Event Timeline Template: Everything You Need To Include

Organizing a successful event can feel like a puzzle with many pieces. 

You know the basics: email invites, social media promotions, and online advertising. But to truly fill those seats, a well-thought-out plan is crucial, and timing is everything.

Our event timeline template is here to help.

We’ve gathered top tips from our extensive experience helping event creators through Eventbrite’s event management platform and created a downloadable template to help you craft an event timeline. 

With a clear checklist and dates, planning and promoting your event becomes less daunting, leaving you with some mental space for creativity!

Table of Contents

8–12 months pre-event: Ideation and planning

3–4 months pre-event: Nail down the details and get prepared

2 months pre-event: Set up event registration

1 month pre-event: Promote, promote, promote!

1 week pre-event: Finishing touches and damage control

Day of event: Capture the moment

1 day post-event: Write post-event thank you emails

3 days post-event: Post live event photos to socials

8–12 months pre-event: Ideation and planning

While the exact time frame you’ll need will vary depending on your event, for large-scale events, leave yourself 8–12 months to make bookings for performers and a venue, for example.

At this stage, you don’t need every detail ironed out. But it’s a good idea to use this time to assess the logistics of your event and your event budget, target audience, and main theme.  

💡Pro tip: Utilize analysis tools to examine previous event data and identify which aspects of your event attendees resonate with. With Eventbrite, you can access real-time data insights, such as attendee check-ins, registration, and no-show rates. 

3–4 months pre-event: Nail down the details and get prepared

From venue contracts to vendors and sponsor requests — you have a lot going on before your event goes on sale. 

For the 3–4 months leading up to your event, get organized with key tasks, such as finalizing speakers and securing food and drink options. 

💡Pro tip: Kickstart your marketing campaign by crafting a newsworthy press release, and create an email campaign for your past attendees, letting them know something big is nearing. 

2 months pre-event: Set up event registration

Your website is launched, and the event is now on sale; there’s only one thing left to do: set up your event registration.

At this point, you’ll be busy, stressed, and probably sleep-deprived — but you’ll also have excitement while waiting to see how many ticket sales you get on the ‘first release.’ 

💡Pro tip: Streamline your event registration process by partnering with Eventbrite. It allows you to customize order forms and use embedded checkouts. For example, MAMA’s Night Market ticket sales grew 92% once they started using the platform. 

1 month pre-event: Promote, promote, promote! 

With your event on the horizon, focus on crafting a promotional campaign that creates urgency. 

Your social media marketing, as well as Google ads and blog posts, should tell interested attendees that the time to register is running out. 

💡Pro tip: Use retargeting to reach out to people who haven’t completed the purchase process. 

1 week pre-event: Finishing touches and damage control

With your event just around the corner, it’s officially ‘go time.’ 

Double-check that your team is prepared, your venue is all ready to go, and attendees have a copy of their tickets. 

If you forget even a small detail in planning, it could be a significant problem on event day. So contact the key players at your event, such as catering, performers, or vendors, to ensure they’re still 100% committed to coming on the day (it’s always a good idea to have emergency backup contacts in preparation).

Even if you feel confident in your preparations, it’s important not to underestimate how unforeseen events like sickness or emergencies can easily disrupt your entire event.

💡Pro tip: Capitalize on the ‘last minute rush’ by promoting ‘final call’ ticket sales on social media. With Eventbrite, you can create a targeted campaign directed at ‘lookalike’ audiences who share the same interests and values as your community and even offer ‘final sale’ discount codes. 

Day of event: Capture the moment

The big day has finally arrived. 

Arrive at the venue early, get everything set up, and hold a team meeting so everyone knows their expectations. 

Make sure you share photos and promote your event on Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook, and encourage attendees to do the same on their social media as well.

💡Pro tip: The best way to achieve high-quality photos of your event is to hire a professional photographer. But don’t limit yourself to an ‘event photographer’; try a film photographer with a distinct style who can cultivate a certain aesthetic for your event. 

1 day post-event: Write post-event thank you emails

Give yourself a pat on the back for all of your hard work. But before you completely relax, post-event time is an opportunity to gather feedback and show your attendees that you appreciate their support.

First, create a post-event thank you email campaign to thank attendees for coming but also to nurture first-time event goers into becoming long-term community members. 

💡Pro tip: Create a post-event thank you email in a style that matches your event’s tone. For example, an event organizer who creates wild parties, like Run The City LLC, might choose to craft a ‘you’re one of us now’ thank you email. 

3 days post-event: Post live event photos to socials

Now it’s time to utilize those magnificent photos we told you were so important to capture on the day of your event. 

Luckily, because you’ve planned, you have a collection of high-quality photos that create a captivating visual story, utilize the FOMO effect, and showcase the unique emotional experience of your brand. 

💡Pro tip: Boost engagement and expand your reach on social media by tagging attendees in event photos they’re featured in. This simple step can help you foster connections with new audiences and generate hype around your event brand.

Use an event timeline template that works

Make the most of your event timeline template by printing it and keeping it on a clipboard. 

Not only will ticking off completed tasks with a pen give you a sense of accomplishment, but it can also help you stay focused and motivated — both of which you’ll need in the lead-up to the final week (trust us)!

One of the best ways to streamline event production is to partner with an advanced event platform. Eventbrite can help you with your end-to-end event management, from strategizing to event registration, promotion, check-ins, and even your after-event email campaign.