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Get Organized: Develop an agenda

It is not that unusual for the event host or organizer to hand you a roughly drawn sequence of events with the comment “Here’s your agenda!”

“Good for them I say!” “Now let’s make a real one.” I’m going to suggest that you take their info and develop it into three different documents.

Document One (Minute-by-minute timeline):

This is a tool to allow you to strategically develop a plan of action for your event.

Create a spreadsheet document in Excel. If you don’t have a version of Microsoft Office, free versions are available on-line through Open Office. Helpful hint: if you aren’t familiar with how spreadsheets work, columns go down, rows go across.

On the top row of the spreadsheet (above) in the A1 position type in a heading entitled Time. In the A2 position enter your event start time. Example: 6:00 PM. Working your way down the A column break the event down to five minute intervals by entering those times, working your way to the time that the event ends. Example: 6:05 PM, 6:10 PM, etc.

Your second column B1 should be entitled Time Allotted. In this column, next to the appropriate time row, you will place the amount of time you have allowed for the activity. Example: Opening & Welcoming Comments 3 Minutes.

Your third column C1 should be labelled Start Time and the next one D1, End Time.

Your fifth column E1 should be labelled Activity. Identify the activity in as few words as you can to describe the activity. Example: Opening Comments. The activity description should be entered in the corresponding time row.

The sixth column F1 will be labelled Who? As you fill out the spreadsheet you will enter the name of the person who is most responsible for this particular activity. Example: 7:02 PM Welcoming Comments – Emcee.

I am a logistical thinker and I use the sixth column G1, labelled Logistics as a place to identify any logistics or concerns related to a specific activity. Example: Need to place certificates in the lectern, Move lectern out of the way for this speaker. Your comments should be entered into the box that corresponds with the specific activity.

I use the sixth column H1 as a place to fit in any comments that don’t necessarily fit into the logistics column.

This document is your working tool to organize your thoughts and all of the event’s activities.

Agendas often evolve over time rather than being created in one session. I would suggest that you use the Version method of saving your files. Every time that I work on agenda, I save it with the current day’s date. Example: Breakfast With Mayor Event v23-09-14. If I worked on the file a few days later I would save the file as Breakfast With Mayor Event v26-09-14. This allows you to save your work incrementally so should you need to go back to a specific date that you made a change, you can readily do so. It is not unusual to experience the thought of “What in the world was I thinking when I changed …?” Having access to previous versions is helpful.

If you are sharing your spreadsheet with others, it is advisable to ensure that you are all looking at the same version. It can be quite frustrating when discussing a specific line item, only to find you are working on different versions.

In addition, if you are sharing your spreadsheet with others and they may be making changes to it, it can be helpful if you upload the document to a cloud storage site such as Dropbox. That way a few people can have the same document open on their computer screen in front of them and discuss it while on a telephone conference call, or webinar/screen sharing program.

Document Two (Program Agenda):

From the Document 1 Minute-by-Minute Timeline that you have created, copy the Start Time & Activities and paste them into a Word document (or whatever word processing program that you have access to.) This will become your working Agenda or Program. You will likely have to flesh it out with more details such as credentials for different individuals that will be speaking. This document in turn will become the official Agenda/Program for your event.

Here is another example of a timeline derived from both the Minute-by-minute Timeline and a Program Agenda. Note that colour has been added to the spreadsheet to help differentiate the activities on the agenda. Also note that coffee breaks and transition times have been factored in. If your guests have to move from one room to another, you need to factor in time for them to do so.

Document Three (Emcee Notes):

While Document One Minute-Minute Time Line is a great way to get your thoughts organized, larger spreadsheets tend to be unwieldy when you print them. Much the same as creating the agenda in Document Two Program Agenda above, I create a word document with the agenda copied into it. This becomes my minute-by-minute script for my role as the Emcee. I don’t leave anything to chance. I don’t necessarily read it word for word out loud during the event but it is there to keep me organized should I need it. With so many small details, I usually do need it. In my notes I identify the script that I want to say in a bold font. I make use of point form notes to myself. “Remember to …” I will also spell out phonetically a speaker’s name that may be problematic from a delivery perspective.

We will discuss using your Emcee Notes later in this book and two examples will be explored. See Introductory Scripts.