Unfortunately, as much as I hate to say it... money talks. Proactive communication, negotiation, and flexibility are essential when vendors can't align. Start by understanding the reason behind their delay and assess any potential adjustments they can make. Identify alternative vendors or solutions that could fill the gap if necessary. Revisit the timeline and reassign tasks within your team to minimize impact. Remember to communicate with stakeholders and update them on timelines. Establish contingency plans, including backup equipment or additional staff, to ensure critical elements are ready. Anticipate potential delays and rework the project timeline so you can ensure as smooth a production as possible.

Planning around your vendors’ schedule comes after the non-negotiable timeline items. Your event suppliers help your event come to life ” and to do so, they need to know when everything is happening. This isn’t as hard as it sounds. Your vendors likely have a good idea of how much time they need. When you’re crafting your timeline, sit down with each of these vendors and determine how much time they need for each particular part of the event they are participating in.