Day-Of Logistics and Crisis Management

The Day Everything Becomes Real

🔄 Remember the promotional strategies from our previous lesson? All that planning and promotion has led to this: event day. The months of preparation now compress into hours of execution.

Day-of logistics separate professional events from amateur ones. The guests don’t see your spreadsheets, timelines, or vendor contracts. They experience the seamless (or chaotic) result.

The good news: with the right preparation, event day is the smoothest part of the entire process.

The Runsheet

The runsheet is your single most important day-of document. It’s a minute-by-minute timeline of everything that happens.

Generate your runsheet with AI:

“Create a detailed day-of runsheet for a [event type] with [number] guests. Event starts at [time] and ends at [time]. Venue access begins at [time]. Include: vendor arrivals and setup times, technical checks, guest arrival management, program timeline with transitions, breakdown and cleanup. Format as a time-stamped document with responsible person placeholders.”

Runsheet structure:

Critical runsheet rules:

• Every activity has an owner (name, not just role)
• Build in buffer time between segments (minimum 10 minutes)
• Include vendor breakdown times, not just setup
• Note location for each activity (events often span multiple spaces)
• Mark decision points where you might need to adjust

The Emergency Kit

Small problems cause big disruptions when you can’t fix them quickly.

✅ Quick Check: Before reading the list below, try naming five items you’d include in an event emergency kit.

Essential emergency kit contents:

Crisis Management Framework

When something goes wrong (and something will), use this four-step process:

Step 1: Assess (30 seconds)

• What happened?
• How many people does this affect?
• Is it time-sensitive?
• What resources do I have?

Step 2: Decide (30 seconds)

• Can I fix this immediately?
• Do I need to escalate?
• Is there a workaround?
• Does the guest experience need protection?

Step 3: Execute (immediate)

• Assign the fix to a specific person
• Set a check-in time
• Communicate to affected parties (if needed)
• Continue managing other elements

Step 4: Document (after resolution)

• What happened and when
• How it was resolved
• Cost impact
• Prevention for next time

Common Day-Of Crises and Solutions

“I’m managing a [event type] and the following has just happened: [describe crisis]. I have [available resources/time]. Generate 3 possible solutions ranked by feasibility and guest impact. Include what to communicate to guests.”

Team Roles and Communication

On event day, clear roles prevent confusion:

Core day-of team:

Communication protocol:

• Use a group text or walkie-talkies for real-time coordination
• Check in with each team member every 30 minutes
• Establish code words for issues that shouldn’t be discussed openly
• Keep one phone line clear for emergency calls

The Post-Event Debrief

Within 48 hours of the event, capture lessons while they’re fresh:

“Help me create a structured post-event debrief. The event was [description]. Here’s what went well: [list]. Here’s what went wrong: [list]. Create a debrief document that captures lessons learned, vendor performance notes, budget vs. actual analysis, and recommendations for next time.”

Debrief questions:

1. What worked exactly as planned?
2. What surprised us (good and bad)?
3. Which vendors exceeded expectations? Which underperformed?
4. Where did the budget vary from estimates?
5. What feedback did guests provide?
6. What would we do differently?
7. What should we keep for future events?

Exercise

Prepare your day-of documentation:

1. Generate a complete runsheet for your event using the AI prompt
2. Build your emergency kit checklist
3. Assign day-of team roles
4. Create a crisis response protocol for the three most likely problems

Key Takeaways

• The runsheet is your single most important day-of document, with every activity time-stamped and assigned
• Build an emergency kit that handles the small problems that cause big disruptions
• Use the four-step crisis framework: Assess, Decide, Execute, Document
• Clear team roles and communication protocols prevent day-of confusion
• Conduct a post-event debrief within 48 hours while lessons are fresh
• Prepare for the likely crises specific to your event type

Up next: In the next lesson, we’ll bring everything together in the Capstone: Plan Your Complete Event.