Branding an International Conference in Tanzania: The Production Timeline

A conference has a fixed date and a fixed venue, and the branding has to be installed in a window that the venue controls. The production timeline is therefore reverse engineered from the opening session, and every item has a deadline that is earlier than it looks.

The inventory comes first. A conference branding package usually includes a backdrop, a registration desk, a directional system, a stage set, banners, badges, lanyards, signage for the sessions and possibly a photo wall. The list should be agreed with the venue and the organiser before the design begins.

The venue constraints are the second. The wall materials, the rigging points, the power, the access times and the fire regulations determine what can be installed. A backdrop that is designed without a site visit may not fit the wall or the truss, and the fix on the day is expensive.

The artwork deadlines are the third. A print-ready file, the logo, the colours, the fonts and the approval chain take time. A conference with an international organising committee may need several approvals, and the deadline should be set with that in mind.

The installation window is the fourth. The venue may allow access only the day before, and the crew has to install the backdrop, the registration desk and the directional signs in a few hours. The plan should sequence the work and include a test of the lighting and the power.

The contingency is the fifth. A missing badge box, a failed print or a delayed flight can stop the registration desk. The supplier should hold a spare of the critical items and be on call during the event.

The removal is the sixth. The venue will charge for anything left behind, and the removal should be scheduled with the same crew. A conference that ends on a high note and leaves a pile of banners is a conference with an unhappy venue.