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Pull something off the shelf. I write most weeks about the parts of an event nobody sees.

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The Library

October 6, 2026

Event planning steps, in the order they actually go

October 6, 2026

Nine days out from your event, and the document your team needs is still being written rather than checked. That week gets decided months earlier, in the order things got built. This post walks the five layers of an event, what each one is waiting on, and how to pick it up from wherever you already are.

everything on the shelf

Arielle Jones 9/22/26 Arielle Jones 9/22/26

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 vendor questions no one preps you for

Vendors ask questions that assume you've already decided things you haven't thought about yet, and answering on the spot is how you end up committed to something. This post covers what they'll ask and what to have ready.

Managing retreat vendors & speakers: What most people overlook

Every vendor and speaker arrives carrying assumptions you can't see, about timing, about setup, about what you're providing. Event day is a bad moment to discover them. This post covers what to confirm early and how to ask so nobody is guessing.