Gate 01
Define the operating brief
Required outcome: One source of truth for purpose, guests, market, date, constraints, decision owners, and success criteria.
- Guest-count range and accessibility needs documented
- Decision maker and budget owner identified
- Venue status, date flexibility, and hard constraints recorded
Gate 02
Model the budget
Required outcome: A planning range with assumptions—not a disguised quote.
- Low, expected, and high scenarios reviewed
- Taxes, fees, gratuity, travel, overtime, and contingency considered
- Unknowns separated from committed costs
Gate 03
Source and compare
Required outcome: Comparable scopes and responses across providers.
- Same scope sent to each candidate
- Availability and service area confirmed directly
- Pricing, exclusions, substitutions, and dependencies normalized
Gate 04
Review contracts and risk
Required outcome: Responsibilities and unresolved exposures are visible before commitment.
- Cancellation, force majeure, payment, overtime, and replacement terms reviewed
- Venue-required insurance and credentials confirmed by the appropriate reviewer
- Alcohol, food safety, permits, security, accessibility, and weather responsibilities assigned where relevant
Gate 05
Build the execution plan
Required outcome: People know what happens, when, where, and who owns it.
- Run of show, contact sheet, access windows, and load-in plan distributed
- Final counts, layouts, dietary needs, power, parking, and delivery instructions confirmed
- Escalation owner and communication channel identified
Gate 06
Prepare contingencies
Required outcome: Known failure modes have an owner and response.
- Weather, delay, no-show, equipment, medical, and capacity scenarios considered
- Trigger, decision deadline, backup action, and communication owner documented
- Emergency procedures obtained from the venue or responsible authority
Gate 07
Reconcile and learn
Required outcome: The event closes with a reliable financial and operational record.
- Final invoices compared with approved scope and changes
- Deposits, refunds, damages, tips, and reimbursements reconciled
- Lessons, vendor performance notes, and reusable documents archived
How to use this
Maintain an assumption ledger
For every consequential item, label it as known, estimated, unconfirmed, or decided. Record the source, owner, and next review date. This prevents modeled costs and vendor claims from quietly becoming “facts.”