WELCOME TO THE
Library
Pull something off the shelf. I write most weeks about the parts of an event nobody sees.
New on the shelf
everything on the shelf
The event planning form that replaced nine emails
Somebody on your team turns up with the wrong number, and they were told the right one in a conversation three weeks ago. This post covers why that keeps happening even when everyone communicates well, the event planning form that fixed it on a nine-hundred-person conference, and the three things that make written capture actually hold.
Event planning timeline: what waits and what doesn't
Your caterer has been on the list for three weeks and you keep not picking one, because the final headcount isn't in yet. That's two decisions, and only one of them is actually waiting. This post covers the question that separates what genuinely has to stay open from what's already decided and hasn't been said out loud.
The 5 event planning steps that come before everything else
Leaning toward a date is not the same as having one, and nobody on your team can build on a decision you haven't actually made. This post covers the five decisions everything in your event sits on top of, the order they go in, and how to spot the one of yours that's still hanging open.
The event planning process and why yours feels unfinished
The agenda has been rewritten four times and none of the versions are better than the last one. That usually means something the agenda depends on hasn't been decided yet. This post walks through four signs a decision in your event is still open when it should already be settled, and what one open decision ends up costing.
What belongs in your event planning spreadsheet
Everything you're currently tracking across six documents and a notes app could live in one place. This post covers what belongs in that document, how it's organized, and what it feels like to open one thing instead of six.
The event planning checklist for your last two weeks
The final fourteen days generate a lot of activity and not all of it is useful. This checklist is built around what genuinely needs confirming in that window, rather than what feels most urgent at 10pm.
What your event stress is actually pointing at
She registers, gets a confirmation, and then hears nothing for six weeks. Whatever excitement she had gets a chance to cool all the way down. This post covers what should be reaching her in that stretch and how to set it up once.
Event planning at midnight: why the session never sticks
Late-night planning sessions feel productive and almost never survive the morning. You reopen the doc and none of it has moved. This post covers why that work doesn't stick and what does, at a more reasonable hour.
Timeline for event planning: what the last three weeks do
The last three weeks before an event aren't more of the same work at a faster pace. They're a different job with a different shape, and knowing that changes what you prepare. This post covers what those weeks are actually for.
Where your speaker information lives changes everything
Bios in one folder, travel details in an email thread, slides in a shared drive nobody can find. This post covers what changes when speaker information lives in one place, both for you and for the speakers themselves.
Why your inbox can't tell you where your speakers stand
Scrolling back through email threads to work out who sent their bio and who still owes you slides is not tracking, though it feels close enough until it isn't. This post covers what to use instead and how little it takes to set up.
What actually begins the moment a speaker says yes
Inviting speakers before you've settled a few things means renegotiating with them later, which is a conversation nobody enjoys. This post covers what to decide before the first ask goes out, so the yes you get is the yes you wanted.
The decisions to make before you invite a single event speaker
Inviting speakers before you've settled a few things means renegotiating with them later, which is a conversation nobody enjoys. This post covers what to decide before the first ask goes out, so the yes you get is the yes you wanted.
What actually happens between "the venue is booked" and event day
Impressive names, strong bios, and a room that somehow never quite lifts. It happens more than anyone admits and it isn't about the speakers being wrong. This post covers what determines whether a lineup lands once everyone is in the room.
Why your speaker lineup looks great on paper but falls flat in the room
Impressive names, strong bios, and a room that somehow never quite lifts. It happens more than anyone admits and it isn't about the speakers being wrong. This post covers what determines whether a lineup lands once everyone is in the room.
What event day feels like when your team has the full picture
Your team can only run the day without you if the document in front of them answers what they'll actually need. This post covers what has to be in it, what usually gets left out, and how it changes event day.
The event logistics spreadsheet your team needs to execute without you
Your team can only run the day without you if the document in front of them answers what they'll actually need. This post covers what has to be in it, what usually gets left out, and how it changes event day.
Your event has multiple versions right now. Here’s why that matters.
Your event currently exists in four places and they don't quite match: the doc you share, the notes on your phone, the vendor emails, and the version in your head. This post covers why that matters more than it seems and what to do about it.
The difference between planning your event and running your event
Connected tools and a working setup are two different achievements. This post covers how the pieces fit together so that registration, confirmations, and reminders keep moving without you remembering to push them.
Why getting more organized won’t fix your event stress
Connected tools and a working setup are two different achievements. This post covers how the pieces fit together so that registration, confirmations, and reminders keep moving without you remembering to push them.